A few old age ago I received some succulents as Christmas endowment . Then I proceeded to kill all but one of them . And that poor little subsister — well , it just just live . Being a reasonably equal to gardener and planetary house - plant nurturer , I project it was just a matter of providing the good territory . So I headed off to the garden center and grabbed a bag of soil mix labeled specially for cactus .
Were n’t cactus and succulents the same ? Well , a year spent in this Modern ground mix did absolutely nothing for my struggling little succulent . Meanwhile , succulents were appearing all over , many in elegant containers burst with various assortments of succulent — all in good wellness . That ’s what I wanted to produce , but intelligibly I needed to discover a thing or two .
The first thing I learn was on a tour of a public garden illustrious for its succulents and cacti — the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek , California . Practically the first words out of our usher ’s mouth were : “ All cacti are succulent , but not all succulents are cacti . ” Could this explain why my succulent was dysphoric in cactus territory ?
in reality , succulent — even the ones that are NOT cacti — have a muckle in vernacular with cacti . Most cacti and succulent are adapted to ironical home ground , and are found in waterless region all over the world . Most are able to store water , enabling them to subsist longsighted ironic periods . The parole “ succulent ” means “ luscious ” — and , in truth , that ’s exactly what they are , thanks to their ability to put in water in their leave-taking and/or stems . And that brings me to another clarification : succulents and cacti can be classified as “ xerophytes ” — plant that thrive in juiceless conditions . But if you ’re a plant , being “ voluptuous ” is not the only way to accommodate to an waterless clime , so axerophytemay or may not be a succulent industrial plant . Drought - ridden California seems to be headquarters for gardens consecrate to xerophilous plant , the Ruth Bancroft Garden being one example .
By the style , if you get a chance to visit , you ’ll be wowed by the size of it of the succulents and cacti in this famous garden where they can hold up outside all class . And what an inspiration it is to us home gardener . That ’s because it started out as a habitation garden and with small plants . Nowadays it do as an educational center for those like to create beautiful gardens that can prosper in dry conditions .
Bear in judgment , however , thatthe terminal figure succulent does NOT have-to doe with to a genus or species . A bit of industrial plant family admit plants that have water - hold characteristics , and the more well - cognize ones are listed below .
Some Succulent Plant Families and their Common Names :
Most of us are already familiar with many succulent — sedums , ice flora ( delosperma ) , jade works ( Crassula arborescens ) , the snake industrial plant ( Sansevieria trifasciata ) , the medication plant ( Aloe barbadensis ) , the C plant ( Agave americana ) , and the anthesis Kalanchoes ( Kalanchoe blossfeldiana ) . If you ’re like me , you want to try the more alien varieties .
ethnical Requirements
The key to succulent achiever boils down to the right-hand soiland theright amount of urine at the veracious time . Let ’s look at soil first .
Succulents need pure drainage!Ordinary territory is plausibly not going to cut it , either . In nature , most cacti and succulent are found develop in open , well - run out sandy stain . To come through , I was going to have to re - create these conditions in my indoor locoweed . A mix of one part pot grime and one part coarse moxie is unremarkably porous enough . And surprisal ! — there ’s no need to add constituent material ; succulent are adapt to the “ weathered territory ” of their native home ground and these soils are very low in humous .
My research unwrap that many succulent growers have favorite formula , but all use soil mixes that contain enough gritty material to permit rapid drain . Some apply sharp sand , others use perlite , and others use slate chips or pea gravel . A mineral of some form is common to most stain mix rule . But keep in mind that a pre - interracial cactus soil intermixture is not necessarily a good medium for a non - cactus succulent — as I get wind to my sorrow . Some cactus soil mixes will stay squiffy too long for succulents , probably because they may not contain enough sand or other sharp mineral material .
One professional cultivator uses 2/3 ordinary potting dirt ( NO wet hold additive ) and 1/3 slate buffalo chip or pea crushed rock for indoor plants , and a 50/50 ratio of soil to slate chips for outdoor plants . Another recommended soil mix formula is 2 parts pot filth , 1 part perlite , and 1 part small size of it gravel , such as pumice , turface , or squelch granite . Remember that the gumption in a mix should be coarse - grained such as builders sand or so - called “ sharp ” backbone .
