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How To Plant Succulents

I’m on a greenery kick (both outdoors and apparently indoors as well), so this is the story of four cheap-o succulents that I impulse-bought from Home Depot and then decided to plant in kind of a weird way.

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The two small ones were $2.98 and the two middle ones were $3.98 a pop. Oh and I used to have a red cactus for years throughout middle school and high school. Seriously, I couldn’t kill that thing if I tried. So that’s why he’s in the mix for nostalgia’s sake.

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Then I hunted around or some planters or baskets or old boxes to plant them in (Anthrophologie had some great succulents planted in old wooden boxes with pebbles around them and they looked super cool). Then my entire idea sort of shifted when I came up empty on boxes (and didn’t happen to have any cool white pebbles around either) but laid eyes on these old vases just sitting around in my cabinet.

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How weird would it be if I planted them in something see-through? Probably pretty weird, but I’m ok with weird. Heck, I embrace weird. I paused to worry for a second that they wouldn’t have any drainage in these glass containers, but I realized that the ceramic pot that my wouldn’t-die red cactus from high school didn’t have any drainage holes (nor do any of the white Ikea plant pots that we have around the house) so I went for it. But they clearly needed more dirt.

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So I went outside with a spoon (yes, a spoon) and used it to scoop some more dirt into my transparent little vessels. The verdict: I think they look pretty cool!

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I mean, people mulch their gardens for a cleaner look, right? I think the dark brown tone of the dirt looks so pretty against the green of the plants. Plus a lot of our surfaces are white (and nearly all of my plant pots are white) so maybe my eyes just appreciate the contrast (my eyes are such rebels).

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As of now two of them are hanging out in the hall bathroom (on the white counter, which definitely makes them pop) and one of them is on the white fireplace mantel in the kitchen (my little red cactus, since he’s quickly becoming my favorite for sentimental reasons). I’ll have to snap a picture of them in their new homes for ya soon. Although plants and pillows tend to migrate a lot around here, so they might pop up somewhere else next week anyway.

Have you ever planted something in sort of an unorthodox way? Or owned a red cactus in high school that straight up refused to bite the big one, even when you forgot to water it for months?

Comments

  1. Kim says

    We like to eat pistachios; I read that you can use the shells for drainage just like pebbles. So we have a small container on the counter where we are saving them. I forgot to explain that to my mom when she was keeping the kids while we were out of town; she didn’t understand why we had them sitting around, thought it was for an art project or something!

    Reply

  3. Sandy Acree says

    I bought burro tail and a few others when I saw how you used them around your house. I have really enjoyed them. Never even thought to buy them before but now I’m addicted !

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  4. Rachel says

    Omg I also had a red cactus exactly like that one! What kind of trend was that from back in the day? Lol, too funny!

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  5. Laura says

    No, but I have a Christmas cactus named Chloe from college,that STILL lives on my parent’s kitchen counter top. I graduated in 2000. But that might be more evidence of their weirdeness than mine. :)

    What do you think?

    Laura
    /cookiecrumbsandsawdust.blogspot.com

    Reply

  6. Lauren says

    I did the same thing with left over vases/candle holders from our wedding. I put cool river rocks and colored marbles in the bottom to help with drainage…and utilize the “clear.” They’ve been planted this way for nearly a year and are doing great!

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  9. geralyn says

    YES! i too had a red cactus in a ceramic pot all through junior high and high school that i could NOT KILL. one time, the red part fell off and it looked like it was dead for about 3 months (and i didn’t get around to cleaning it up because that’s how i roll), but then it started to sprout flowers?! it lived many more years.

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  10. Tracey says

    Hate to be a Debbie Downer and this could just be an “only happens to me” kind of thing, but regular soil + glass vase = dead plants over time. Miracle-Gro makes a special potting mix for succulents that I had tremendous luck with. I had an aloe plant that was about 3′ high and 2′ wide! I, like you, thought the glass vase thing would look awesome and it did, but my non-succulent plants (so maybe this will work with succulents!) did not do well at all after a few months. I think the soil seeing constant light screwed up the pH or something (and the roots, too!) Hopefully you have much better luck than I did. :D I’ve missed the glass container for plants look, so I’m going to do it again, but with faux foliage this time! LOL!

