Caring for Your Succulents & Air Plants | Ottawa's Best Garden Centre
Succulents and air plants are on trend this season, and their clean, sculptural appeal has struck a chord with gardeners and designers young and old alike. These modern houseplants bring structure, texture, and interest to indoor spaces with very little effort.
If you haven’t picked up one of these hip houseplants yet, you may be missing out. Forgetful gardeners can breathe a sigh of relief these plants are wonderfully forgiving, and with so many unique varieties available, it’s often hard to choose just one.
Succulents
What is a succulent? Succulents are truly the perfect plant for forgetful gardeners. Any plant with fleshy leaves or stems that store water is considered a succulent. Easy to care for and endlessly versatile, succulent gardens and terrariums add drama and elegance to both indoor and outdoor spaces.
Easy Care Tips for Your Succulents
When grown indoors, succulents often struggle to get enough sunlight. A good rule of thumb is about six hours of bright light per day, so keep them close to a sunny window. Outdoors, they prefer similar conditions a bright, sunny spot on your patio works beautifully. Most of the cool, funky succulents are not winter hardy, so they’ll need to be brought inside before cold weather arrives.
Always plant succulents in a light potting mix with plenty of sand or perlite to ensure proper drainage. They dislike wet feet, making cactus soil the best choice.
A common misconception is that succulents prefer to stay consistently dry. In reality, they should be watered thoroughly until the soil is fully wet, then allowed to dry out completely before watering again.
Succulents are ideal for lazy or forgetful gardeners because even when neglected, they recover remarkably well. If you struggle to know when to water, a moisture meter is a simple and inexpensive tool that takes the guesswork out by telling you whether your soil is too wet, too dry, or just right.
Air Plants
These unusual plants look like something straight out of prehistoric times. Tillandsia, commonly known as air plants, are epiphytes meaning they don’t require soil. Instead, they absorb water and nutrients directly from the air.
Easy Care Tips for Your Air Plants
There are a few effective ways to care for air plants. Many growers recommend misting them once or twice a week. Another popular method is soaking them in a bowl of water for about 15 minutes once a week, then allowing them to dry upside down so excess water can drain before placing them back in their terrarium. We even had one customer whose air plant produced babies over the winter.
One of the most interesting ways to display air plants is in clear glass terrariums that hang or sit in windows. They truly function as living plant art in your home.
Have we convinced you yet to try these cool little plants? It’s such a simple way to connect with the earth with minimal effort. Pick out your favourite plant, a funky little pot, and a bag of cactus soil, and you’re well on your way to joining the succulove movement.
Peace & Plants,
Kelly Heath
Retail Manager