The Florida key to winner of any soil mixfor succulents iscrumbly bodily structure . To test your soil mixture , moisten it and then mash with your workforce : the mixture should NOT form a ball , but instead should crumble slackly .
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Succulents do need water supply , but they can not be allowed to sit in H2O , a shape that will kill many succulents . Drainage is a key , as mentioned above , so allow plants to dry out out between waterings .
How often to water ? That depends upon the time of year , or to be more accurate , with the instinctive growth cycle of the succulent . Basically a succulent should be keep warm and well - watered during the natural growing oscillation and cool and dry at other times of the year . In our surface area , this means that during the winter , irrigate your indoor succulents only once every couple of weeks . When plant life are actively grow — spring and summer , for most succulents — you ’ll ask to water them once a calendar week , especially if you ’ve moved them out of doors . In fountain and summertime , water until it pour out of the drainholes — and of course , enfeeble holes are all-important ! After a few bit , deck out the piddle in the tray or stunner underneath the pot . Water again only when the dirt gets wry . During the dormant full stop , give water system very sparingly . have the grease get ironic and then hold enough water to slimly mute the soil . Overwatering during the inactive catamenia can lead to rotting.extension.illinois.edu
visible light
Although succulents prefer lots of light , they can usually accommodate to the low light of home . For good results , give succulent bright light for most of the 24-hour interval , such as a south - facing windowpane , or at least a half - day of sun as in an E - confront window . Remember to revolve plants weekly if they are bending toward a light or window .
During the summertime , succulent like to be outdoors , and they ’ll look gorgeous on patios , decks and porches . You may want to rank them where they ’ll get just a second of subtlety . Some varieties are not happy with a mass of hot , direct sun .
Most succulent have very low nutrient requirements . Cacti call for fertilizer only once or twice a class during the late spring or summer when they are actively arise . Use a houseplant food that is gamey in phosphorus than nitrogen , and dilute it tohalf the recommended charge per unit . Other succulents may be fertilized in the same manner three or four timesduring the lustrous month .
pestis are rarely a trouble for succulents , so long as they ’re get the correct amount of light and water . If they have mealy bug or scale , the trouble can be ascertain by wiping them off with alcohol - dipped cotton plant mop .
form of Succulents to Try
Most of the succulents that intrigue me in California are not hardy here in central Virginia , which is why you ’ll mostly see them sold as houseplant . Of course , you ’re likely familiar with sedums that ARE adapt to dusty , such as the popularSedum‘Autumn Joy ’ ( recently reclassified asHylotephium spectabile ) , and the genusSempervivum , whichcontains some wintertime - hardy ground natural covering . But the stress here is on the non - stout types that will pass the winter inside . For starters , I suggest you depend at the succulents recommended by the New York Botanical Garden.NewYorkBotanicalGarden.org/libguides(“Succulents In Your place : Some Popular Succulents to acquire Indoors ” ) , some of which are mentioned below .
Echeveriasare mostly Mexican natives ( some live in Texas and South America , too ) in the kin Crassulaceae , a expectant family containing many popular genera of succulents often found at nurseries and garden snapper . Most echeveriasgrow in gamy top in Mexico where the humidness is abject and the temperatures seldom get hot . Soils there are well - draining , and some species live only on cliff faces and steep incline where spare water drains off anyway . Keep in intellect that these arenottropical plant .
Echeverias ( etch - eh - Veer - ee - ah ) have rosette of white , pink , and nicety of bluish . Most remain a few inch high and encompassing . Do n’t let piss sit in the russet scab or it may lead to rot . take away any dead , lower leaves .
Echeveria elegansis one of several plants referred to as “ hens - and - chicks . ” But it work better as a houseplant because , unlike the more commonSempervivumgenus , the rosette do not choke after bloom . This industrial plant call for the brilliant ignitor you could provide . E. elegansproduces numerous , smaller offshoots surrounding the parent plant .
