I’m a big fan of flowers, plants, gardening and everything connected with it. And following trends in gardening, I’ve also discovered an incredible love for succulents. These little fatties look like they are able to handle anything, but actually behind their plummy leaves lies a very fragile nature. So how to grow succulents at home?
Here are some tips how to make these babies feel cool.
First (and probably the main disadvantage for those who live in Singapore) is that succulents love dry climates. They are the wild kids of the desert, which is why they have such pillowy leaves where they keep all their moisture. Let the soil dry in between watering.
It’s better to keep them in a well-drained pot, though very often they are kept in nice spherical vessels made of glass. In this case, you should be careful with how much you water them (the soil only needs to be damp).
Succulents can’t be without sun, so give them as much sun as possible – about 6 hours a day. I usually put them outside my window during the day and take them in when the sun gets too hot so they don’t get sunburnt.
When choosing a succulent, remember that they are outdoor plants, so if you don’t have much time to take your plants out to sunbathe, you should go for green ones (those that look like a cactus). The purple and grey ones look very tempting but are less likely to live a long and happy life in your room.
Even if your succulent doesn’t make it, don’t give up! Carefully take out a leaf from the stem but make sure you get all of it without any breakage, otherwise it will not grow. Let the leaf rest and dry for 1–3 days by putting it in indirect light. After that, you can put it flat on the soil, sprinkle it with water (but only a little) and wait until it grows new roots or little baby leaves. Usually this happens within a month or so.
Succulents bring a wonderful fresh look to your space, but we use them as a part of our bouquets quite often. Get yours by dropping us an email at hello@gatheredandstyled.com