Let’s Talk Succulents

For the succulent newbies.

By: Kendall Kelleher

I began potting and working with succulents about a year ago this month!  My boyfriend and I went to a nursery and came home with different types of succulents, including different types of cacti, jade, and echevaria just to name a few.

As this was the first potted succulent garden I had ever created, figuring out how to care for was all a part of trial-and-error for me. I think I ended up killing the echevaria within two months due to too much light and over-watering.  Eventually, many of the original succulents I had in the pot ended up dying but I did manage to save a few!

Because my first potted succulent garden went horrendously wrong, I decided to attempt and make another.  The first decision I made was to look for a well-draining pot that would work for my new succulent garden.  I ended up choosing one that was round and royal blue in color.  It wasn’t anything too big or deep; the depth was eight inches and the diameter was about six inches.  With the pot being chosen, I moved onto picking out which succulents would look good and thrive after being potted.  I picked out four succulents that fit looked great with the color of the pot and had the same care requirements.

1. In order to bring the succulents home and pot them yourself, you will need well-draining cactus soil, perlite (this helps improve drainage in the soil), gardening gloves, and a top dressing to put over the soil which includes but isn’t limited to gravel and river rocks, which are my personal favorites.

2. To begin, fill the pot halfway with a mixture of the cactus soil and perlite.  Then, carefully take the succulents out of their existing nursery container and begin arranging them in a way that looks good to you.  I typically put larger succulents, such as Aloe Vera and jade in the background of the pot and the smaller, less taller plants in the foreground.

3. Once you find the way you want your succulents to be placed in the pot, begin filling in the gaps between each of the different roots with the mixture of perlite and cactus soil.  Add the mixture until there is an inch or so remaining from the top of the pot.  After this is completed, add the top dressing until you can no longer see the soil.

Display your potted succulents in and around your house, on the table for a dinner party or at your Cinco de Mayo soiree! They are a great way to mix it up from flower centerpieces!