Succulents are all the rage these days. I thought it appropriate to create a sculptural and interesting little pot for a small succulent to live. It’s hand carved and finished and provides the perfect little space for these sculptural beauties. It’s a great little touch on your entry table, night table, or atop a decorative stack of books on a styled built-in.

Care tips

Succulents tend to prefer a temperate climate. Generally they do best in areas with filtered sunlight and temperatures below 90 degrees. Morning and/or evening sun with afternoon full or partial shade (at least 50%) is ideal.

The best way to water succulents and encourage healthy root growth is to completely soak the soil and allow it to dry out completely before watering again. Do not water by lightly spraying the soil. This will cause succulents to put off small thin roots which will easily wither and die. Soaking the soil will allow them to absorb the water they need. Then, letting the soil dry out completely allows the succulent time to grow and put off strong healthy roots.

How frequently you water is greatly determined by your climate. Watering once a week is a good place to start if you’re unsure. Look for signs of watering problems to help determine if you need to increase or decrease your watering frequency. Making gradual changes to the watering frequency as you notice early signs of over or under watering will help ensure your succulents stay healthy.

Some signs that your succulent needs more water:

• Leaves are limp and hang down instead of being upright and firm
• Color is dull
• Leaves are thinner than normal and have soft wrinkles

If you’re seeing these signs, try increasing your watering frequency slightly and ensure the soil is getting wet all the way through.

Signs that your succulents need less water:

• Leaves are translucent or have a yellow hue to otherwise colorful leaves
• Leaves have a mushy, juicy appearance
• Leaves fall off with the slightest touch

If this is happening with your succulents, hold off on watering again for at least a week, longer if the soil is still wet. Adjust your watering schedule once you find how your succulents thrive.

How to propagate your succulents

Many Soft Succulents can be propagated from their leaves. To remove a leaf, gently twist and pull the leaf off the stem. Let it sit on a dry surface for a few days and then place on top of soil. Keep the soil damp for a few weeks as roots and new plants begin to form.

As roots begin to form, cover them with soil so they don’t dry out. As the plants begin to grow larger you can move them to a new area and begin caring for them as you would a full plant. It’s best to propagate in a warm shady area.