All About Succulents


Offering Important Plant Care Tips


Steps Upon Receiving Your Order

Shipping or transporting plants may sometimes cause them to become stressed. This is common and nothing to worry about! I package every order as though it were my own to cause the least stress possible. Follow these instructions, and your plant will be thriving in no time!


Remove the plants carefully from the box and the packaging immediately. (BE CAREFUL IF YOU’VE ORDERED CACTI.) Keep all the leaves that might fall off. Lay them on top of some loose soil and keep them moist. If it’s a healthy leaf, it will grow a new plant! Not all plants will be in bloom.


Notes:


  1. If there are any discolored or unwanted leaves, you can remove them with anything sharp. Do not rip or tear them. Some plants might have loose soil on them. You can water them at the top and turn them to the side to remove any excess water.

  2. Place your new plants in a well-draining pot with well-draining soil. I use cactus soil mixed with perlite and coco coir. Avoid using soil that holds water as your plant will rot.
     
  3. Water all the way through immediately after potting your new plant. Do not use a spray bottle as the roots need to be thoroughly wet. Make sure your pot is draining the water thoroughly. Some plants are shipped in their original pot, and if they are already wet, do not water them again. Water your plant once a week in the warm months. When it cools down, I personally like to do a 10-day watering cycle. The soil should be completely dry in between each watering. DO NOT OVERWATER!!!

  4. Put your babies somewhere out of full sun until they transition to their new home. If you’re a Floridian, you need to protect them from everyday rain and full sun in the summer as both will kill your plants. If you plan on keeping your plant indoors, it needs to have proper lighting as the plant’s dimensions will change from its original form (stretching, discoloring, growing slowly, etc.). If you plan on putting it in the ground, wait a couple of weeks until your new plant transitions to its new pot. Some hardy succulents can take temperature levels of under 35 degrees. However, my rule of thumb is that if it's colder than 35 degrees for more than 24 hours, you should bring them in or warm them.



Succulent and Cacti Care Tips


Water:

  • When soil is completely dry
  • Water completely through until draining out of the bottom. (DON'T USE SPRAY BOTTLE)
  • Avoid all standing water on leaves or in the pots
  • Over watered succulents will have mushy clear leaves or stems,
  • Underwatered succulents wrinkly and limp leaves.
  • Bottom leaves do get old and turn color but can easily be removed


Light:

  • Most succulents do well in full or partial sun
  • If you live in a warmer climate like Florida, in the summer you will need to protect from full sun
  • 30 - 50% shade is usually what I give mine
  • indoor succulents need to be in sunny window sills or under a grow light. (east facing windows work best)
  • Stretching, greening or fading are common signs of not getting enough sun


Temperature:

  • Hardy succulents tolerate below zero temps and will grow outdoors year round in zone 5-11
  • Soft succulents need to be protected from the cold and brought indoors if you live where it gets below 35 degrees.
  • Summertime heat can affect your plants but with once a week watering's will help them deal with the heat.
  • Hardy succulents include: Semperivivum (Hen's & Chick's), Rosularia, Sedum (Stonecrop), Opuntia, and Prometheum
  • Assume all other succulents are "soft succulents" and cannot withstand cold temperatures


Soil & Fertilizer:

  • Always use a well draining soil. (Coco Coir mixed with lots of perlite is what I like. You can also use: cactus soil, perlite, coarse sand, vercumilte, or pumice).
  • You can use a top dressing not only for looks but helps protect from bugs that like your soil.
  • I personally like to use Superthrive once a month on all my plants. Its a really diluted fertilizer that wont burn your plants roots by using it that often.
  • Succulents also like to be fed using an all purpose plant fertilizer. It comes in time release pellets which you sprinkle on top of soil.
  • Be careful when fertilizing, too much can burn your root system.
  • Fertilize in the growing months like spring and summer. No need to fertilize in winter as most succulents go dormant and don't grow.


Repotting:

  • Succulents can stay in the original pot you bought it in for about a month then its a good idea to repot.
  • Use a container similar size to the plant to allow maximum growth.
  • Remove plant gently and loosen the root ball to allow the roots to spread easier.
  • Cover the root ball completely in the new pot with the new soil.
  • I personally like to wait a couple days before watering so I don't get root rot. ( If receiving a plant bare root water right after potting)
  • All plants should be receiving new soil every couple years at the most


Bugs/Pests:

  • Aphids and mealybugs are the 2 most common invaders
  • Both are treatable using rubbing alcohol mixed with some water and spraying with a water bottle daily until they are all dead.
  • Make sure to reach all spots including the crevices near the base.
  • Bugs usually come from the soil being to wet or too dry for too long. Keep plants in a well ventilated area to stop this from happening.


Old/Dead Leaves:

  • All succulents will show signs of dead leaves near the base of the plant. This IS natural and common
  • You can pull it off carefully once its ready to come off. Don't rip it off or force it.
  • If you pull off a healthy leaf and lay it on top of some soil it will grow a new plant!