Bringing home your first succulent

Succulents can add a lot of personality to any living space while requiring minimal care and maintenance. They can act as eye-catching centerpieces for living room tables or be calming additions to your desk. Additionally, if you are a DIY skin care enthusiast, succulents such as aloe and agave will be a valuable inclusion to your plant collection.

From rock-like lithops to spikey haworthias, the number of succulent genera to choose from can be overwhelming. However, it is best to pick especially low maintenance succulents which can adapt to the levels of sunlight your windows provide when you are easing into your plant journey. Although most succulents love the sun, beginner level succulents which thrive in front of windows receiving low or indirect light include sedum, haworthia, crassula, and kalanchoe. Unlike most other succulents, they are more forgiving towards overwatering.

Overwatering is most often the main threat for these desert-dwellers and this should be taken into account when you first welcome your succulent home. Make sure the succulent pot includes drainage holes for excess water to freely flow through and that the soil is a well-draining cactus mix. Repotting and other adjustments should be made as early as possible.

The usual rule of thumb for watering succulents is to wait till the soil is bone dry. Depending on the placement of the succulent and its soil type, this usually takes around a week or two. To ensure robust roots, use watering cans instead of spray bottles and thoroughly soak the soil each time it dries out. Wrinkled or droopy leaves are the succulent's way of letting you know it needs water, so remember to attune your senses as well.

As long as you steer clear of overwatering, your succulents will be happy and content. You can buy succulents online from Facebook pages such as The Garden Corner or Chitra Brikkho Haat, and at BRAC Nurseries.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Location: Brac Nursery