DIY: How to make your own succulent planters

One of my favourite places to linger around on the Kowloon side is the Prince Edward Flower Market. I could spend hours going into each store, breathing in deeply the fresh blooms and enjoying an eye buffet of vibrant colourful life. It’s always neat to see what’s in season whenever you make a trip out to the market. A noticeable green trend on Pinterest, Instagram and other social media are pictures of Succulent Plants and recently, the market has been teeming of the cacti variety.

Succulent plants are essentially the family name for cacti. They resemble plump and thickened plants that thrive on warm weather and are probably the easiest to take care of. For those of us who have a history of a “black thumb” but want to inject some natural greenery into our homes, succulents are the plants for you!

This simple DIY is perfect for a field trip out to the flower market with your little ones, followed by an afternoon planting session that won’t take longer than 10 minutes.

Materials you will need: 

• a variety of succulents
• indoor potting soil (if you can find cactus soil that’s even better!)
• a container (glass, terracotta, plastic – succulents are not partial!)*
• spray bottle
• decorative stones (optional)

*Side note, I have seen a lot of people plant their succulents in a terrarium (enclosed vessel) which makes for an adorable succulent planter and stylish addition to the house. However, this is strongly discouraged as it’s very easy for the succulents to overheat and wither, especially in HK’s warm climate. Keep the container or vessel of your succulents to an open one that provides optimal air circulation, which is vital for these plants. 

Directions: 

1. Decide which order you would like your succulents before removing them from their containers.
2. Fill your container 3/4 full of your indoor potting soil and spritz with water to moisten it.
3. Using your hands, make a small hole to place your first succulent plant in. Don’t worry about being too gentle as succulents are quite resilient! Continue this step until you’re happy with the arrangement.
4. Add more soil around each plant and gently pat in to make sure they’re in securely.
5. Spritz the soil with water one more time. You can also spritz the succulents to clean off any excess soil.
6. For an added touch, place decorative stones to where the soil is exposed on top.
7. Voila! Your very own succulent planter!

Tips to keeping your succulents happy and alive:

1. Place the succulent planter near the window or bring it outside every now and then for some good ol’ sunshine.
2. You can water your planter once a week or whenever the soil needs some moisture.
3. Be careful not to overwater – the soil just needs to be moist to the touch.

Where to buy succulents:

I got my succulents ($25 each) at the Wah King Garden Arts Co. Ltd. on 212 Prince Edward Rd West. I picked up my decorative stones ($12), potting soil ($16.90) and water spray bottle ($12) from Japan Home Centre. You can use any old glass container for potting.

Good luck and happy planting!