Learn how to make a succulent dish garden in this step by step tutorial. This succulent dish garden will adorn your room and fill it with desert warmth.
With just a few things, a few minutes, and your creativity you can make a succulent dish garden. All you need are some succulents, a shallow dish, and soil. And the best part is that this will last for years with very little care.
You can make the succulent dish garden as an interesting decoration piece for your home or gift it to a friend.
Things You’ll Need
Succulents
Choose whether you will use established succulents from a garden center or if you want to start the succulent dish garden from cuttings. Using already established succulents will immediately create your succulent dish garden. On the contrary, with cuttings, it will take time before you can see the full results although this is absolutely free.
Choose your favorite succulents of different sizes, colors, and shapes that will go well together to make an interesting dish garden. Choose plants that are in scale with the container you plan to use. Best to select succulents of same requirements (light, soil, water, etc.) and with same growing speed. Don’t buy too many succulents as they should fill the container but not overcrowd it.
Dish or Shallow Pot
Any shallow dish, saucer or tray that is at least about 4 inches deep can be used. The size of the container will depend on the number of plants you are planning to use. A terracotta container works great since it breathes and can let the soil dry out easier, it also looks fine.
Growing Medium
Cactus Soil
Optional
To cover up the soil, buy small pebbles.
Sculpture, a small statue or garden ornament to add to your succulent dish garden.
How to Make a Succulent Dish Garden
1. Clean your container.
2. Put a thin layer of gravel on the bottom of the pot.
3. Fill the container with the growing medium and lightly tamp it. Fill it to 1/4 inch from the top of the pot.
4. Remove plants from the pots they come in. Wear gloves if dealing with thorny succulents. Loosen the soil around the edges with a knife, and then turn the pot upside down and try to gently pull out the plant.
5. Decide how you will view your succulent dish garden. If the dish garden is to be viewed from all sides, place taller plants in the middle and shorter around the sides. If the dish garden is to be viewed from one side, place taller plants in the back and shorter ones toward the front.
6 After finding out the view of a succulent dish garden, you need to find out the right place for each plant. The easiest way to find out the right place for each plant is to place the plants on top of the soil and then move them around until you find the best placement.
7. Now, scoop out the soil to make appropriate holes for the size of root ball of the plants.
8. Plant succulents at the same depth at which they were grown in the previous pot.
9. Once the planting is done, press the soil firmly around the roots to set the plants.
10. Put a layer of small pebbles on the top of the soil surface to decorate and finish it.
11. Slowly, water your succulent dish garden immediately, but do not flood it.
12. Place this in a location with bright sunlight.
13. Keep the soil rather dry. Do not water too frequently.
Also Read: How to Make a Spilled Flower Pot
Some Tips for a Succulent Dish Garden
- Water only when the soil is dry.
- When succulents are actively growing feed once a month with a balanced liquid fertilizer, diluted at 1/8 of the strength recommended by the manufacturer.
- Turn the container to another side occasionally so that plants will stay straight and do not grow towards sunlight.
- If any plant outgrows the container, remove it and grow it as a single specimen in a separate pot.
Also Read: Dish Garden Plants Name
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