We’re not kidding when we say succulents are foolproof plants, but there are two key things to consider when bringing them home.
Plant Care
Succulents
How much water do they need?
Not much. A thorough watering every two to four weeks is plenty. Consider factors that affect your home’s humidity, like your local climate and the time of year, when determining a watering schedule for your plant. Succulents will be thirsty in hot summer months, but can go several weeks between watering in winter (their dormant season). The best thing to do is check the soil every few weeks. If it’s totally dried out, go ahead and water. If not, hold off on the extra H2O. The worst thing you can do is OVER water these juicy plants. Resist the urge to douse them once a week like your other house plants.
How much light do they need?
Succulents thrive in hot places with plenty of sunshine (read: the desert), so a sunny windowsill is the best place for your indoor terrarium or container garden. Your plant will be happy as long as you can give it bright, filtered light for at least four to six hours daily. If your space is very dimly light and there’s no sunny window in sight, consider choosing an aloe, haworthia or euphorbia species that can thrive in lower light conditions.
Wait, what about fertilizer?
Fertilizing isn’t totally necessary, but it will help your slow-growing succulent get bigger more quickly than watering alone. A general purpose 20-20-20 fertilizer will do the trick. Cut it to ¼ strength and use with every watering from March through mid-September.
Cacti
Caring for cacti is equally easy, so our watering, lighting and fertilizing recommendations for succulents also applies to them. Did you know all cacti are succulents but not all succulents are cacti? Get our succulent care tips.
That said, here are some cactus-specific care tips to keep in mind.
How do I repot my cactus without getting poked?
Prep your new pot with a few inches of quick drainage potting soil. Then, don a pair of heavy duty gardening gloves and wrap the cactus with several layers of newspaper close to the base of the plant to keep the spines at bay. Tilt it to the side and pull the container away from the plant, holding the cactus steady with the newspaper. Quickly plop the cactus into the new pot and straighten by tugging at the paper on either side. Finally, carefully pour your top dressing on top of the fresh soil to steady the cactus in its new home.
Will my cactus reflower each year?
The short answer is YES! Though fleeting, cactus blooms are beautiful and worth a bit of extra effort to get the plant to flower – usually anytime from mid-spring to late summer. We recommend keeping your cactus in a cool, dry place from November through late February. Let the plant dry out thoroughly during this time. Then begin your regular watering schedule in March and wait for the amazing show your plant has in store!
Tillandsias
Tillandsias, also known by their common name air plants, are the coolest members of the bromeliad family. They can survive on their own without being planted in soil. But that doesn’t mean they don’t need some TLC every now and then.
Do Tillandsias need water?
These plants don’t live entirely on air. They hail from a hot, rainy environment and still need plenty of moisture to thrive. There are a variety of acceptable methods for watering your Tillandsias. You can give them a thorough rinsing under running water, soak them in a water bath for 20 – 30 minutes, or heavily mist them with a spray bottle – whatever is easiest for you. Be sure to shake off any excess water from the base and leaves and set them in a place with enough air circulation that will allow them to dry fully in a few hours. This routine should take place about two to three times per week, but Tillandsias are very forgiving so don’t stress about their watering schedule. They’ll be totally fine for a week or more if you’re going on vacation. Just give them a longer soak (about two hours) when you return.
Do they need light?
Tillandsias like bright, filtered light and can even thrive under artificial fluorescent lighting. We recommend keeping them out of direct sunlight as it will cause them to lose moisture too quickly.
Bamboo
Lucky bamboo is quite possibly the easiest house plant to care for. It’s an indoor plant, so keep it out of direct sunlight. Also, make sure the water level in your container is above the roots at all times. Keeping the water about one inch above the roots is ideal. It’s that simple!
