All you wanted to know about succulents and their care

It's simple to get succulents to grow and thrive inside your home, no matter what environment you reside in. While you should keep them away from vents, electronics, and dark corners, they can live just about anyplace else as long as they have plenty of sunlight and good soil.

If you purchased your succulents from a Hong Kong plants delivery nursery or online, the first thing you should do is repot them as soon as possible (or at least within 24 hours). Why? Most succulents come in compact plastic pots with highly absorbent planting soil. You'll need to transplant them into larger terra cotta containers with drainage holes and cover them with quick-drying soil (more on that in a bit).

Succulents do not grow in moist soil, thus a drainage hole is essential. Terra cotta pots, according to Succulents, are ideal for novices since the vessels dry fast, draw water from the soil, are breathable, and prevent water from piling up. Succulents can also be grown in ceramic, plastic, or metal containers as long as they have a drainage hole.

Glass containers are also acceptable, but they are more difficult to work with. Keeping your succulent in a glass bowl with no drainage is the quickest way to kill it. They certainly require water, but their roots prefer to dry up rapidly. In a regular terrarium or glass bowl, this isn't really possible.

You should also think about the size of your container. Planting succulents in a pot that encourages or discourages development will cause them to "bonsai," or take on the shape and size of the container in which they're planted. Isn't it cool?

Succulents prefer soil that doesn't hold water, which you can provide in three ways. To begin, if you already have gardening soil at home, you can supplement it with pumice or perlite, both of which can be purchased at your local nursery. You can also buy succulent-friendly Gritty Mix soil from a HK gift shop, which closely resembles the natural soil plants prefer to thrive in. Last but not least, you can make your own succulent soil at home by mixing pine bark fines, and crushed granite together. These alternatives ensure that your succulents are growing in water-repellent fabrics.