When it comes to plants, they really don't get any easier than succulents. They don't require much water, they can be indoor plants, and plant care is minimal. But how is it that I always kill my plants after a few weeks? Sure, my cats love to play with them (sometimes I would even find them pulled fully out of the dirt and in a completely different room than the pot) but that can't be the only reason why I can't keep my succulents alive.
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So I took to the internet, and boy, there are a ton of tips about succulent gardening. In fact, here are five of my favorite discoveries I found while researching indoor succulents. Hopefully, my plants will last a little longer after implementing some of these hints.
1. Make Sure Your Succulents Can Be Grown Indoors
While most succulents plants can be grown indoors, there are certain plants that love the outside and can die if grown indoors. Species like jade plant, snake plant, aloe vera, string of pearls, hens-and-chicks, living stone, and zebra catus thrive indoors. You can also look for plants in the Echeveria genus as well. There are over 150 plants in the family and most (okay, all) of them are incredibly beautiful.
The best way to ensure you have indoor succulents is either talking to your local garden center or buy an indoor succulents collection online.
This one specifically features indoor plants and comes with a 90-day guarantee, making it easy to get a new plant if your green thumb slips up.
2. Let There Be Light!
So you got your succulents, now what? It's time to find a sunny spot in your home to keep your new plants. Outdoors succulents need about 6 hours of indirect sunlight a day, so to get this indoors, set your plants up against a window or in the brightest area of your home. If your plants don't get enough light they will start to stretch to reach the light.
That being said, direct sunlight can also be harmful and sunburn your leaves, but it is very rare.
Live in a place where getting enough sunlight is a struggle? Think about investing in a grow light. Just turn on the light and your succulent plants will LOVE it.
3. Contain Them Right
While a glass terrarium may look beautiful and eye-catching, a glass container is probably one of the worst things your plant can live in. Succulents hate sitting in soggy soil (can you blame 'em?) and require containers with good drainage holes. This allows extra water to drain out as well as provides the plant a way to breathe.
And while we are on the subject of planting your succulents, it's a good idea to invest in some draining soil or potting mix. Good soil will allow your plant to suck up all the water it needs without getting overwatered and rotting the roots. Soil with 1/4 " particles allow drainage, air circulation and leaves you with a very happy plant.
This particular potting soil mix features akadama, pine bark, superdite, and pumice. No dirt here, just large particles which succulents love!
4. Your Plants Need Water
The hardest part of raising succulents is figuring out how much to water them. Too much and you risk turning the plant into a soppy mess and too little you can turn the plant brittle.
So what do you do?
According to Succulents and Shine, the best way to water your succulent plants is to completely soak the soil and let it dry out completely before watering again. This translates to watering your plants every five to seven days if you are using a gritty soil mixture. Less water is more in the instance of succulent care.
5. Have Fun
These low maintenance plants aren't meant to be a huge undertaking. So what if you accidentally forget to water it? It's okay, these are some of the easiest plants to take care of.
Buy a few types of succulents that catch your eye and have fun taking care of them. All they need is a little love, some water, and a good home.
