When I was assigned an article that included basic container gardening, I instantly went for succulents and cacti. That was a courageous move given that the first echeveria (those rosette looking succulents) I brought into my home survived only a month.

I read up on succulent care, and within a couple weeks my new set of babies started blooming and propagating! And so the new addiction began! I bought an additional six cacti. I bought all different kinds.

I learned that succulents and cacti are very sensitive. They won’t survive with too little or too much water. To avoid overwatering, I lined my wooden bowl with pebbles so that any excess water would drain to the bottom. I only water them when the soil is dry to the touch. If any baby seedlings pop up, I use a spritzer more often to help them as they grow and propagate.

I removed them from their plastic baggies, and lay them out in the bowl. I placed the tall ones in the center, and placed the smaller all around.

The potting mix wasn’t doing much for me, so I topped the soil with the rest of the pebbles I had. I believe these are the same pebbles used in aquariums.

All done! I made sure to place the bowl by the window, so they get just the right amount of sun. See, too much or too little sun can kill the plants too. Morning sun works best for them. I have one window in my condo that gets good lighting. The rest of the cacti seem to be happy about it.

 

 

 
Succulents and cacti from Market Market or Dangwa, 3 for P100
Wooden container from Tiendesitas or Kultura