Echeveria derenbergii , unremarkably eff as “ paint peeress , ” also has small little potato that produce many offshoots . Like mostecheverias , it demand sight of ignitor . In the exposure below , the “ painted ladies ” are flower , but that ’s credibly because they ’re in the care of a botanical garden that is providing the necessary conditions . Getting an indoor succulent to flower can be foxy . You may be able-bodied to impart cacti and succulents into salad days if you may re - create their aboriginal winter weather condition . This involve good lighting , dry soil , and nerveless night — which might be available on a windowsill .
Echeveria lilacinahas silvery - grayness leaves that form a little potato and is quite small , extend to only about 6 inches magniloquent .. This mintage is tedious growing . heyday are pallid pink or coral - colored .
If you ’re not afraid you ’ll get way too excited about succulent , take a looking at atfrillyecheveriasat the online daybook Pacific Horticulture , www.pacifichorticulture.org(“Frilly Echeverias : the Fairest succulent of Them All ” ) .
Sedummorganianumis one I ’m eager to essay . It is commonly sleep together as donkey ’s buns or burro ’s tail . Like its common name , thissedumresembles a long tail and is normally grow trail from a hang handbasket , which helps with the drain number .
Sedum morganianumis part of the family Crassulaceae , aboriginal to southerly Mexico and Honduras . It is not stout in our area , so it will have to repose in your house during the winter . Filtered light and protection from steer are recommended .
There are several popular metal money ofsenecio ( sine - Ess - electrical engineering - o ) , commonly with tubular sword low-spirited or grayish green leaves , often experience by names such as “ chalk fingerbreadth ” or “ puritanical Methedrine sticks . ” Although most are diminished , a few get as tall as a base . If they get too marvelous , you may snarf them back , which will boost branching .
Senecio rowleyanus , commonly known as “ twine of pearls ” or “ string of beads ” is a succulent vine of the aster fellowship . It is native to dry area of southwest Africa . let the cat out of the bag about a show - stopper !
Haworthiasare peculiarly wanton to grow indoors , since they will abide even lower visible radiation and less water than most succulents . Zebra plant ( Haworthia fasciata ) has thick , dark dark-green , fleshy leafage that arise from low on the plant life , and not astonishingly , the leaf have white stripes . Zebra plant has shallow roots , so it a does well in a shallow pot . You ’ll need to repot every year or two because plants need to get rid of old beginning to maturate fresh ones . It only grow about 5 or 6 inches tall and wide .
Aeoniumsare another popular genusknown for their rosettes of fleshy leaf , but take a looking at atA. arboreum — its rosettes are on tree - like branches , that may get as marvelous as 3 feet in height ! A recommended miscellanea isAeonium arboreum‘Atropurpureum ’ .
There ’s more tokalanchoesthan the popular Christmas gifts in the grocery stores . The so - call “ panda flora ” — Kalanchoe tomentosa — is another beneficial selection for an indoor succulent .
Propagation : Want more succulents ? Many can be propagated from a undivided leaf off the parent plant ! This is true for some genus Crassula , kalanchoes , echeverias , sedum and aeoniums.chemung.cce.cornell.edu/resources/care-of-non-hardy-cacti-and-succulents
wintertime seems like the perfect time to focus on indoor plants . And what better time to get originative with colorful and dramatic succulents . So long as you give your succulents the proper soil , water and Inner Light , you ’ll succeed . Now that I infer the needs of my struggle niggling succulent — which I ’ve now identified as anecheveria — I experience certain the small fellow is decease to thrive . So excuse me while I go mix up some sharp George Sand and potting soil .
SOURCES & HELPFUL LINKS :
Anderson , Miles . Illustrated Encyclopedia of Cacti and Succulents . Anness Publishing Ltd. , New York , 1999 .
“ Cacti and succulent , ” Univ . Minn. Extension , www.extension.umn.edu
“ Potting Mixes for Succulent Plants , ” National Capital Cactus and Succulent Society , www.washington - dc.cactus - society.org
“ Propagation of Cacti and Succulents,”www.ndsu.edu / PropagationofcactiandsucculentsNeisen , North Dakota State University ) .
“ Crassulaceae — Stonecrop Family,”aggie - horticulture.tamu.edu
“ Cacti and Succulents as Houseplants”extension.illinois.edu/gardenerscorner
NewYorkBotanicalGarden.org
