By Alyssa Gehris, Staff Writer
Succulents are quite the aesthetically-pleasing fad of teens to young adults right now, so naturally as we go off to college we can’t help but pick one up to place in our dorm. However, does anyone really know how to take care of them? The college life can be pretty inconvenient for taking care of a plant, and most students would think that a succulent is the perfect solution, until they find the succulent shriveling up.
“They’re really low maintenance as long as you follow a few rules,” says junior Victoria DiMartino who is a Floral Clerk at her local Stop & Shop. Here are some tips and tricks catered towards the life of a college student.
First and foremost, one of the biggest mistakes we fall into is at the very beginning stages of getting a plant. A lot of the problems with the decorative pots that succulents come in, is that they don’t have a drainage hole at the bottom. Pots that don’t have drainage holes therefore allow excess water to be trapped in the bottom which can start the process of rotting.
“The best type of pot to get is one with a separate little dish that will sit under it to catch the excess water that falls through the drainage hole” says Heather Matz, who worked at Lowe’s Home Improvement Garden Center.
Since succulents are a branch off of the cactus family, they require different soil than other plants and won’t survive well without the correct soil. When searching for soil, Matz says, “look for one that has a fast draining formula. They will typically say something about being best for catcus and succulents right on the front.”
To aid in draining of water, which is especially useful if you don’t have a pot with a drainage hole, put some pebbles on the inside base of the pot before putting in soil. This allows some space between the pot and the soil where excess water will drain through. Ideally your succulent should be getting about five hours of sunlight a day which means it definitely should not be on the other side of the room away from the window.
It is however, possible to give the succulent too much light so, “make sure to not expose them to too much sun” says DiMartino. If you notice your succulent drying move it slightly further onto a nearby desk or something of that sort until it seems it is getting just enough. I know, sometimes sunlight can make college students hiss like a vampire, but it doesn’t hurt to open your blinds before you leave for class every morning.
If you notice that your succulent is starting to grow towards the light, which can typically be called “reaching,” in layman’s terms, that is a sign it wants more light and could use those blinds being open. Picking a regular occurrence in your schedule as a reminder to rotate your plant makes it easier to consistently keep up with it. I typically choose a specific class day like my Monday, Wednesday and Friday class days. Your succulent is likely not going to get even sunlight all around unless rotated regularly so this is why most people would suggest rotating it. Rotating also keeps it from growing lopsided or reaching too far on the side closest to the light.
You can also use a similar reminder throughout your weekly schedule to check the soil if it needs water. Only water when you feel that the top section of soil is completely dry.
“The best way to know if it needs water is to touch the soil and if it feels wet or moist don’t water it,” says DiMartino. If you must leave your succulent in your dorm over a break from school, no fear! It will most likely still be intact once you get back if you be sure to move it to a location where it can get some sun, but not be in the direct heat at all times. If the soil is dry be sure to water the plant thoroughly right before leaving.
Most other breaks from classes are short enough to leave succulents alone with no problem. Winter break on the other hand, is anywhere from four to six weeks long for the average college student which is just long enough that your succulent might need some help. “One problem that could arise is the cold weather. Too cold and too hot is bad for pretty much any plant so they shouldn’t be left too long in a room that the temperature isn’t being controlled,” says DiMartino.
Now you’re one step closer to developing a green thumb! Follow these tips and tricks and you won’t let being a college student get in the way of keeping those succulents alive.