Hello Everyone!
So this is a SUPER random post, but a couple months ago, I started growing succulents in my room, and now I want to talk about it! It all started when I saw some old mugs we had in our cupboard that we didn’t use anymore, and I thought, “You know, these would be cute to use as a pot for plants.” From there, I planted the succulents in a few mugs (I put rocks at the bottom of the mug to create a filter system, especially since there aren’t drainage holes in the bottoms of the mugs). Ever since, I’ve been taking care of the cute little plants in my room… what a story! 😂
I’m assuming at this point, everyone has probably heard about succulents before, as they are a very popular plant to grow, especially since they’re easier to take care of compared to most plants. However, just in case you don’t know what succulents are:
Their appearance differs from species to species, but one common characteristic is swollen leaves, pads or stems. The exact classification of a certain plant will have to go to the experts, but whatever the case, all types of succulents or those that appear to be succulents are pleasing to the eye, minimal regarding care and produce delightful little surprises during their life cycle. Again, referring to the dictionary, a succulent plant has thick stems or leaves that store water. This unique adaptation allows the plant to survive in low moisture regions of the world. Succulents are often thought to be native only to arid regions, such as deserts, but they also belong in forest settings, high alpine regions, coasts and dry tropical areas.
Read more at Gardening Know How: Succulent Plant Info: Learn About Types Of Succulents And How They Grow https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/cacti-succulents/scgen/succulent-plant-info.htm
Essentially, it is a plant that can store lots of water, to survive in places where there isn’t as much rain or moisture. They’re typically great plants for those starting a plant collection because they are easy to take care of, since they are hardy and also don’t require a lot of water (in fact, it’s a lot easier to over-water succulents than under-water them!)
For my succulents, I only water them once a week, and I take them outside when watering them, to then leave them out overnight to get fresh air and sun. It’s an extra step I take, because I have the ability to do so, but they don’t necessarily need to be taken outside. Succulents do need a lot of sunlight, but when they are new growths, you have to be careful about putting them in direct sunlight, as it can scorch them. I keep my succulents by my window, but keep my blinds down in the morning (when the sunlight shines directly into my room) and then pull my blinds up in the afternoon (when there is still light, but not direct sunlight).
Here are the different succulents I’m growing:
Burro’s-tail
This one has the most obvious roots out of all the succulents I’m growing, and it seems to be doing the best as well (for being grown in a small container). I also planted three in a larger clear pot (pictured below) which also seem to be doing really well. If you’re thinking of growing succulents in smaller pots, these would be my first recommendation, since they seem to adapt to the smaller container well!
Jade plant
Another succulent that adapts pretty well to any size container are Jade plants! The photo on the right is to show the little roots starting to peak out at the base of the stem (it might be hard to see, but there are two little white nubs near the bottom left part of the stem). The photo on the right is where I’m keeping my Jade plant now, as I decided to move it, since the original spot I had it didn’t get enough sun, in my opinion (it’s on a higher shelf than the right one, so harder for me to get a good picture of the inside of the container, hence why I took two pics 😂). If you want a plant that’s more hardy and adaptable, but you can’t find any Burro’s-tail, I definitely recommend going with a Jade plant.
Echeveria elegans
Disclaimer: This one looked most like the Echeveria elegans when I Googled it, but I’m not 100% sure this is exactly what it is, now that I’m comparing them again.
This plant is on the same shelf as the Jade Plant, so once again, I moved it to the lower shelf (the photo on the right) to get a better look at what it looks like. Unfortunately, I don’t think this one is doing as well, because I realized when I first planted it, I didn’t put enough dirt in (it was hard navigating around the plant cause it had another leaf on it, which eventually fell off), but I added more dirt, which I’m hoping will help. The marks on the plant where already there when I planted it in the mug, so it doesn’t seem to be doing any worse… but it doesn’t necessarily seem like it’s doing much better either. I’m keeping my eye on it, and trying to give it sunlight and not over-water it, so hopefully it starts doing better!
I had issues finding the specific names for these next two succulents, so if you know what they’re called, let me know in the comments below!
Since these are two different succulents, I’ll talk about each one separately, starting with the one on the right.
This little plant seems to be doing pretty well, it is shedding leaves, but also seems to be having some new growth, and there aren’t any marks or anything on the leaves like the previous succulent I discussed.
The little guy in the left photo though, has needed the most maintenance out of all the succulents I’ve been growing. When I first planted it, I had to trim some of the leaves at the bottom of the stem, but it didn’t seem to be enough, as when I put it in the dirt, it didn’t go down as far as it should have. I then had to trim off more leaves, and I believe I added a bit more dirt too, and it’s pretty much looked the same since I planted it. This succulent is actually my favorite out of all of them (the Burro’s-tail comes in second, cause those guys look pretty neat!), so I’m hoping it’s fine, and I’ve been keeping a close eye on it too.
Overall, I’ve been having fun taking care of my succulents, and I love how they look on my bookshelves! If you’re thinking of growing plants in your room, but don’t have a lot of experience with taking care of plants, I definitely recommend starting with succulents. They’re easy to grow, can adapt well to smaller pots (which is important if you have limited space to keep plants), and don’t require a lot of watering and maintenance (in comparison to other plants… you still need to take care of them though!).
For those of you who want to grow your own succulents, here is a good list of tips from Architectural Digest to help get started!
So, that’s the end of today’s post! I know this is a really random post, so if you read all the way through to the end, thank you! Also, if you have any suggestions, or know the specific names of the last two succulents I mentioned, please let me know in the comments below!
Other than that, I will see you tomorrow with a new post! Have a good rest of your day!
-Erin🎃
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Eclectic Erin 