Succulent Wreaths & Plants

Plant Choice

• Small succulents are the best choice. Most are slow growers and stay within bounds. Others, such as jade or elephant ear plants, grow quite large in their natural habitat. Select succulents with a rosette form or small leaves such as sedum, aeonium, echeveria or mother of pearl.

Assembly

• Take succulent plant cuttings with a sharp knife, leaving a 2-inch stem. Remove any leaves from that stem area. Let dry for up to 48 hours until the cut stem scabs over. Open the wire form and arrange a layer of moist sphagnum moss inside the form. The moss keeps the soil in place. Fill the sphagnum moss with potting soil made for cacti and succulents. Arrange the cuttings and rooted succulents in the soil. Place them close together, so that the wreath fills out faster. Anchor each cutting with a u-shaped floral pin. Close the wire form and fasten it together. Lay it on a flat surface until the cutting roots, and then hang it on a door or wall.

Add Color

• Succulents come in a variety of green, gray and red. While they flower, the flowers aren't reliable and are sometimes small. Add color to your succulent wreaths by including kalanchoe, which blooms in red, orange, pink, white and purple. The flowers are about ¼ inch across blooming in bunches on short stalks. Another blooming succulent is the Christmas cactus. These are suited to a larger succulent wreath. The flowers are about an inch long and bloom in red, orange, white and bright pinks.

Care

• Rotate the wreath so it grows evenly. If it's on a door or wall, give it a quarter turn every week or so. Water it sparingly only when needed. Succulents go from three weeks to two months without additional watering depending on the temperature and humidity. Poke your finger into the soil. If it's very dry, it's time to water. Water it by submerging the wreath in a container filled with water for 20 minutes. If the wreath is too large, place it under a sprinkler in a shady spot for 20 minutes, so the soil and sphagnum moss become fully hydrated. Feed the wreath with a water-soluble plant food every month. Trim any succulents that start taking over the wreath.

Tips

• Succulents sometimes ooze a sap when cut, which may irritate the skin. Place the wreath where it receives the amount of light that's appropriate for the succulents. Many burn in full sun. Most succulents are frost tender. Bring in the wreath if cold weather threatens.