If you’ve been following the indoor gardening craze, you’ve probably seen it all. Ivy plants, spider plants, and everything in between. However, there’s a new plant on the rise. People are beginning to take notice of succulents, and how these little desert flowers can be ideal plants indoors and outside, too!
Like cacti, succulents are a bit easier to care for than you’re traditional plant. They aren’t finicky, and even if you are a notorious plant-killer, they last a long time even when they aren’t in good health. However, when properly maintained, they can look healthy and plump for years.
Here in Indiana where the weather can be beastly hot, succulents will make it through the heat. Your garden will always be interesting with the variety of textures and colors of this easy-to-tend plant.
Along with being colorful, low-maintenance, and fashionable, succulents are also easy to grow and reproduce. If you set your mind to it, you can have an extensive succulent garden in no time at all.
Here’s some information to help you learn more about succulents, and how these cute plants can brighten any indoor – or outdoor – space.
Caring for Succulents
While they are considered low-maintenance plants, it doesn’t mean they don’t require effort at all. Succulents do require care, especially when you’re tending to them indoors. Like all plants, they require sunshine and water, but this is also where they differ from other plants.
Succulents are best cared for using the “soak and dry” method, where the soil they’re kept in is soaked with water, slowly drained, and left to dry. Once the soil has dried, the plants should be left alone until the next soaking. Misting, daily watering, and other methods might result in unhealthy succulents. These plants are used to arid conditions, so overwatering is a big mistake.
The same kind of routine applies for outdoor varieties, too. These are not plants you will have to fuss over and water every day (in fact – don’t!).
Sunlight is also a huge requirement. If your indoor garden doesn’t have access to at least six hours of sunlight per day, you might be better off getting another plant. Succulents require large amounts of sun in order to stay healthy and do best by a window or on a porch.
And outdoors, in the garden that gets a lot of sun, they will thrive. In those gardens where other plants wilt and die, go for succulents.
Succulents also prefer pots with drainage holes, since the soak-and-dry method works best when the soil drains properly. Aside from that, they can be held in any clay pot you have in the house. They don’t have extensive root systems, and don’t mind crowding with other succulents.
Crowding them provides a lot of interest, too!
Decorating with Succulents
Another benefit of succulents is that they’re cute as buttons. Their unique “chubby” appearances make them quite charming, and they come in a variety of colors. In fact, succulents are so varying in appearance that it’s hard to find two types that look alike.
However, they all require similar care, so you can keep multiple kinds with no issue. Succulents do best near windows or on porches, but that’s the only placement requirement. From there, you can have fun building your succulent garden.
Place them on desks, on windowsills, in sunrooms, and in bedrooms. Put them in pots on the porch or backyard deck. Trailing succulents are lovely in boxes on rails and fences. If you enjoy keeping indoor plants, succulents are the perfect addition to your home garden. As long as they’re kept warm, they can survive year round. This gives you the chance to flex your green thumb every day of the year.
Starting Your Succulent Garden
Before you can start caring for succulents, you have to choose what plants will populate your new garden. There are quite a few types of succulents, and each have their own unique appearance. You might be surprised by what an umbrella term “succulent” actually is.
From there, you have to get the proper pottery, rocks, and soil. Hanging succulents will also need some extra TLC to make sure they’re placed safely and securely.
If you’re not sure where to begin, consider talking to experts. A professional landscaping company is a great resource when it comes to finding and learning about plants. Aisling View has experience with all plants, and can give you the guidance you need to start a succulent garden that will last and delight you for years.
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