An Open Letter to My Neglected Succulents

Dear various plants that I've neglected over the past six months,
I'm sorry.
I do not have the best luck with you.
More accurately, I do not take the time to care for you, and there isn't any luck or lack of luck involved whatsoever.
I am filled with sadness and regret every time I glance at your wilting leaves and bone-dry soil.
But today is the day that everything changes.
I feel that it is my civic duty and I've made it my personal mission to research (my college degree is finally coming in handy #forthewin) the correct way to care for succulents, instead of throwing some dirt in a pot and hoping for the best. I will also create a blog post about said research with fun photos with the hope that it will help others who are also struggling in the houseplant department.
Yours truly,
Kylie

Whew. Now that I am free of my guilt and sorrow, we can move on to saving plants. And mankind. But first, plants.

I am in no way an expert in this field, just a girl trying to keep her plants alive. But here's what I found that works for me...

Materials:
-various succulents (found at your local greenhouse or home improvement store)
-potting soil (I used Miracle Grow Moisture Control)
-various pots to hold the succulents (I found terra cotta pots at AC Moore / check the bottoms of the pots for draining holes--this is super important)
-and if you're feeling crafty, terra cotta paint to jazz up your pots (I used Patio Paint Outdoor in Blue Bahama and Glorious Gold / purchased at AC Moore)

The correct materials can make or break your succulent-planting adventure. This is where I went wrong. Turns out, grabbing dirt from your mom's garden and shoving it, along with your succulent, into a Mason jar with no draining hole is not the proper technique.

Moving on...

Remove the succulent from its packaging, and break up the dirt ball (this is totally the technical term) that has formed among its roots. BE CAREFUL. Treat the roots as a newborn baby who could cry and/or poop their pants at any given second.

Fill your pot half way with potting soil, add your plant, and then fill the remaining space with more potting soil.

Wait about 1-3 weeks to water your plant after placing it in its new home. The roots need time to adjust to their new surroundings. Welcome home, roots!

After the initial watering, water your plant 1-2 days after the soil has dried.

Succulents are very fancy plants and like to sip their water, not chug it. So, drenching your plant in water is no the best idea. I am 100% guilty of drenching them. Sorry, tiny plants.

And here's a helpful little tip: succulents are more likely to survive if they're under-watered, rather than over-watered.

They thrive in dry, humid, and sunny areas. The best places for your new little friends are on a windowsill that receives indirect sunlight, or a room in your house with plenty of natural light.

If any leaves near the base of the plant start to shrivel, this is natural. Just pick them off and go about your day. But if the top of your plant starts to shrivel, drop everything and figure out what went wrong. Try changing up the location of your plants, or how often you water them.

Good luck and godspeed.

 

*The two green plants are recovering succulents, and I just purchased the cactus for a pop of color. I hope they all can get along...

Sources:
http://www.succulentsandsunshine.com/help-my-succulent-is-dying/
http://www.hellohydrangea.com/2014/05/how-to-repot-succulents.html
https://needlesandleaves.squarespace.com/blog/2013/8/19/tips-for-growing-healthy-succulents
http://blog.uncommongoods.com/2012/diy-repotting-succulents/
http://acultivatednest.com/2013/03/how-to-make-a-indoor-succulent-dish-garden/