How to make a composition of cactus and succulent plants

Succulents are the perfect plants for create spectacular compositions with which to decorate the terrace, an interior patio with lots of light or the patio. They look great as a centerpiece, and require little care. But how to do them?

If you want to have this beautiful decorative element in your home, put on your gloves because we are going to explain how to make a composition of cactus and / or succulent plants.

Step 1 - Choose the pot

These plants look great in all types of pots, be it plastic, ceramic or terracotta. To make your composition, We recommend that you choose the one based on your preferences and the place where it will be placed.. Thus, for example, if you want to have it outside, the most suitable material will be terracotta or ceramic, since plastic fades over time; on the other hand, if you are going to have it indoors, you can use the plastic pots.

Just as important as the material is the size of the pot. For compositions those that are wider than tall are ideal. Succulents do not have a very large root system, so they do not need as much soil as a tree would, for example.

Step 2 - Fill the pot with substrate

Once the pot has been chosen, it is time to choose the substrate. This has to facilitate the drainage of the water, since succulents are very sensitive to waterlogging and could easily die if their roots become waterlogged. Taking this into account, It is highly advisable to use akadama, pumice or river sand as the only substrates or mixed with 30% black peat.

To avoid losing it, you can put a piece of shading mesh inside the pot which will prevent the soil from coming out too quickly.

Step 3 - Plant your succulents

Now that the pot is ready, it's time to decorate it. To do this, you have to plant the succulents, making sure that the larger ones don't take the light out of the smaller ones. But of course, what plants to put?

Not all of them will grow well in comps, so it is essential to choose those species that, due to their adult size, will not have any problem, how are you:

• Echeveria (for very large pots)
• Sempervivum
• Pachyphytum
• Sedum
• Mammillaria
• Rebutia
• coryphantha
• Notocactus / Parody

Step 4 - Place decorative stones

To finish, decorative stones can be placed to give the composition an even more natural look.