MATERIALS:
- Heart shaped planter
- An assortment of succulents
- Succulent soil
- Gloves
OPTIONAL:
- Small gardening shovel
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Fill your vessel approximately ½ full of potting soil and spread it evenly across the bottom. You’ll want to add enough to ensure that the base of each succulent reaches just to the top of the planter. Add as much as needed for your planter.
2. Start with two or three of your Echeveria varieties. Pick the ones you love the most -these will be your focal points! Plan for a spot for each in the planter, taking care to put some distance between them.
3. Gently loosen each from the plastic vessel you purchased them in. Next, use your fingers to loosen any roots that were gathered at the bottom. Nestle the plant into the soil, pushing some loose dirt up around the roots.
4. Next, remove all of your 2” succulents from their plastic vessels and, again, loosen their roots. Plant each of these smaller heads around the larger succulents. This will help to frame the larger, focal plants and add texture.
PRO TIP: At this point, we usually find the planter to need a little more dirt. Using your hand to gently part the foliage of the succulents, fill in any low spots with more succulent potting mix.
5. To finish the design, we like to piece the larger succulents into the just right sized puzzle pieces! To part, gently pull apart the succulent, starting from the leaves and then working down to the roots.
PRO TIP: Larger headed succulents, like Echeveria, cannot be broken down into smaller parts. Save the varieties such as the hen and chick or sedum for this part!
6. Once you’ve broken down your succulents into smaller parts, gently work their roots into the remaining holes in the planter. Take care to handle these pieces carefully as they tend to be more fragile once they’ve been broken down! Press down gently on their tops once in the planter to ensure the roots are firmly connected into the soil.
7. Use a damp paper towel to clean any dirt that got stuck on or in the succulents during planting and enjoy!
