Care Information

Care for Your Brand New Succulent/Cactus Necklace or Keychain:

Growing and caring miniature succulents inside a capsule can be a little tricky. However, follow these simple steps they will thrive.

  1. Unpack the succulent/cactus necklace or keychain from the plastic case.
  2. Read the attached watering instruction and locate the last watering day.
  3. Recommended watering frequency is also provided. However, it truly depends on local temperature, moisture and light condition.
  4. DO NOT PLACE your new succulent/cactus plant under extreme conditions, such as bright light, high heat, or over water. These are greenhouse grown succulent, they need to be acclimated to new environment gradually.
  5. Depends on the capsule shape and material, please follow the proper care instruction on this page, and feel free to contact us if you have any question or concerns.

 

General Succulent Information - Q&A

What are succulent?

A general definition of succulent is that they are drought resistant plants in which the leaves, stem or roots have become more than usually fleshy by the development of water-storing tissue. About 60 different plant families contain succulents including common cactus. The habitats of these water preserving plants are often in areas with high temperature and low rainfall. Succulent have the ability to thrive on limited water sources, such as mist and dew, which makes them equipped to survive in an ecosystem which contains scarce water sources. Succulents are the perfect plant for forgetful gardeners. Succulent care is easy, and succulent gardens and terrariums can brighten any indoor space.

When to water?
Watering succulent and cactus is the most important and critical part of growing succulents. Succulents experience strongest growth during spring and summer, make sure the plant receives enough water. The growth slows in falls. During the winter time, most succulents will enter an annual dormancy period, make sure to give the plant just enough water or moisture to keep the potting mixture from completely drying out for a long period of time.

Water frequency:

Water frequency from various succulent plants depends on temperature, moisture, light & etc. The easiest way to determine is to observe the potting mixture’s moisture level and color. When the mixture color changes to grayish white color then probably it is a good time to water the plant.

General Guideline:

Spring & Summer: 2-3 times per month

Fall & Winter: 1-2 times per month

When the potting mixture at the base of capsule is wet, allow couple days to dry out. Do not water again until the mixture is completely dry. You can actually leave your plants in a totally dry potting mixture for a few days.  

Water:

Rain water is the best or bottled water. If you have to use tap water, please let it sit overnight to reduce the quantity of chlorine it contains.

Amount:

Few drops will do it, as long the potting mixture is moist, you can tell by the color changing from grayish white to brown color. Don’t over water, the plant will drown without proper ventilation to allow the mixture to dry up.

Temperature:

Most succulent prefer warm temperature and are not able to withstand freezing. Due to water stored in their leaves, freezing will often result in the plant dying or getting mushy leaves. Please keep them in a room temperature.

Lithops Care Info:

Cotton Ball Germination Method:

1.       Fill the bottom of a seed tray with a layer of cotton balls (Included). Pull the cotton fibers apart a bit to make a soft, loose bed.

2.       Mist the cotton with water until it is evenly moist but not soggy. Use mini water pipette (Included) for that task.

3.       Find the seed tube, tap lightly on top of the cap to get all the seeds down.

4.    Put a drop of water and dip the toothpick in it. Use the wet toothpick to pick up the seed.

5.       Place seeds on the cotton, spacing the seeds about 0.2 inch apart.

6.       Cover the seed tray with the lid. Set the seed tray in a location where the daytime temperatures stay between 68 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Indirect sunlight is best for many kinds of plants' seeds to germinate.

7.       Check your seeds every other day to ensure they are not too moist, which will lead to rot, or too warm. Germination should occur within a few days, depending on the seeds. Some take up to 20 days to sprout, but most sprout within 5-10 days.

8.       Please let me know if you have any questions

 

Traditional Soil Method:

1.       Mix equal parts of potting mix and perlite. Moisten the mix with water, and fill it into a pot with drainage holes, up to about ½ inch from the top

2.       Sprinkle the seeds over the soil. Cover them with a 1/8 inch layer of sand or peat gravel.

3.       Fill a spray bottle with water and mist the soil with it. Try to keep the soil moist throughout the germination period. Cover the pot with plastic wrap to help promote the soil moisture retention.

4.       Place the pot in a warm, sunlit area. Aim for a temperature of approximately 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Expect the seeds to germinate within about two to three weeks.

5.       Remove the plastic wrap once the seeds germinate. Transplant the seedlings to individual pots when the plants start to crowd and are big enough to handle.

6.       Avoid overwatering the seedling as they grow. Water them once the top ¼ inch layer of soil is dry. After about three months, allow the soil to dry completely between watering.

7.       Provide seedlings with five hours of sunlight per day.

8.       Don’t expect all the seed to germinate at the same time.

 

When and How to transfer the seedlings:

You can wait until the germination rate reaches around 60-70% before transplanting them into a regular pot. (These are lithops seeds mix, some species might require longer time to germinate than others) Please make sure have following items ready for transplanting.

Pot: Clay or Terra-Cotta pot preferably or plastic pot with drainage holes at the bottom. Pot size (3-4 inches in depth)
Soil: Succulent/Cactus Soil combine with sand (no Fine Sand) or perlite or pumice in an approximately 40-60 or 50-50 ratio.
Top layer gravel (provide support to the seedlings) fine river pebble or gravel (2-3 mm)
Please use a tooth pick to remove any seeds that didn’t germinate this time. Place them in a new cotton pad and try the same germination process again.
Moisten the soil mix with water, just enough but not soaking wet. Fill it into a pot with drainage holes, up to about 1/3 inch from the top.
Carefully remove the cotton pad with seedlings on it, trim off any excess cotton. Place the cotton pad on top of the potting soil.
Sprinkle thin layer gravel onto the pad, carefully arrange it to fill up the gap between seedlings.
Moisten the soil one more time.
Please see attached pic of seedlings.

Please be very gentle when transplanting young seedlings, any damage to the skin or roots of the plant could cause rot. For proper development, young seedling do require a lot of attention. they need a lot of light and water. Please don’t let the potting medium to dry out completely. If you have any questions during the germination process, please feel free to send me a message and I will do my best to assist.