Do you have problems growing succulents? Are they dying on you, despite your best efforts? Do you want to learn how to take care of them properly, and watch them grow for years? This book may be for you!
I've been growing succulents for a while now...
One of the first things you need to do when you get your succulent is repot it. Unless it comes in a decent pot already, those plastic containers aren't meant to be for forever. So, this is what you need to know about repotting.
First, the supplies. You'll need the succulent (obviously), succulent soil (recipe after), a good qaulity pot big enough for the plant, and some top dressing (small stones to go on top of the soil). Depending on what pot you get, you may need some mesh tape, or something similar, to go over the drainage hole to limit the amount of dirt that gets through when you're planting or watering.
For homemade succulent soil, you'll need: good potting dirt that doesn't retain a lot of moisture, as succulents need fast draining soil to prevent root rot; a coarse sand, nothing too fine (poutry grit works fine, although sand is sometimes easier to find); some perlite or pumice (the white bits you see in normal potting soil). You'll also need a measuring cup, something to mix in, and something to mix with.
So, it's 3 parts dirt, 2 parts sand, and 1 part perlite. Depending on how much you need, the measurements will change, but I tend to use cups, as that lasts me a little while before I have to make more. If you have some left over, store it in an airtight container, to keep out bugs and other sorts of nasties.
Next, removing the plant from the original pot. This should be relatively easy, as it normally pops out. If you have to dig in, be careful of roots. Once it's out, you need to remove the dirt from around the plant. If you break off some roots, don't worry about it. It happens from time to time, it just means you'll have to limit watering (more on that later).
After that's ready, now you can make up the pot. This is where you'll put down mesh tape over the hole if you need to. Put the soil in the pot, leaving a little bit of room at the top (maybe 1-2 inches, depending on the pot). Gently nestle the succulent in the dirt, making sure some of the roots are covered in the dirt (to help them get a jumpstart on the growing process).
Sprinkle in some more dirt, leaving just a little room at the top of the pot for the top dressing. You may want to get a dull pencil, or something similar, and gently poke around in the dirt, taking care to avoid any roots or the actual plant. This helps the dirt settle better, and removes some of those air pockets you'll find later after dirt sinks in when you water it.
The top dressing isn't necessary, it just makes it better. And prettier. Add the layer of stones you picked out, pressing gently but firmly to make sure the succulent doesn't shift from where you placed it. They should be small, no bigger than the back of a piercing or your pinkie nail (depending on the pot).
When choosing the top dressing, it should be something that compliments the arrangement, not detracts from it. Say you have all green plants, don't choose red or green stones. White stones look nice, like this:
Ουπς! Αυτή η εικόνα δεν ακολουθεί τους κανόνες περιεχομένου. Για να συνεχίσεις με την δημοσίευση, παρακαλώ αφαίρεσε την ή ανέβασε διαφορετική εικόνα.
Watering the succulent is often the most tricky, surprisingly. After you've moved it, wait a day or two. This allows the roots to heal a little, especially if you accidentally broke off a few. When you do water, keep in mind the kinds of plants you have, and how much they call for.
That's it for basics! Next, I'll go over how to recover from overwatering and underwatering, and after that, how to propagate new succulents.
If you have any recommendations on what succulents to discuss, leave a comment and I'll try to talk about a little background for them, as well as how to care for the succulent.