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  12. renee says

    In fourth grade we had to make terrariums. Mine was a desert and had several different types of cacti and little plastic lizards. A couple of the plants died within a few years, but one of them just kept growing and growing. My mom has split and replanted it several times, so now there are multiple plants. I took one to my first apartment. Turns out the way to kill a 15 year old cactus is to let it sit in front of a poorly insulated window all winter. My mom’s keeping the rest of them. They’re almost 20 years old now. I think they might outlive us all.

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  13. Ethne says

    Ha! I laughed for several minutes about the ‘my eyes are rebels’ comment. Very good. I bought my sister a saguaro cactus (the tall ones from AZ) the size of a large marble when I was in college. She took good care of the little guy for years and he quadrupled in size. Then one day he just dried up and shriveled. So sad! Anyway, I like your idea. Who doesn’t have glass jars and pots laying around the house?

    Reply

  14. Gavin S. says

    Target sells the cutest little metal buckets in their $1 section (sometimes just silver metal and sometimes in different colors, depending on the season). I love to put plants in those for myself and as gifts. Right now I’m rocking a basil plant in a silver bucket on my kitchen windowsill. Try it sometime!

    Reply

  15. Natalie Derrickson says

    I bought a jade plant at HD in like 2007 and it’s still going strong. I believe, he too, was about $2.98. My parents thought I was ridiculous, which may be true, but five years later, he’s still going strong! He was about 3″ tall and 2″ wide when I got him, now he’s in like a 5 gallon pot in the guest room and is about 2″x3″ !

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  16. MacKenzie says

    I had a red cactus like that at work and I totally killed it – but I’ve been seeing succulents everywhere so I think I’ve decided to try again. If all else fails, my husband will take over. We have a ficus tree and several raised garden beds plus raspberries, strawberries and blackberries that are alive and it is not because of me, I just get to enjoy them.

    Reply

  17. Kristina Gulino says

    Oh these look fabulous! I have so many succulents, but I’m afraid of bringing them indoors because of those pesty gnats that like the planter soil – but this is a really great idea! Actually, if our place was a little bigger they might look better. Right now I’m having a hard time trying to fit my plants anywhere without looking like a greenhouse!

    Kristina
    Nook & Sea

    Reply

  18. Lesley says

    I am going Crazy for Succa’s right now. I did a large arraignment in a shallow clear square glass bowl that I have on my dinning room table and 3 more for around the house about a month ago. I even bought a few new ones over the weekend (string of pears & string of Banana’s are their names:) I already had a few different varieties growing in the garden around the house that I have harvested from. That is one of the beautiful things about succulents, you can just snip off a little baby bud/new growth and start a whole new plant from it. Amazing! I even got a couple “air plants” to try on:) Good luck and just don’t over water, allow the soil to dry and you will enjoy them for a very long time:) XXOO

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  19. Brittany says

    I am totally in love with succulents this year, but unfortunately are poisonous for animals. BOO!! My cats will munch on anything green in our house.

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  20. Sydni Jackson says

    I never had a cactus, but in high school I did a science experiment fighting beta fish against each other (it was kinda cool). After all the fights, there was one fish left – and he wouldn’t die!! I left him for months without feeding him, and then my mom felt bad so she started feeding him. He lasted for so long!! He was such a champion.

    Reply

  21. Carrie says

    I used to change out $40k worth of succulents a year for a client. Loved when I could buy them wholesale. Make sure they get a lot of direct sunlight.

    Reply

  23. Angie says

    I am so down with the succ’s right now too. I actually just planted one in one of my husbands and I’s growlers. Looks pretty stinkin cool, if I do say so myself.

    Reply

  25. Johanna says

    Your glass containers are not strange at all – pretty! In fact, I just urged my mother to buy some small daffodils in an oversized glass container for her newly renovated bathroom. They have a very unexpected modern look to them, as they are really planted *in* the container – as in, the blossoms didn’t even peek over the edge at the beginning. Now that they’ve grown a bit, they are slowly venturing out and above :) Oh, and the ladies at the nursery tucked moss around the perimeter instead of simply letting the soil show, so it has more of a forest-y look to it.

