Surprise your Valentine with a DIY succulent planter
A tutorial on how to create and care for a succulent planter
After holiday shopping, buying books and supplies for a new school semester, finding the perfect yet affordable Valentine’s day gift for a friend or partner can prove to be difficult. Opting to build a DIY succulent flower pot as a present can create a heartfelt and thoughtful offering without breaking your wallet or budget.
To create a DIY succulent, you need planter pots, organic potting soil and your choice of succulents. (Ashley Hern/ Lariat)
A poll conducted by Harris Poll concluded in the 2016 National Gardening Survey that in 2016 six million Americans took up gardening. These statistics come as no surprise when exploring through plant related hashtags on Instagram. The hashtag #plantlovers has approximately 102,000 tagged posts; whereas, #plantstagram contains around 401,000 posts. These posts include a vast array of species classification, horticulture based care tutorials and fashion style pictures of different flowers.
“If I received a plant for Valentine’s day, my reaction would depend on the plant’s attractiveness,” said Marissa Smestad, 24, undeclared. “However, I would prefer to be gifted a potted plant than a bouquet of flowers because it would last longer than a couple of days.”
The items needed to create a DIY succulent planter can be found at any local garden nursery for less than $20 based on the type of planter, succulent species and potting soil that is used. In order to create two gifts, I chose to use two six inch clay planter pots, two 6.4 inch clay pot saucers, Gardner and Bloome’s organic potting soil, a Pearl Echeveria succulent and a Moon cactus.
The planter with the teal-hued Pearl Echeveria succulent cost approximately $13 to make. Whereas, the Moon cactus with an orange-hued flower was a more expensive plant species option, resulting in the planter with it costing around $18.
California native flora species can be chosen as a more affordable option as well. Some local nurseries also have the option of checking in on Yelp and receiving a specific free type of flora. The San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente farmers markets also have vendors with selections of flowers and plants.
1. Before potting your selected succulent of choice, one can decorate the flowerpot with the use of colorful acrylic paint or paint markers in order to add a more creative approach. When selecting a pot, chose a planter pot that is larger than the plant being used in order to stimulate positive, comfortable growth.
“The pot chosen needs to have a drainage hole so that the extra water can run out,” said Quinn Bork, owner of Shore Gardens nursery in San Clemente. “If the pot has no hole it will usually cause problems down the line, because if it stays wet too long the succulent with rot.”
2. After selecting the perfect potting material, it is time to move the succulent into the flowerpot. Keep in mind that the plant should not be placed at the bottom of the pot or have too much soil underneath it when applying soil. The plant’s roots should be protected from damage when being moved in order to preserve optimal health.
“For watering, they just like to dry out between each time that you water,” said Bork. “They should get just enough water to run through the soil. The big thing to remember is that succulents need a lot of light, so in the house is usually not a good idea unless it is super bright or placed close to a window.”
3. After successfully transferring the plant onto the planting material, the project is essentially complete. The next step could include purchasing or making a handwritten card to go with your newly established plant child.
Step #1: To create a DIY succulent, you need two six inch clay planter pots, two 6.4 inch clay pot saucers, Gardner and Bloome's organic potting soil and your choice of succulents.
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