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About 2 years ago I was gifted a little succulent arrangement from a friend. Within a few months, it was overgrowing its original little pot. SO, at this point, I decided I needed to repot, and since my thumb was turning a little greener (after all, I’d kept the plant alive for THREE months!), I opted to hit up a nearby nursery to get a few more baby succulents to add to my collection. Then began the repotting game. Why I am I so obsessed with succulents? Keep reading to the top 5 reasons you should add some succulents to your life.
1. They’re resilient. Let’s face it, my history with keeping plants alive has not been great. Usually it’s because they require more maintenance than I’m able to *regularly* provide. What can I say? I have a busy social life…
So- back to succulents. They generally only require watering once or twice per week – EASY for someone who travels or isn’t home often. And I’ve occasionally gone a touch longer without watering, and they bounce back very quickly! If the leaves begin to become shriveled, it’s only taken about 12-24 hours for these little guys to bounce back with a good soak. 🙂
2. They are self-propagating. Essentially, you can make more tiny plants from the “mother” plants that you have. Some varieties will sprout chicks/babies from their root (aloes, hens & chicks), and others will begin to sprout roots from a leaf pulled cleanly from the mother plant. Inevitably I always seem to have some fallen leaves sprouting in my tiny kitchen-based gardening project. Keep in mind, if you plan to propagate a plant, this should be done seasonally to optimize the growth potential of your new little plant!
I don’t have the best lighting in my place, so some of my succulents have gotten a little leggy – in other words, stretched out so that they don’t maintain their pretty rosette form any more. This is the perfect time to propagate! I love having these around – not sure my husband would agree because my kitchen looks like a bit of a science experiment… ha!
3. They make your house more home-y. Ok, ok, you could claim this about any living plant, but I’m biased. It makes me feel like my house is a lot more homey with some greenery. I love fresh cut flowers, but frankly a bouquet just doesn’t last as long! So, my preference is to go with these little succ-ers (see what I did there?) as my live greenery & have a seasonal bouquet of some gorgeous silk flowers that I keep on my kitchen table.
4. They make great gifts!! I pot them in small 2-3 inch pots like these, or these. I often gift the “chicks” that have sprouted from the mother plant, or the babies that have sprouted from the propagated leaves. I’m big on bringing hostess gifts when friends invite us for dinner – PERFECT option, and budget friendly . If this is an ongoing project you have, you’ll always have something nice to take. Like we’ve already addressed…. they require VERY little maintenance!
5. House plants have added health benefits. We all know that plants create oxygen, but did you know that having indoor plants also reduces stress? They purify the air, can improve your mood, and lower your risk for illness. And this is just me speculating, but there’s something to be said for having good mental health, so if indoor plants reduce stress and create a sense of calm, why the heck not?
Are you ready to add some succulents to your life?? Show me your indoor window garden? I’d love to see it!