Purify your Indoor Air with A DIY Succulent Garden

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Indoor Succulent Garden DIY

Having an indoor succulent garden is all the rage, and for good reason.

From simple plants to elaborate gardens, this trend is skyrocketing and it’s easy to see why.

Reasons for a DIY Indoor Succulent Garden

Succulent plants are easy to grow, require little attention, and look adorable. With so many varieties, the color combinations are endless. Succulent plants include many different varieties (like aloe and some other cacti), and all share a common trait: their leaves fill with water.

Release Oxygen, Absorb Carbon Dioxide

But these little plants also have a special skill: they release oxygen at night!

Most plants use the process of photosynthesis – turning water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide into food and then releasing oxygen as a byproduct. When the sun goes down, the process of photosynthesis stops. However, this is not the case for most succulent plants.

At night, succulents continue to absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. They simply hold onto the carbon dioxide until the sun is available to complete the process of photosynthesis. It’s really amazing!

Because succulents release oxygen at night they are ideal for bedrooms. Place one (or two!) by your bedside to absorb carbon dioxide and provide extra oxygen. Just make sure they get lots of sunlight during the day.

Purify the Air

There are even some succulents, like Aloe, that are believed to filter out common household toxins.

Most people know that having plants in the home is a good thing. They help remove toxins, oxygenate the home, and even add humidity to the air. Plus, they are always beautiful to look at.

Living in the Northeast, I have always had trouble keeping indoor plants. It’s cold and dark here for several months which often spells disaster for my houseplants.

DIY Indoor Succulent Garden

A few weeks ago I visited a friend and she had a couple beautiful, thriving, indoor succulent gardens. I couldn’t believe it! She told me the secret to keeping these gardens in the Northeast is to “do nothing!” Simply set the garden in a sunny spot, water when you remember, and watch it grow!

I knew I had to give this a try, so I went and picked up the supplies that same day! I found this project to be easy, fun, and stunning.  Here is my simple DIY indoor succulent garden tutorial:

Supplies

  • Container (I found mine at a local craft store, but you could use a mason jar, small bowl, even a teacup!)
  • Fast draining cactus soil (find it here) (or this variety that is pre-mixed and doesn’t require small rocks to be added)
  • Small rocks or pebbles
  • Several types of succulent plants (find them at garden centers or get them from a friend who is dividing)

Instructions

  • Fill the container â…“ full of small rocks or pebbles. (Skip this step if using a pre-mixed blend.)
  • Add soil to the top.
  • Dig a small hole in the soil with your fingers.
  • Gently loosen the roots on your succulent plant.
  • Plant succulent in the small hole making sure roots are covered.
  • Push soil around to stabilize plant.
  • Repeat until container is full.
  • Moisten soil with a spray bottle and/or water gently until soil is saturated.
  • Place garden in part to full sun.
  • Water sparingly when soil feels dry.

I’m sure you are wondering how many plants to use. I find that you can easily fill your container with succulents, leaving very little room between them. These plants don’t mind sharing space!

That’s it! It’s a very simple project that will take under an hour to create. It would be a wonderful project to share with kids, making sure to remind them to be extra careful as succulent plants are very fragile. Succulent leaves can snap off very easily.

I’d love to hear from any experienced succulent gardeners in the comments below. Do you have any tricks or tips? What about favorite varieties? Please share with our community in the comments!

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About Katie Vance

Katie is a wife, mother, aromatherapist, and lover of all things DIY. She offers consultations and gives simple aromatherapy advice at Katie Vance, Aromatherapy Simplified. You can also find Katie on Facebook.

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Comments

  1. Avatar photoIrene says

    I wouldn’t call myself experienced, but I do have quite a number of house plants including succulents and cacti. One of my favorites is my Jade tree. I wanted to chime in that succulents can be forgotten about and still survive even if they look mostly dead. All you have to do is gently water them a little for a couple of days and they will start to come back. Also, they are easy to propagate (ie, create new plants from). Pretty much all succulents can have a leaf removed, then stick that in some fresh dirt (sometimes you have to let the freshly broken part “scab” first) and keep it moist, soon you have a new plant.