Beautiful plants known as succulents can store water in a variety of forms, including leaves and stalks. Despite being mostly from the desert, they are becoming more and more popular in home décor because of their tolerance. You could be tempted to get one, but you’re unsure of their cost.
Succulents are typically inexpensive. However, the price of a succulent increases with its rarity. It won’t be too difficult to get a common succulent from the neighborhood nursery or a reliable online retailer for a reasonable price.
Do succulent bouquets endure?
I adore a succulent arrangement that is densely packed, lush, and full. Do you? Or do you believe it’s crazy because the plants’ arrangement will inevitably become outgrown too quickly? They won’t (so). Do you believe that growing succulents closely together in a busy area will hurt the plants? (This is false.) Succulents can be planted near together, but how close? You’ll be astounded. Or would you be willing to give it a shot if you knew how to fit so many succulents in a compact area? Succulents naturally grow in groups or close proximity to one another. Let’s examine each of these concerns as I demonstrate how to plant a succulent arrangement similar to this.
How Close Can You Plant Succulents?
Although you may adore the way succulents are crammed together, can they actually thrive in such an environment? These plants will make the best use of all of the resources available, as we discussed when I covered how to plant succulents for quick growth. This is how they resemble goldfish. The common goldfish, Carassius auratus, grows to only a few inches in length but can live for years in a little bowl on your counter. These identical fish, however, are known as carp in huge lakes and can reach weights of 30 pounds quite quickly. Succulents develop quickly to completely utilize the resources available when given an abundance of room, soil, light, and moisture. The roots of multiple plants fighting for soil, moisture, and nutrients when they are planted closely together cause the plants to naturally develop considerably more slowly in order to conserve resources. They can develop in extremely difficult situations thanks to their extraordinary adaptation. The natural ability of succulents to survive in very small planting spaces is simply utilized by close planting.
Do succulents like to be crowded? is a common question. Furthermore, you’ve probably heard that “succulents adore having their roots packed. Instead, I would assert that succulents can tolerate dense root systems and yet survive. Compared to “typical garden plants,” which would quickly outgrow their environment or perish, this is completely different. Undoubtedly, planting succulents close to one another makes it easier for me to maintain them. When there is no vacant soil to hold excess water, you run less of a chance of overwatering your succulent plants.
The majority of people don’t realize how much longer succulent arrangements and containers endure when they are closely planted since crowded succulents grow more slowly. Your crowded succulent planter should be able to flourish for far over a year without any issues.
Succulents and Planter
You will need some supplies as you get near to planting succulents for an arrangement. Begin with a planter with excellent drainage. You can drill your own drainage if it doesn’t. You need a lot of succulents and quick-draining soil. Doubt I have enough people here? I increase it!
You can combine any succulent variety you like. The main factor to take into account is that all succulents will thrive in the same amount of light. I made use of Captain Echeveria. The red leaf margins are gorgeous! For height and gorgeous color, I also used Portulacaria afra variegata. The stacked Crassula perforata, ‘Ivory Towers,’ with its peculiar, angular structure, adds a comical touch. It also has crimson edges. Then I added Crassula platyphylla (not shown here) and Sedum rubrotinctum ‘Aurora,’ both of which have gorgeous stress coloring that will intensify in warmer temperatures and more light.
This article does not discuss succulent design.
Succulent plant care is the subject. Pick whatever container style you desire!
My husband Jerry created me this gorgeous planter, and I adore it. He made a hexagonal planter and placed pieces of a log with the bark still on it. As a result, it has lots of room for planting and looks incredibly organic. Hitchcock likes of the drainage holes he dug. So, we are prepared to begin.
Prepare Drainage Holes in Planter
To conceal drainage holes, I like to use drywall mesh tape. It allows the water to drain while keeping the soil inside. It sticks well to the back since it is tacky. Additionally, one job serves hundreds of pots. You can also use broken pieces of pottery or a screen. You’re good as long as you don’t prevent soil from draining out by slowing the pace of drainage.
Soil should be added to your planter in stages, with excess soil available. I always use a succulent soil that drains quickly, and I add pumice for even greater drainage. Additionally, I usually include worm castings to nourish my succulent plants and deter pests.
Remove Excess Soil from Rootballs
Knock most of the extra soil away from the roots of succulents before planting them close together. This is crucial when planting succulents in close proximity. The roots and the dry soil typically preserve the nursery pot’s shape when you remove a succulent from it. When growing succulents closely together, the pot’s shape will be compromised. You’ll tuck the roots into a space that is much smaller than the pot the succulent was grown in without the extra soil. To keep the plant in place, compact the earth around the roots.
I placed my tallest succulent, the Portulacaria, in the middle of this spherical planter because I want it to appear attractive from all angles. I positioned the echeveria so that it hangs just a little bit over the planter’s edge. I prefer a natural appearance therefore I steer clear of overt symmetry and give my succulent arrangements a slightly untamed appearance. Observe your personal style.
