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Succulents come in many shapes, sizes and colors which, combined with their low maintenance and shallow root systems, makes them excellent for planting in a bowl. Succulent bowls are perfect for a centerpiece of a dining room table, kitchen island, patio table, or coffee table. Succulents are defined by how they store water. Many people don’t know that all cacti are considered succulents but not all succulents are considered cacti. Succulents store water within their stems and foliage, while cacti store their water in areoles, the bumpy area the spines come from. That being said, both can work in a succulent bowl you just want to make sure they are of a smaller variety.

How to Care for a Succulent Bowl

People always portray succulents as very easy to take care of, and they are, however that doesn’t mean they will thrive. Besides overwatering, I consider them pretty forgiving but we should still be setting them up for success.

CONTAINER: Alright this is a tricky one. Normally I would say to pot your succulent in a terracotta pot with a drainage hole and call it a day. However, large shallow bowls often don’t have drainage holes. If you have a drill you can use a ceramic drill bit to drill holes in the bottom. Just remember that bowls like this don’t always come with trays so you either need to water it in the sink, outside or buy a very large tray.
SOIL: You can buy a succulent/cactus soil at any plant or hardware store. This soil allows for fast drainage which is ideal for succulents. Alternatively, you can make your own by mixing equal parts sand, perlite and soil. Adding a layer of activated charcoal to the bottom of your bowl is handy as it absorbs extra moisture and prevents root rot.
WATER: Succulents need very little water. In the warmer months I water every two weeks thoroughly, tossing any water that comes out into the tray. In cooler seasons I water once a month. Check the soil by pushing your finger into the soil and if it is bone dry, give it some water.
LIGHT: Just give it all the light. Succulents want bright, direct light for at least 6 hours a day. Southern windows are the most ideal. There are succulents who are fine with bright, indirect light but as we are doing a large bowl of succulents, you need to make sure they are all happy in the spot.
TEMPERATURE: If you are opting to have your succulent bowl outside, you will need to bring it in during the winter if you live in a zone that drops below 45°F. Some varieties like sedum, can handle colder temps but remember that succulents store their water in their leaves so if it gets below freezing, the water in their leaves will freeze and the plants will die.

How to Plant the Succulent Bowl

I always have a lot of succulents scattered around my apartment since they can be propagated so easily and can be grown in small containers. I decided to combine seven different ones into one succulent bowl. When choosing your succulents try to get a variety of color, two of mine are rimmed with red, get some that trail over the edges, such as my sedum, and get ones that grow up, such as my medusa.

There are so many beautiful ways to create a succulent bowl and so many unique cacti and succulent to add to them. Let me know how yours turns out and tag me on instagram @thegreenmadhouse.