    I think the idea of planting something in an oversized glass container like that would actually tie in nicely with your decorating style, too! Just an idea :)

    Reply

  26. Devon says

    Theres a fantastic store in San Diego called Pigment that is known for its succulents and hanging globes. Ive gone there a TON of times for inspiration, or 50 cent starter succulents, or any of the fun additions from their bar area where you can create your own hanging succulent globe (they sell all kinds of moss, colored pebbles, funky stones, etc to add to succulent gardens). Anyways, one of the tricks they taught me is to put a handful of pebbles in the bottom of any pot that might need some drainage. That way if you’re an over-waterer like me the roots won’t be sitting in the extra water, and you dont have to worry about having saucers under every pot on every indoor table. Its a great tip!

    Reply

  27. Kristin F says

    Surprised you didn’t go with a succubus pun a la “Lost Girl” on SyFy Network! As in “I wanted to punch up the sexy in our house so I added some succubi” :)

    Reply

  28. minda says

    did you know that if you have a stem broken off a succulent and plant it, it will grow into its own plant? out here in CA i have grabbed many “samples” from plants around the neighborhood and have quite a collection of mine own now growing.

    i would LOVE to make you guys a “sample” box and ship it to you, if you want to try to grow your own!

    Reply

  29. Callie says

    I love it! It’s too funny I’ve been at Lowes 2 of the last 3 days trying to decide which succulents to get and how to plant them…I’ll have to try the clear vase method!

    Reply

  30. Christa @ BrownSugarToast says

    Yea!! just planted my first succulents this past week and posting about it tomorrow! I got some of the “jelly bean” ones and planted them in some ex-tiramisu dishes a friend gave me. So cute! Thanks for the inspiration! :D

    Reply

  31. Jennifer says

    Yes, Sherry I love these Succas!!! I just posted about the ones I bought from CVS. $1.99, can’t beat it, right?
    I planted mine in a jam jar, a mini coca cola glass and a bell jar. Then I couldn’t stop myself and planted a bunch in a large glass kitchen bowl!

    I have no idea if I can keep them alive, but who cares they’re so freaking cute!
    Best,
    J

    Reply

  33. Esquire Interiors says

    Any time you are working with plants, you can’t help but get the organic feel. Planting them in these small shaped vases, however, gives them a cool modern twist so that this type of thing, as a design element, can soften modern design and/or make a more organic home still seem contemporary and put together. Not too shabby for just a few bucks. Bravo.

    Reply

  35. Kara says

    I’m reading this post just now, since you linked to it from one of your Blogversary Week #5 posts: I’m curious, are they all still alive and kicking it?

    I planted some succulents myself in glass vases too this summer, but almost all of them died! I was bummed. Still am. The ones that died were a Calico Kitten plant and a couple of Hens & Chicks. I do have a red cactus just like the one you posted, and that one is still thriving, along with the Burro’s Tail (I bought it just for the funny name!).

    Reply

  36. Elise says

    I planted a tiny succulent in a martini glass and put it on the bookshelf. I somehow managed to kill it, but I enjoyed it while it lasted. I think I watered it too much (once every few weeks). Maybe I’ll try a red cactus next time.

    Reply

  37. Lindsey says

    Hi! I know this is almost a year later, but I’m curious how your succulents are doing. Are they still alive? I just got on a terrarium kick and planted a number of plans like this (purchased from Home Depot too!) and used clear glass containers and pebbles. I didn’t know what I was doing, but hopefully they last a while. Thanks!

    Reply

  38. Sena Dees says

    I’m kind of late to the party on this post, but I love succulents, cacti and bromeliads. Unfortunately, I have a black thumb have have killed all of the above. I have also killed Air Plants. From the name, you’d assume a light dusting of water and air was all they need. You would be right. But, alas, even air plants met an untimely demise. Help?

    Reply

  39. amy says

    i have seen a cork hollowed out and succulents planted in them then they attached magnet to thcork back and put them on their fridge or on their filing cabinet at work

    Reply

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