Brown thumbs, rejoice: Now is your time! Yep, the trend for succulents as the indoor plants of choice means even the most botanically challenged mum can get her green on. Even better, they’re small enough for the teensiest apartment, look great stacked up together for bigger spaces, and cost next to nix. Plus, kids adore their unique personalities.
But before you race out and spend your life savings on these adorable decorations, let me fill you in on a few golden rules for how to plant succulents with kids.
- Skip the super spiky ones—stick to the fleshy green ones like Red Jelly Beans and Jade Plants.
- Place them on a window sill—somewhere they’ll get direct or indirect sunlight for around six hours a day.
- Don’t water straight away—succulents are desert plants so they’re cool with a little dryness. That said, a handful of water once a week will see them thrive.
But one of the things I love most about succulents is the fact they don’t need to live in draining pots—if you plant them right. Succulents will be super happy in any old closed container—including super cute vintage teacups, copper pots, and more—but the trick is to layer up the “soil” mix to include succulent potting mix, sand, pebbles, sphagnum moss, and—the secret ingredient—granulated filter carbon, which you’ll find at most pet or aquarium stores.
Get your little one’s help to layer each “ingredient” in the pot just like you would in a lasagna or tiramisu, and you can leave your succulent garden to thrive indoors come rain, hail, or shine.
Images: Hipster Mum and Hymns and Verses
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