If you’ve been thinking of using plants for decoration in your apartment, may we suggest succulents? What are succulents, you ask? Only the hottest new trend in the plant world, of course! But if we’re defining the term, succulents are a type of plant (often associated with cacti) that store water in their leaves, so you’ll notice that their leaves are thicker than most plants. They thrive in dry climates and need about six hours of bright, indirect sunlight each day, so they’re perfect apartment plants (if you place them near a bright window).
Succulents are trendy, decorative, and overall a great plant for any household. If you don’t want to go out and buy a pre-potted succulent at your local nursery, then you’re going to need a little bit of DIY magic – don’t worry, we’re here to help! Even if you don’t have a green thumb, you’ll be able to plant your own DIY indoor succulent garden in no time. So, how do you plant succulents in your apartment?
Steps for Planting Succulents.
To make sure you get this right the first time, join us on a step-by-step journey of the planting process, from what to buy to how to care for the plants! And since you’re planting succulents, why not turn it into a succulent fairy garden while you’re at it? Let’s begin!
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Make a list of the necessary supplies.
Making a list is always one of the first steps when it comes to DIY projects for your apartment, so this should be easy! As a matter of fact, let’s do the hard work for you, including your list of supplies and the approximate cost for each item:
- Cactus potting soil (Approx. $5)
- A pair of potting gloves (Approx. $5-$15)
- A variety of succulents (Approx. $4-$12 per succulent – depending on type and size)
- Terrarium for the succulents (Approx. $5-$10)
- Decorative rocks (Approx. $3-$6 per container)
- Fairy garden miniatures and décor (Approx. $2-$10 per item – depending on size and quality)
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Set up your planting station.
We highly suggest that you either plant your succulents on your patio/balcony, or lay out newspaper or some sort of plastic cover in your apartment where you want to pot your new plant décor. This will keep soil and other potential messes off of your clean floors!
- Time Required: Approx. 5 minutes
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Place your rocks and soil into your terrarium.
What’s the purpose of the rocks? The rocks (the size of a pebble up to the size of a quarter – depending on your preference) help with drainage in your new planter (and they look cute). After you’ve placed a few handfuls of rocks into your container, it’s time for the cactus soil! You want enough soil to where your succulents will have their entire root base covered, but not so much that the soil overtakes your container.
- Time Required: Approx. 5-10 minutes
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Make wells in the soil, and prepare the succulents.
When you make wells in the soil, you’re digging out the new homes for your succulents – you want to give each succulent and its root base its own space in the soil. Just make sure not to plant them directly on the rocks. Speaking of roots, you’re going to want to open the root base of your succulents after you remove them from their plastic containers. This is often referred to as “teasing the root,” which you can do gently with your hands, combing your fingers through the roots to loosen them so that they will adapt easily to their new home.
- Time Required: Approx. 5 minutes
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Place the succulents in the soil, and properly secure them.
After you tease the root, place the succulents into their wells in the soil, and make sure the entire root base is covered in cactus soil. Feel free to add a little more soil to your container if necessary.
- Time Required: Approx. 5 minutes
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Lightly water your succulents.
Succulents only need to be watered every two weeks, so just remember to water them twice a month, and you’ll be good to go. You only need a little bit of water – mainly focus on the succulents and right around the root base.
- Time Required: Approx. 2-3 minutes
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Decorate with any rocks, marbles, moss, and miniatures.
After your succulents are safe in their soil, this is where the real fun begins! Decorate your new planter with any marbles, leftover rocks from the planting stage, moss, fairy garden miniatures, and anything else you have in mind!
- Time Required: Approx. 5-10 minutes
