Benefits & Tips on Growing Succulents
Everyone seems to have picked up new hobbies during this uncertain time caused by the pandemic. Instagram is a good indicator of the different quarantine trends such as Dalgona coffee, baking, and bread making. If you’re looking for a new hobby during this quarantine, why not grow some succulents at home?
Here are the reasons why I grow succulents at home, plus some benefits and care tips so you can too!
Succulents
Personally, I gush at the sight of a well stocked succulent shelf in stores! I fell into succulents in 2017, when I was at Ikea and browsed the plant section. I was instantly attracted to the symmetry in the rosette of Echeveria ‘Texas Rose’ and the bright lime green of Echeveria agavoides. Once home with the new succies (my nickname for succulents because that just makes them more endearing), I started doing some research and fell into the rabbit hole that are succulents.
Five Interesting Succulent Facts
1. The word succulent comes from the latin word “sucus”, which means “juice or sap.”
2. The thicker and fleshy part of the succulent leaf is where it stores water.
3. There are about 60 different families, or sub-categories, which includes Aloe, Echeveria, Sedums, and even some cacti.
Yes, some plants need sunscreen, just like us!
4. The white powdery covering on some succulent leaves is called farina, which is actually the plant’s sunscreen! Yes, some plants need sunscreen, just like us!
5. Succulents are one of the easiest plants to take care of.
Succulent Benefits & Uses
There are multiple researches which indicated that plants, especially certain succulents, are great at cleansing the air.
The top succulents that are great at detoxifying the air are:
- Aloe barbadensis
- Dracaena fragrans
- Dracaena marginata
- Sansevieria trifasciata
In addition, research has shown that plants help you concentrate.
Aloe, a type of succulent, is widely used in skincare for its soothing properties. You can simply cut off a leaf, slice it open and apply it against the sunburn for some quick soothing effect!
Succulents are one of the easiest plants to take care of
The agave plant’s flower has many uses in our lives. The primary use would be the production of alcohol. The flower shoot is cut open and the sap is harvested, fermented and distilled into mezcal and tequila. Agave also makes agave syrup which is a sweetener derived from the sap and can be used as an alternative to sugar
Succulent Care Tips
Proper Drainage
The top issue for succulent care is watering, due to overwatering or lack of drainage.
Succulents store quite a bit of water in its leaves, stems or roots in order to survive a drought period. But if it gets too much water, it can lead to rotting issues. Therefore, it is important to make sure your succulent plant does not sit in water by making sure its containers have proper drainage.
The root system of an Echeveria agavoides
Soil Composition
Soil is just as important as drainage for succulents, as most potting soils are designed to retain water so you don’t have to water as often. But that means succulent roots will be sitting in water for a long time. That’s why most succulent enthusiasts learned to create their own unique mixes of organic (soil) and inorganic materials (perlite, chicken grit, rocks etc). This will reduce the likelihood of overwatering mentioned above.
Watering
The most common killer in succulents is due to overwatering. Many think that because succulents are low maintenance and don’t get watered often, that means each watering session must be a deep watering. Which often leads to overwatering and stem rot.
Echeveria mexicana. I almost killed it by underwatering and bad soil drainage. Once I switched the soil and bottom watered, it thrived.
One recommended method is to poke a stick in the soil before watering and see whether it’s dry or not, much like testing the center of a cake with a toothpick.
Sunlight
I have made the mistake of throwing my succulents out for hours in the burning sun only to find half of them sunburnt. Yes! Succulents get sunburns just like humans!
Succulents that are not green, such as pink, red, purple and black, require a lot of bright light in order to sustain their colouring. Green succulents tend to not require as much light and can be placed behind the coloured succulents that require a high level of light.
Unlike humans, once the succulent is sunburned, the burn marks do not go away. Instead, you have to wait until the damaged leaves to die off. Therefore, it is important to slowly acclimate your succulent plant to the sun. You should always research what type of sunlight (direct/indirect) and how much sunlight your plant needs.
Just Have Fun
My last tip I have is to just have fun with your plants! It is okay to have them die on you! I have taken the best care with some of my succulents and they just die on me randomly. I had some beautiful succulents that were thriving and had been with me for a couple of years to just suddenly die from an unknown cause.
Echeveria Monroe, a species that is not readily available locally and imported from Korea.
Don’t worry about keeping them perfect. Let the plant do what it wants. Just have fun learning what your plant needs and when they want it.
Plus, you never know where these plants will take you! I started with only a handful and then it led to exploring Instagram and Reddit in an attempt to identify my plants which led me to make new friends! It made me step outside my comfort zones and join different groups who share the same interest as me.
I learned so much from these different communities and made real-life friends. I even managed to learn about the requirements and processes for importing plants for Canada and inspired a couple of friends to start growing their own plant collection. Who would have thought getting a few plants would lead to an obsession and allowed me to gain so many different experiences?
I can’t wait to see all of you to try it and experience all the different possibilities!
