How to Create a Hanging Succulent Ball

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I saw these gorgeous succulent planters at a local nursery and had to have one. Then I saw the price tag and decided that maybe I should make my own instead. So I did a little research and figured out how to make my own hanging succulent ball.

The required materials are:

2 cocoa fiber lined hanging baskets of the same size

2-4 florist foam blocks

Potting soil

Fishing line

Succulent plants

Floral pins or paper clips

Cardboard

Sphagnum moss

Wire

Scissors

Instructions

To start, remove the chains from the hanging baskets and trace the open end of one onto the cardboard. Cut the cardboard to form a circle the same size as the top of the basket. Soak the floral foam in water and place it in each of the hanging baskets, cutting the blocks to fit as needed. Fill the space around the foam with potting soil and place the cardboard circle on one of the baskets so that it acts as a lid holding in the potting soil. Carefully flip the covered hanging basket and line it up with the other basket so that it sits evenly on top of the other basket. Use the wire to securely attach the two baskets together. It helps to set the basket on a pot or bucket to provide a stable work surface.

Next, soak the sphagnum moss in water. Stir it around until wet. This next part is tricky. Start placing the moss over the hanging basket. Tie one end of the fishing line to a basket and wrap it around the moss to secure it as you turn the ball until it is totally covered in moss and secured with fishing line. It helps to weave the line through the wire baskets as you go, even tying it off occasionally so that you don’t have to keep the line taught with your hands as you work.

The Plants

Now take your succulent balls and remove them from their pots. Using a gentle stream of water, rinse the soil from the roots, or dunk them in water and gently tease apart the roots. Depending on the succulent, you may be able to separate it into individual stems with roots, or, if not, cut the stems near the base of the plant and remove the lower leaves. You can do this a day or two in advance so that the cuts have time to callous, but it isn’t entirely necessary.

Once you have all of your plants ready, use the scissors to poke a small hole into the ball and place the succulent roots or stem into the hole. Gently press the moss around the plant and secure with a floral pin or paper clip opened up to form a u-shaped pin. Attach the chains from one of the hanging baskets to the top of the ball to hang it.

The succulents will take a few weeks to get established and a few months to fill in, but it’s better to give them a little space to grow rather than cram them in close together. To water your hanging succulent ball, take it down and soak it in water, gently rotating it so that all sides get soaked. Succulents like it on the dry side, so be careful not to overwater.

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