After the Pumpkin
Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Succulent Dish Garden
One of the exciting parts about creating a succulent pumpkin is that your succulent project gets to take on a new life.
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Once you are done looking at your pumpkin creation and your ready for something new, those succulents can be removed an planted into a succulent dish garden! I am going to walk you through all of it here.
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I created a series of videos for a Plant Camp on-line workshop. The information and process is the same except that the succulents your using are from your pumpkin and not part the the provided Camp Kit (that you will hear mentioned in the video)
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There are three videos: Succulent Basic, Planting Your Dish Garden, and Propagating Succulents. Also, I am including a PDF of the information to use as a reference.
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How to Care for Your Pumpkin
Some reminders
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Sunlight: Succulents need 6-8 hours of indirect sunlight to thrive. Near a window, on a patio or porch out of direct sunlight (which can sunburn the plants) is ideal. Move the pumpkin for your event decor and then move them back to their happy spot.
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Watering: A tablespoon of water every 7 days. After 2-3 minutes tip the pumpkin to drain off the excess water. If you don't the water will sit and begin to rot the pumpkin. A great tip for remembering to water is "Water Wednesday" - even set a reminder on your phone.
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Getting Started
Removing Your Succulents
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Since you hot glued the succulents, you carefully remove the succulent and peel off the glue. If the glue is not coming off easily, take a sharp knife or clipper and snip the stem above the glue.
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Basic Succulent Information
Planting A Dish Garden
You are going to need to following supplies:
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Succulent/Cactus Soil - can be found in most garden centers. Remember that it has to be dry and gritty. This allows the water to drain through.
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Drainage layer - This can be rocks, broken terracotta pots, gravel etc.
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A Container of your choice
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Optional: Topping rocks/gravel: This is optional to add rocks, sand, shells to your finished dish. Dollar Tree is always a great place to find fun toppings in different colors.
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Note: In the video I am showing the planting with succulents in pots. I discuss how to add the soil to the container, leaving space for the potted plant. You will be adding soil to the top of the dish, since you have no soil surrounding your succulents.
You will be gently poking your succulent in the soil and lightly securing it by pushing around the base of the stem.
More Information
Here is the class handout. Click on the PDF to open and print.