Succulent Bowls that Are Easy to Create and Maintain

Succulents are still one of the hottest (driest?) trends in indoor gardening. Nowadays, faux mini succulent gardens are widely available.

However, succulents are notoriously easy to care for, and there’s no substitute for the real thing.

Indoor succulent gardening is simple and rewarding. Here’s everything you need to know to create your own mini garden in a single afternoon.

 

Step 1: Choose Your Vessel

You can choose a succulent bowl like Trendspot’s Zandale Bowl above (which comes in three colors) or any other shallow vessel that will give you enough space to mix and match a variety of plants. Because succulents have shallow roots, they don’t need deep pots.

Step 2: Choose Your Succulents

The good news: this is easier than you think!

With the upswing in popularity of mini succulent gardens, it’s not hard to find to small plants that are easy to care for at your local gardening store.

These are common succulents that do well indoors:

• Haworthias
• Gasteraloes
• Classula (Jade)

Here are some other tips for picking the right plants:

• If you’re new at this, start with green succulents over purple, blue, or gray because they’re easier to keep alive
• For the spiky look, try agave or aloe instead of cactus if you don’t have enough light and heat inside
• When starting out, shy away from red or orange succulents, which generally do best outdoors

With all that in mind, head to your nursery and choose a few small plants to fit comfortably (not tightly) in your succulent bowl.

And while it may seem obvious, be sure to choose healthy-looking plants without dry or withered edges.

Step 3: Plant Your Succulents

Bear in mind that succulents need breathing room. They are not accustomed to being overcrowded.

They also don’t like your standard indoor potting soil, but will need something much drier and grittier. If you have more moist soil on hand, you can mix it with equal parts sand, or just go ahead and buy a new bag of potting mix that’s specifically for succulents.

After you have arranged and planted your succulents, there’s an optional finishing touch: add small colored rocks over top to create a pop of color.

Step 4: Care for Your Indoor Succulents

You already know this one, but don’t water succulents too much.

Because they are native to dry climates, succulents don’t require much watering and will die if treated to a weekly drink. They actually need to dry out completely (all the way to the bottom of the planter) before their next watering.

The simplest way to make sure you’re not giving them too much water is not only water infrequently but to water shallowly. In other words, don’t water them so much that moisture will pool at the bottom. Since so many beautiful indoor succulent bowls are designed without drainage, this tip is especially important.

While some succulents prefer outdoor lighting over indoor lighting, they all need light. Keep them by a window in the hottest, brightest part of the house.

Indoor succulent gardening is great for beginners. The fact that they need so little water is definitely a positive for the forgetful among us. Have you tried your hand at a succulent bowl garden yet?