Succulent 101

Tips for growing, planting, watering and finding new project inspirations

You may have heard that it's impossible to kill succulents. While they are rather forgiving, there are still certain directions that you should follow. We will provide you with some tips and tricks to keep your succulent thriving. Once we explain how to care for them, we will give you some design inspirations to spark your creative side! But first, lets talk about how to care for these beautiful plants.

Lets Start With Soil: 

"Succulents are in the cactus family and prefer a very well drained soil.  If their roots are sitting in soggy dirt they will rot and kill your plant (oh no!). " The best option is choose a soil mix designed specifically for succulents, or even one that is made for cactus. Knowing that your succulents can't survive in a large amount of water, it is best to plant them in a pot that has holes in the bottom to drain the water. We aren't saying you can't pot them, they just takes a little more attention. Typically the rule is, it is better to underwater than overwater! Which leads us to our next tip!

How To Water Your Succulents: 

We already established soggy roots are a no-no, as are dry roots. Both extremes have the potential of stopping the growth of your succulent, or it could possibly kill it, altogether. To figure out how much water your succulents need, depends on many factors:

• Outdoors:  water evaporates quicker outside the hotter it is, and slower on indoor plants
• Humidity:  succulents can pull water from the air so a more humid environment (indoors or out) requires less watering
• Sunshine:  sunshine in the morning is best (south facing window for indoors), while too much can burn your plants
• Soil:  in a gritty, well-draining soil your plants need to be watered more often than in a standard potting soil

A fairly unknown fact about succulent water is many don't know that a drought followed by a good soaking will make your succulent thrive! Again, what defines a "good soaking" is dependent on the type of soil and how fast the water drains. Look HERE for more water techniques!

We encourage people to use succulents to liven up any desert landscape because they can flourish in rocks. Purchase your soil mix and take time to figure out the amount of water your succulent needs, then you ensure a long lasting succulents!

For more information on growing, planting, or landscaping, please contact us at STARK CONTRAST LANDSCAPING.

Or call us today at: 480.277.1993