Your Guide To Caring For Succulents, Which Are The Beginner-Friendly Beauties Of The Houseplant World
It can be a steep learning curve on your journey to properly caring for houseplants instead of killing them off.
If you’re looking for something that doesn’t require a herculean amount of effort, why not consider adding succulents to your home?
Succulents are truly the beginner-friendly beauties of the houseplant world, and they also double as great hostess gifts next time you’re stumped on that front.
You can also go crazy and plant a variety of succulents in different large containers if you’re feeling adventurous or looking for more visual interest in your space.
Succulents originated in arid and dry environments, such as deserts or rocky steppes, so it’s not surprising that South America and Mexico are the largest suppliers of these little guys.
It might fascinate you to know that there are north of 10,000 different succulent types, and they come in a rainbow of colors.
Now that we have some interesting facts about them out of the way, let’s get into their care, starting with their sunlight requirements.
Considering the native regions of succulents, it might not surprise you to know that they adore sunlight overall.
Avoid placing them in the direct rays all day, as that can cause your succulents to burn up. Ideally, you can place them in some stronger sunlight during the morning hours (6 hours is ideal) and then switch them to a shadier spot. If this is too much work, just pick a naturally sunny spot for them in your home; they should be fine.
xiaoliangge – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
You also don’t want to park your succulents in a drafty or cold spot in your home (so pay attention to that when picking a window out) since they do love the warm weather.
Pro tip before we move past the sun and positions: turn the containers of your succulents on occasion to make sure your succulents are benefiting from every angle of the sun.
Speaking of your containers, you want to ensure your succulents have great drainage and that whatever they’re in has a hole for drainage.
A sandy potting soil mix or even a soil specifically geared towards cacti are great choices if you ever wish to repot your succulents.
Succulents don’t appreciate being waterlogged, so when it comes to watering them, you want to err on the side of less is more.
You should also check and make sure the soil is dry before giving them any water. Remember, they come from deserts!
Also, there’s a seasonality to follow. During the spring and summer months, they’re thirstier, so watering them every two weeks should be sufficient.
Over the course of the fall and winter, they don’t require as much watering, so you can dial it back to monthly.
There you have it! Will you give succulents a try?
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