Arrange Planter from All Sides
Turn the planter as you plant your crammed succulent arrangement. View it from various angles to ensure that the overall arrangement is complete, balanced, and beautiful.
As you plant, divide bigger succulents. I just utilized a portion of the Portulacaria, and I divided the Crassula and Sedum into separate pieces to tuck them among the other succulents.
Add more succulent soil to the gaps in, around, and over the roots. Set it down firmly. Another of my favorite tools, the blunt end of a chopstick, is used to compact the soil in between dense clusters of succulents.
Add Moss for Finishing Touch
There is space for even more succulents, I assure you! Possibly my personal motto is that! But it appears that we should stop here. I scattered a small amount of natural sphagnum moss to cover the exposed dirt. To make the moss flexible, soak it in water. Water should be squeezed out and little amounts placed among the plants.
Close Planting Succulent Arrangements
I chose no aeonium or graptopetalum on purpose for this arrangement. These succulents can undoubtedly be close-planted. However, I want to savor this dense arrangement of succulents for a very long time. Aeonium and graptopetalum both produce long stems that have rosettes at the ends. Fast becoming too tall for such a low arrangement, this kind of succulent. They would probably outgrow this arrangement sooner.
Here, I anticipate that the Sedum rubrotinctum will soon overflow the planter’s side. It is a beautiful variety that trails. The height of Crassula perforata will increase. The Portulacaria probably will branch out a little more and get a little taller. Around it, the Echeveria and Crassula platyphylla will enlarge slightly. Overall, I might want to clip the tall growers a little bit, but it will flourish for well over a year!
The Sedum will eventually pour over the sides of the planter, making them more difficult to see. I should have included an additional Portulacaria sprig. More moss could have been a good idea to add.
This succulent arrangement has the equivalent of six close-planted 4-inch potted plants. The planter’s opening is 5.5 inches wide from corner to corner at its widest point. 5 in all directions. These plants won’t just grow this way; they’ll thrive! Such dense clusters of succulents are really beautiful.
Caring for Close Planted Succulent Arrangement
For a few days, I won’t water this succulent arrangement that is closely spaced. That will give any fractured or battered roots time to mend.
This inexpensive squeeze bottle may be my most important succulent gadget! In a planter full of succulents like this one, I can direct the water where I need it thanks to the long neck and thin nozzle. Water your plants carefully at the soil line to prevent water from accumulating in the crowns of your plants. Always water deeply, but only after the soil has dried out.
The most crucial aspect of choosing a succulent for a planter is to ensure that each plant receives an equal amount of sunlight. Return this planter to the same lighting that kept the individual plants in this planter happy and healthy while you wait to water. As it receives more sunlight and warm summer temperatures, this arrangement will eventually acquire considerably more stress coloring.
You have it now! For a time now, I have been promising to write this post. I hope that was useful to you! We’re learning together, so feel free to ask any questions you may have! Please remark, and I’ll get back to you right away!
P.S. Subscribe now for more succulent care and DIY projects! You will receive my free e-course, “7 Steps to Succulent Success”! Thanks a lot!
P.P.S. Would you consider joining my Facebook group for cactus lovers? We discuss design, identification, propagation, and care of succulents. They’re a friendly bunch who would love to meet you!
How much does watching succulents cost?
During the months that are not winter, when the temperature is above 40 degrees, you should water your succulents every other week. You should only water your succulent once a month in the winter (when the temperature falls below 40 degrees), as it goes dormant at this period.
A few situations constitute an exception to this rule. Because their tiny leaves can’t hold as much water as other varieties with larger leaves, some varieties of succulents need to be watered more frequently. In the non-winter months, feel free to give these small leaf succulents a water if they appear to be thirsty. When they are thirsty, succulents generally exhibit a wrinkled appearance. But always keep in mind that being underwater is preferable to being overwater.
Do succulent wedding bouquets cost a lot of money?
Fresh flowers are incomparable to anything. Nothing else can compare to how colorful and fragrant they make your house, workplace, event, or wedding. At home, a straightforward bouquet can be purchased for as low as $20 each month. If you want something larger, your monthly budget may be closer to $100.
Succulents will endure considerably longer than anything else you might choose, despite the fact that the initial expense of them, their soil, and a lovely pot may appear high. They can be vibrant and will bring long-lasting foliage to your decor. You could pay $100 once and utilize succulent planters to beautify your entire home, as opposed to $100 every month.
Combining the two would be a terrific way to cut costs for events and weddings while still retaining the beauty and vibrancy of fresh flowers and obtaining a memento for future use.
A stunning bouquet of flowers and succulents can cost more than $50. But among them are succulents, which you may plant once the flowers have faded. A succulent and floral bouquet for your wedding may be purchased for as little as $70 and will include both unusual succulent plants that you can plant and keep, as well as vibrant flowers.
How can I find affordable succulents?
