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Low Maintenance Succulents To Take Care Of This Spring

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Waterloo chapter.

I’d like to dedicate this post to my sister, who managed to kill the drought-resistant succulent that I gave her for her birthday last year. If you, like her, struggle to take care of other living things but still want to hop on the succulent bandwagon, this article is for you.

This spring, don’t let your plant-killing past prevent you from trying again: have another go at it, this time with succulents that are known for being forgiving to people just like you. Here are some particularly resilient succulents that you can easily take care of indoors, along with some basic tips for keeping them happy and healthy.

 

JADE

Difficulty level: 1/10 – Tbh it’d be pretty sad if you can’t manage to keep this little guy alive.

 

ALOE VERA

Difficulty level: 2/10 – A couple of specific care requirements, hit up WikiHow or something for more info

 

ECHEVERIA

Difficulty level: 1.5/10 – Seriously, just leave it alone. Don’t go watering it every day.

 

ZEBRA

Difficulty level: 2/10 – Great indoor succulent, a bit sensitive to too much direct sunlight

 

SNAKE PLANT

Difficulty level: 0.5/10 – In exchange for you staying as far away from it as possible, this plant actually cleans the air around you

 

GENERAL RULES OF CARE:

  • Place the succulent somewhere it can get lots of bright, indirect light

    • You can tell if it’s not getting enough light if it looks like it’s starting to stretch upwards or sideways towards where the light is coming from

  • Use the “soak and dry” technique: soak the soil in the container and then wait until the soil dries COMPLETELY before watering it again

    • Too much water is more likely to kill a succulent than too little

  • Put the succulent in a container with drainage holes

  • Soil: half potting soil and half sand should do the trick

    • If you want to go above and beyond, buy some standard houseplant fertilizer and use small amounts of it on your succulent

 

Now that you’ve got everything you need to become a mediocre succulent owner, get out to your local garden centre or plant nursery and buy some succulents! Or just keep this all in mind if your sister ever gets you a succulent for your birthday and you’d like to make her proud. And to my sister: if you’re reading this, I’m not trying to call you out, but I’m still not over how you managed to kill a DROUGHT-RESISTANT PLANT.

Happy spring!

 

Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Rachel Kehl

Waterloo '22

I'm in my third year of Global Business and Digital Arts at UW and this term I'm Senior Editor for HC Waterloo. I love discussing movies (don't get me started on Parasite or anything made by Taika Waititi) and eating peanut butter cups, preferably at the same time.
Hi there! My name is Caitlyn Gellatly and I am the Campus Correspondent and President for the Waterloo Chapter of Her Campus! I am a Digital Arts Communication and International Studies student in my 4th year. I love to read, write, cook and spend time with friends, family, and sorority sisters!