Have you seen those crazy beautiful crystal geode planters with succulents? My Succulent Safari with Rachael Cohen was the first time I had seen these crystal succulent planters. She combines the energies of various types of crystals with living succulent plants for stunning, one of a kind gifts. They’re gorgeous! Then, a dear friend called me with the diagnosis we all dread — cancer. Suddenly, the idea of healing energies was more than just a cool concept — I had to learn more. Read on to learn how to make your own crystal succulent planter using a crystal geode. This simple DIY succulent planter makes a lovely, meaningful gift.
DIY Geode Planters for Succulents
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Crystal Succulent Planter DIY Supplies
The secret to making this DIY succulent planter easily is to start with a crystal geode that is already drilled to hold a votive candle. You can drill the hole yourself, using a large, diamond-tip drill bit and a ton of time. I was delighted to find a great selection of geode planters at Crystal River Gems. I have also found them on Amazon. Geodes for votive candles don’t have a drainage hole. Watch the succulent for signs it needs water, and use a light hand.
To make your own crystal succulent planter, you will need:
- Geode planters (sold as geode votive candle holders)
- Succulent soil
- Dried moss
- Chopstick
- Paintbrush
- Newspaper (optional)
- Squeeze bottle
- Succulents!
Choosing Your Geode Planter
Geodes are rough, sedimentary or volcanic rocks with a wealth of faceted crystals inside. You can find geodes with amethyst crystal inside (like the photo above) or clear crystal, quartz, agate, chalcedony, calcite and more. Each type of crystal is said to have its own, beneficial energies. For instance, white chalcedony absorbs negative energies and promotes balance and harmony. Agate soothes and calms, stimulating analytical abilities and improving concentration. Amethyst is the crystal for healing and prospering.
I decided to make one crystal succulent planter for my brother’s birthday, in an agate for his office. And for the healing gift for my friend, I decided to pair the healing energies of amethyst with the succulent most associated with health and healing — Aloe vera.
Choosing Your Succulent
When selecting succulents for your geode planter, take the place it will be displayed into account. I intend for my brother to place his agate planter in his office, so I chose Haworthia fasciata. This succulent thrives in indoor conditions. It also has a strong, architectural look. I was hoping for a black and grey agate to pair with the dark green and white banded haworthia. But the paler, caramel-colored agate I received is gorgeous. I wish I had taken photos of it for you before I started planting it!
To bridge the color contrast between the dark haworthia and the lighter agate, I added a bit of Cremnosedum ‘Little Gem’, which has a lovely bronzing on its petite leaves. This, too, is a good choice to grow indoors. I wasn’t yet sure what type of moss I would use.
Use a succulent that has a good balance between the top growth and the root structure. The haworthia was perfect. I struggled a good bit with the much taller, more narrow Aloe vera. I was unable to find a shorter plant locally, so I took divisions from my garden. Awesome symbolically, but a shorter plant would be more stable for shipping this across the country! 🙂
Prepare Succulent for Geode Planter
When planting your geode planter, add a bit of succulent soil to the hole, first. Knock the excess soil from the roots of your plant. The thick root system of the haworthia was perfect for this project. Tuck the roots into the hole, then backfill with more succulent soil. Tamp the soil down with the chopstick and add more as needed.
Brushing excess soil from the agate planter was easy. For the amethyst, I used a different strategy:
I covered the amethyst geode planter with two pieces of newspaper, tucked into the hole. Then, I planted the Aloe vera, tamping down the soil. I decided to add the remaining Cremnosedum ‘Little Gem’. When finished with the soil, I watered, then removed the newspaper. It kept soil from getting inside the crystal facets.
Planting Crystal Succulent Planter
Here you can see the bronze flush on the Little Gem. I left the roots long so I could tuck them under the Haworthia to anchor the smaller plant. While I liked the look of the two plants, you can certainly go with just one. I had not planned to use the Cremnosedum with my Aloe vera planter. Now I wish I had bought more!
How to Water Crystal Succulent Planter
This lowly squeeze bottle is one of my most valuable succulent tools. Along with chopsticks and a soft-bristle paintbrush, I use it all the time! It is perfect for watering your crystal succulent planter. Remember — there is no drainage in these planters! Water once, and watch the plant for signs it is ready for more water.
Finish Crystal Planter with Moss
I completed each crystal succulent planter with a whisper of dried reindeer moss. The cream color and delicate texture were ideal! Be sure to check your geode planter from all sides. You want it to be attractive from any angle.
This one is for my big brother’s birthday. Good thing he doesn’t read my blog! 🙂 He is a civil engineer and has a good eye for unusual beauty in nature. I think he’ll really love it. I am so pleased with how it came out!
Brush away any stray soil with the dry bristles of the paintbrush.
For strictly ornamental purposes, I think a lower growing succulent like a shorter Aloe, Haworthia or Crassula would be perfect for the amethyst. But for a healing gift — I don’t think it gets any better than the Aloe vera.
So there you have it — a simple DIY succulent planter using crystal geodes. What do you think? Won’t these make spectacular gifts? They are so easy to make! But if you prefer, order a planted crystal succulent from Rachael Cohen of Infinite Succulent, where I first saw them!
‘Til next time — Health and Happiness to you!
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