If you don’t buy succulents from the appropriate source, you may experience issues. Because succulents can be pricey, you don’t want to purchase a plant that is injured or infected. Success with succulents depends on knowing where to acquire them. After purchasing a starting set, you can learn how to re-grow your succulents so that you will always have an abundance of your own.
Ikea
Unbelievably, Ikea has an excellent range of reasonably priced succulents. They have sold me many succulents that had young succulents sprouting from the sides. BONUS! The plants have been strong and their pricing are excellent. One more good reason to love Ikea! Additionally, while you are there, look at their pots as well. They provide some extremely adorable and inexpensive solutions.
Amazon
What can’t you purchase on Amazon? It turns out that you can purchase some really awesome succulents on Amazon! You may have a vast selection of succulents delivered to your door for less than $2 per plant plus prime shipping. If you’re just getting started and unsure of which variety you want to work with, this is ideal!
The Succulent Source
I’ve only heard great things about the Succulent Source. The succulent selection at this family-owned business is incredible. Every conceivable size and shape. Even the youngsters help the succulents grow! I adore it. Go now and look them up.
Be sure to adhere to the care recommendations after you have your succulents. Check out these typical explanations for why your succulents are dying if you start to experience any problems. Also, if you manage to get your hands on one of those fantastic succulent species, check out this too-cute for words concept for an indoor succulent garden!
Why do young people prefer succulents?
Due to millennials’ worldwide desire for the plants, there has been an increase in theft and smuggling.
At the weekend, when I casually scrolled through Instagram stories, I was shocked to witness a crime being committed. Home CCTV footage of a man stealing my friend’s cactus cut short my routine frenzy of macha lattes and kid boomerangs. The cactus appeared to be flourishing when it was placed in a doorway in Clapham, south London—at least, it did until the thief swiftly snatched it out of its container. The bad guy understood what he was going for, therefore it was obvious that this was a targeted attack.
He may have been a part of a global criminal wave, it turns out. This week, two South Korean men in Cape Town were convicted guilty of smuggling 60,000 miniature succulents from South Africa and Namibia and were sentenced to significant fines and suspended jail terms. This conviction was the fourth of its kind in recent months.
It appears that millennials’ desire for decorative green houseplant “pets” has peaked. Succulent lunacy is well on its way to defining our own horticultural age, echoing the boom-and-bust calamity of tulip fever in 17th-century Holland.
Since it took this long, I must admit that I’m astonished. As a “millennial gardener” myself, I’ve seen the succulent fever develop over the past ten years (in a way that most succulents exposed to British temperatures and light levels rarely will). After beginning in 2013, crassulas, kalanchoes, and echeverias soon filled store shelves and were frequently dusted with glitter. These days, it’s almost impossible to get a coffee without having to consider the impending demise of the grossly overwatered haworthia in the center of the table.
Succulents and indoor plants are dear to millennials because they provide a concrete means of interacting with nature.
The important thing to understand about houseplant crazes is that they are cyclical, much like many other things we place in our homes. When my mother first did it in the 1970s, having little cacti and succulents in your room and hanging them up in macrame hangers was all the rage. Before that, the 1930s Hollywood celebrities who relocated to Palm Springs were fond of cacti. Since then, cactus rustling has been a concern, which is why the anti-plant trafficking Lacey Act was introduced in 1981. Not that it made much of a difference: by 2018, so many tall saguaros in Arizona were being uprooted at night that park rangers had to microchip their cactus.
For the staff at London’s Kew Gardens, who nurture three plants of each type before placing any on show, this is all depressingly familiar ground. An impossible-to-find small water lily was stolen from the glasshouses in 2014, and even a visit to Crimewatch couldn’t save it.
Not that our obsession with plants necessarily leads to crime. Frequently, it is only a dangerous activity. A few young Victorian women perished while searching for a rare species of fern, much like the unlucky individuals who plunge to their lives from cliffs while trying to take the perfect selfie. Teenage girls’ pteridomania, often known as “fern fever, was a common passion in the middle of the 19th century. The rituals involved searching the countryside with a trowel and an identification book before pressing their find with a coffee-table book. Rare plants were routinely uprooted from the ground, which always had an adverse effect on the local species.
The terrible part is that these crazes typically have excellent intentions hidden behind them. Because they provide a physical connection to nature that is lacking in a society that is becoming more and more reliant on screens, millennials are drawn to succulents and other houseplants. For the first time in generations, society had permitted those young Victorian women to venture outside and interact crudely with nature. Both groups had to put up with dwindling gardens and unreliable leased housing; in other words, they both really needed the quiet delight of seeing green leaves spread out all about them.
Humans are hard-wired to respond to nature, just like all other species. In Shetland, “green prescriptions” are given to those with mental-health disorders because it has been demonstrated that exposure to the outside world is so beneficial. Cactus crime frequently starts with a basic, understandable yearning for some greenery.