Plant Care for Dummies

Thinking about taking care of any living thing let alone yourself can be really anxiety-inducing. Here at Lazy Gardens, we know the struggle, which is why we decided to exist in the first place! We curate our selection of succulents and cacti to ensure that they work for you—a regular person just trying to exist in all this chaos we call life. So don’t stress too much about the care aspect. These little guys can survive, even thrive, with some neglect. They’re actually a bit freaky and might like it.
 Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, congratulations on your new plants! To help make your friend feel right at home, we have some tips and tricks to cover all the basics, which are: watering, potting, lighting, and temperature/climate. Just remember to relax and trust in the ease—you don’t have to be a professional gardener to be a Lazy one!
Watering:
PUT THE WATER DOWN AND BACK AWAY SLOWLY! The golden rule in Lazy Gardening 101 is to not overwater your plants. Succulents & cacti will drown with too much watering and attention (definitely no Leos in this bunch).
The trick is to only water your plants once you see or feel that the soil is completely dry. You can check this by using your finger—press down into the soil near the center of the pot. If it feels dry, it’s watering time! If you prefer, you can use a wooden chopstick the same way. Wet soil will stick to the chopstick, indicating to you that watering is a no-go. 
There isn’t really a set schedule for watering because, like all of us, these little guys are subject to change. That being said, we do recommend that you water sometime between every one to three weeks. And you should be watering even less in winter!
In summation: the easiest way to know if you should water your plants is by periodically checking the soil. And remember: when in doubt DO NOT water!
Potting:
Please don’t be afraid of potting plants! There’s no green thumb requirement needed to successfully pot succulents or cacti. So, take a calming breath, maybe pull out some essential oils, and check out these easy steps: 
  1.   Fill your favorite pot ¾ of the way with either commercial or homemade (WE SHOULD LINK TO A POST ABOUT HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE SOIL) succulent or cacti soil. Then put a shallow hole in the soil. Easy peasy!
  2.   Gently take your plant out of its current pot or holder and loosen up the roots. Go ahead and give the roots a playful tickle to sprinkle off any extra soil. Be sure to have clean hands when touching the roots! Plants like to be clean, same as us.
  3.   Place your succulent or cactus in the soil, cover the roots with some more soil, and then give the soil a few firm pats. The soil shouldn’t be totally compacted so that there is still air flow. Be sure to avoid covering any branches or leaves! 
  4.   Next, feel free to add a special touch to your pot and plant! Sand or colorful rocks and pebbles can take your Lazy Garden to the next level. Just make sure that the added materials can easily drain and allow water into the soil. 
  5.   Lastly, make sure to give your plant some love. This is the most important step every plant parent must follow—tell the little one how cute and adorable it is! And congratulate yourself on a job well done!
Lighting:  
Cacti and succulents are pretty adaptable plants, which makes them perfect for Lazy Gardeners! Whether placed in an under-lit or over-lit environment, these little guys will survive. But being the good plant parent you already are, we know you want your plants to not just survive, but really thrive!
So, you’re going to want to scout out a spot for your Lazy Garden with bright but indirect light. This will provide the little guys with the perfect amount of energy to stay looking beautiful, bright, and bodacious! 
And trust us, your plants aren’t shy; they will tell you if they are getting too much, or not enough, light! Look out for things like sunburns, bleaching, or spotting. These are signs from your plant that it’s being overexposed to light. On the other hand, if you notice a loss of color or vibrancy, your plant is in need of a bit more light. Yes, we are professional plant translators.
Temperature/Climate: 
Maintaining the perfect temperature for your cacti or succulents is pretty easy! Okay, slightly misleading because there isn’t one perfect temperature. But, in general, you don’t want to expose your Lazy Garden to temperatures below 45°or above 85°. But really if you keep your plants in bright, indirect light they will be happy campers! Just remember to look out for frost during the winter months and signs of burning during summer and readjust as necessary.
So there you have it! Not too bad, right? Being a plant parent can be easy and still rewarding. Your Lazy Garden will be there while you’re living life, ready for some minimal maintenance whenever you are!