New York is a city of renters. 51 percent of the city’s housing units are occupied by renters as compared to 41 percent of owner, and the number of renters outnumber homeowners in New York City in every age group. Not only is renting extremely common in New York City, but most people also live in apartments rather than family homes. This means that it can be extremely hard to build a garden in your New York City home. Either your landlord won’t want massive changes to the building’s décor, or you simply do not have the space in your apartment to do so.
But don’t worry, it is possible to have a beautiful, thriving garden in your NYC home. All you have to do is plant succulents.
What Are Succulents?
Succulents are plants that store water in their leaves. They can withstand heavy heat, are resistant to some cold weather, and can go a week without watering. This means that they require less care and are therefore the perfect plant for when you’re living your busy NYC life. Succulents have been increasing in popularity recently and the most popular types of succulent are:
- Agave
- Aloe
- Aeonium
- Cotyldedon
- Echeveria
- Dudleya
- Graptopetalum
- Sempervivum
- Kalanchoe
- Senecio
How to Plant a Succulent
You should plant your succulent in containers and pots that match your décor. The container should be wide so that it can drain excess moisture and it shouldn’t be too deep as it does not need to retain water. This will actually drown your plant.
Once you pick out your container, you can plant your succulents. Since they don’t need a lot of root space, you can put multiple succulents in one container. You should fill your container with three-quarters of potting mix and then top with gravel. Gravel will help drain the soil and prevent overwatering. If you water a succulent too much, it will fill its water storage tissue and start to damage itself. Also, be sure to stay away from adding sand to the pot as this can lead to root rot.
After pouring the gravel, blend the soil and gravel together and moisten with water. Plant your succulents in the container with the largest on one side.
You should not have to water your plant for about a week after planting. They do well without water, but be sure to give them a little more water in the spring months as they tend to grow during this season. During winter months you can reduce the number of times you water your succulents. Some can last with only one watering per month during the winter.
With these popular plants, you can have a beautiful garden with minimum effort right in your New York City apartment.
