I had the privilege of Presenting at the Columbus Country Living Fair last weekend and it was absolutely amazing. I talked about flowers, houseplants and succulents, I met Annie Sloan and ate way too much food. I thought I’d share a bit of my “succy” talk with you peeps today.
Rockin’ my Dollar Tree straw hat! #noshame Me – On the Main Stage Annie Sloan!!!!!
First, I want to tell you a story. It’s a story about a girl. We’ll call her “plant killer” for fun. She loved all things green and pretty, but they didn’t love her back. Whether it be slow and agonizing or suddenly quick, the little plant babies died on her. Every.Single.Time. So, the “plant killer” gave up. This girl then had kids. Like, a lot of kids. And while she was shopping at the grocery store one day, she saw a beautiful little rosemary plant. It was aromatically gorgeous. So, on a whim, she bought it. Even her husband breathed a sad sigh of regret for this poor plant when he arrived home that evening – knowing it would most likely be living its last days in their home. But, buuuuuuuut, the plant survived. It thrived even. You see, the “plant killer” decided that day in the grocery store that she was going to try again. After all, if she could keep so many people alive in her home every day, why the heck can’t she keep plants alive? It was time to try again. Only this time, she researched and read and took notes and pushed up her sleeves and got dirty in the dirt. And she learned a couple things. I’m going to share these things with you today (because obviously I’m talking about myself!)
To simplify, there’s 3 key points to keeping plants alive. Water, Sunlight and Temperature. If you take anything away from this post – other than you know my dark past of murdering plants – it’s those 3 things : Water, Sunlight and Temperature (which I forgot mid-sentence during my presentation. Ugh. Why am I so awkward…)
Let’s talk about what we tend to do right with plants: We buy plants for all the right reasons. For the healthy air, calming effects and the aesthetically pleasing atmosphere they provide.
Here’s what we typically do wrong with plants: We tend to be Hover Mothers. Over-watering, over-fertilizing, over-analyzing our plant kids. Or, we go in the opposite direction of care and completely forget we even have plant kids to care for – sound familiar?
One of the most popular indoor plant breeds right now are succulents. They are known to be inexpensive, hardy and totally forgettable. Wait, whaaa? Forgettable?! Yep! You can literally forget them and they thrive. Ever heard of a lil’ plant called aloe? You can buy them practically everywhere. I see them at CVS all the time – they’re a type of succulent! If they can be sold on the top shelf at drug stores, completely forgotten and wrapped in plastic with very little to no natural light, imagine how simple their care and upkeep must be. Plus, you can actually make décor with them. From paper mâché box letters to living wreaths and wall hangings, succulents are one of the few plants that can be planted vertically, without soil and survive. Oh, and bonus! – their fallen leaves can be propagated – but more on that later.
Where to find them – nursery, greenhouse, Home Depot, Lowes, FB Marketplace, Amazon – always check reviews and deliver time before ordering online to make sure they plants will be healthy and the shipping fast. I prefer to buy them at my favorite local greenhouse so I can actually see and touch each plant I’m buying. Plus, the greenhouse is just so good for my soul. But, I’ve also ordered online and from big box stores in the past.
How to care for them – Pay attention to where they are coming from. Most succulents are grown in a greenhouse and kept in a store. Either completely perfect lighting for their growth or little to no lighting at all. So, when we bring them home, putting them in direct, hot sunlight is actually damaging. Slowly introducing them to bright light will prevent dark spots or sunburn. Just like when we walk out of a dark movie theater on a bright afternoon, the sun can be too much. And always read the instructions! Anymore we seem to go to the internet for advice on our lives, but with plants, the key to their survival is written out for you on a tag on the plant. Read the gosh darn thing! If only the hospital stuck a little tag on the baby before we left to go home! I’d have that tag memorized from front to back!
You not only need to review the tag, but you need to read the plant. Just looking at it will tell you how they’re feeling. If they’re wilted and soft, they’re over watered. Only water when the soil is totally dry. Whether that’s one week or 3 weeks, if the soil is moist, walk away. Once the pot of soil is totally dried out, you soak the soil thoroughly to the root and walk away again. I typically water them in the late afternoon/evening when they are in their rest period. The succulents will absorb water and nutrients the most during this period. Another common misconception about succulents is to mist them weekly. Succulents actually do not need misted. It can lead to fungal disease on their leaves. If they’re leggy and long-stemmed, they are reaching toward the sun and therefore not getting proper sunlight where they are located. Morning sunlight is softer and best for succulents with an average room temperature of 50-85 degrees.
How to propagate them – Just like my house plants, I place my succulents outside in the summer. The sun, temperature and rain water are just perfect for them here in Ohio. They always seem to thrive and grow huge. By the end of summer, I have plants ready to be brought back inside and ready for propagation! If there’s anything I’m really good at, it’s makin’ babies! And with succulents, it’s easier than you think!
1) remove leaves. Cutting them off is a bit trickier as the cut portion has a difficult time establishing a callous where leaves that were popped off or naturally fall off produce quick callouses.
2) place leaves on a paper towel in the sun. No water. No fertilizer. Just put them someplace in indirect sun they can hang for a while. Eventually, after a week or 2 or 3 you’ll begin to notice little roots emerging from the calloused end of the leaf.
3) place rooted leaves on top of a pot of cactus soil. Soil Matters! Cactus soil is a thing and it is a necessity. The leaves will take root in the soil on their own. Following the rule of succulent soil – wet until completely dry, eventually the leaves will wrinkle and wilt and start to disintegrate into the soil to be replaced by the new, baby succulent growing from the roots. Keeping newly rooted succulents misted is the only time it’s okay to mist a succulent with water.
Depending on how you are repotting them, succulents can be moved into soil or moss. Sphagnum moss serves as not only a flower bed but also a sturdy surface that allows the succulents to be placed vertically. The soil would just spill out, whereas the sphagnum moss stays put.
You can make your own sphagnum moss wreath. But, unless you already have some of the supplies – floral wire, moss or garden netting – it may be cheaper to buy a premade living wreath. Especially if you are only planning on making only one. Plus, the store-bought moss wreaths typically come with a heavy-duty chain hanger already attached which is nice and handy since these tend to be heavy.
First thing you want to do is soak your sphagnum wreath. Place in a bucket or container of water for 15 minutes or so. While you’re waiting for it to soak, this is the perfect time to place your succulents in a circular shape similar in size to your wreath to figure out placing. Keep in mind spacing. Allow room for your plant to grow and spread.
Once your wreath is wet through, let it drip off a bit before moving it otherwise you’ll be working in a pool of water (squeezing a bit works too)
Using a super fancy tool (just kidding. A pencil will do just fine) make holes in your wreath large enough to fit the root of your succulent. No soil needed! Pull your succulent out of the pot and brush/pull off the soil gently. You literally only need to push the root into the hole you’ve created in the sphagnum moss. Taking a floral pin (or a paper clip if you’ve forgotten floral pins on your supply list) and push the pin through one of the bottom leaves and into the sphagnum.
Once your wreath is fully planted – DON’T HANG IT! That’s right – don’t hang it! You need to leave it flat for a few weeks to allow the roots to establish. Once you’ve given it that time, it will hang beautifully and be a centerpiece to your wall or door.
FYI – plastic plant pot saucers are perfect for succulent wreaths similar to the one found here . They are an inexpensive but sure-fire way to make sure your wreath is watered properly. Every week or so, place your wreath in the water-filled form and allow it soak through. Rehang and walk away!
