Succulents are becoming increasingly popular because they are low maintenance and have the ability to multiply easily. Last night while talking about my new plants my boyfriend asks "why do you like them so much" and then proceeds to say "you aren't much of a flower girl are you?"Succulents are just so unique and interesting which is what attracts me to them the most.
But first things first what is a succulent?
A succulent is any plant with thick, fleshy water storage organs. They store water in their leaves, stems, and roots. Their ability to adapt to many different climates has resulted in the variety of different shapes I am so keen on. Succulent varieties include well known plants such as aloe, agave, and cacti, as well as a variety of interesting plant shapes.
I knew that I wanted to incorporate these beautiful plants both inside and outside of my new apartment. I am a low maintenance kind of girl, and I like my plants to be that way too. There are a variety of succulents, and some strive inside, some outside, and some in the shade. I wanted to get a couple of smaller varieties and stay away from the much larger hanging types.
I went to Home Depot for my plants since it is closest to my apartment, but you can find them at a variety of locations. I picked a mixture of both aloe and echeveria.
When repotting your succulents mix a combination of both dirt and gravel in your pot. You can also buy dark or light aquarium gravel or pebbles and place them around each plant so that the soil is covered. If you are placing a variety of plants in one pot, place the larger one on one side and surround it with other plants, clustering similar shapes together.
When watering your plants it is important that you water them every two or three days in the spring/summer and once every month in the winter. For most succulent varieties, they thrive in the summer time and go dormant in the winter.
Important Tip: it is crucial that you let your succulents dry out before you water them again. You do not want to over water.
The wonderful thing about succulents is that once you have a couple of plants you can "propate" them, and then you never have to buy more again! To propate simply cut off the top of the plant, wait a few days for the end to dry out, then pot the cuttling in well drained soil. The old plant will then put off a new growth. This results in two new plants!
If you want to learn more about propating your succulents, or learn more about the care of your different types of plants check out the blog "Sunshine & Succulents". Cassidy is full of wonderful information!
I give her two green thumbs up.
What do you think of succulents? I would love to hear about what varieties you love!
xo. Casey
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