If you have followed me for any length of time you will know that I love, love, LOVE succulents and am a crazy plant lady. I do not know where you are in your plant journey, but whether you are a seasoned pro or a virgin- hopefully by the end of this post you will lose your succulent virginity or get excited to plant more! I am going to show you a step by step how to plant and take care of your succulent. I just did a recent succulent haul at Lowe’s as this time of year plants are on sale!!! You might be thinking, “Cassie you have over 15 succulents- did you really need more?”

The answer is yes- always yes!

Step 1: pick what containers to put your plants in

I primarily use mason jars and rustic white boxes for my succulents. Before I take everything out, I pick which plant going where rather than randomly placing my plants. I base this decision off of what plants I feel will fit best in each container, and as you will see in step 5 when you expose the roots this plan could change depending on how deep and thick the roots are.

Step 2: Gather your materials

The materials you will need are:

• cactus and succulent potting soil
• pebbles or small rocks
• succulent food
• water
• the containers you are putting your plant babies in
• and space to make a bit of a mess!

Step 3: Put the pebbles in!

This box is about a two inch box and I fill about 1/4-1/2 inches of the box with pebbles.

Step 4: Put your soil in

Then I put about 1 1/2 inches of cactus soil into my planter and make a small hole in the middle. Be careful to leave about at least a quarter to half inch (half inch is more desirable) of soil between where your plant roots will touch and the pebbles. That way your plant can grow and be successfully replanted. Also unlike some other plants do not pack the soil down. The plant needs space and air to adjust to the new home you are putting it in.

Step 5: Take out your plant and expose it’s roots

Once you have taken the plant out of it’s original planter you need to expose the roots. You can expose the roots by thoughtfully rubbing the soil in your hands. Once the excess soil has come off and you are left with the roots, you are ready to place the succulent into your planter! You might find that the plant is too big for your planting space, if so you will need to change your planter if you cannot successfully surround the succulent in soil. Trust me I have stubbornly lost many succulents to my desire to plant in the containers I feel like- even if it’s not best for my plant baby!

Step 6: Plant your succulent!

Place the succulent into the hole you have prepared and fill the extra space with soil (add about a half inch to an inch of soil.) Again do not pack the plant down, but make sure that if you slightly pull at the plant that it won’t just come right out. Then you will have a very happy plant.

Now water the soil and add in one pump of succulent food (make sure this does not touch the actual succulent and that it just goes directly into the soil.) After that you do not need to water the succulent again until it is dried out (about every 7-10 days) and give it a good watering (not a flood.) Then you can add some more plant food again at that time (one pump for small pots and 2-3 pumps for big pots.)

Make sure your succulents are exposed to lots of light. Mine are displayed in my front window and on my desk with my glorious tree in the front yard. The only problem with my tree is that it shields most of the sun from my plants. About once a week I try to bring them outside or into the sunroom (with help from my loving husband!) This gives them a little bit of a boost. In the winter make sure if you have your plants by a window that there isn’t a draft. My plants all get moved in the winter now that we are in our new place, I will invest in a light to give sunshine to my plants while cannot be in the sunroom, outside, or on the windowsill.

So here’s the real question are you going to remain a succulent virgin?  Let me know in the comments your best succulent care tip or any questions you have! Happy Planting!