Succulent Book 8.Indd
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At Home with Succulents Ken Altman Free with Purchase of a Succulent Succulents are Plants that Solve Problems S ucculents look great with minimal care, Photographers, collectors, landscap- won’t wilt if you forget to water them, and ers and container garden enthusiasts are delightful to collect and use in gar- prize dwarf and diminutive succulents dens and containers. The more you know with geometric shapes. Among these are about these intriguing plants, the more sempervivums (hens and chicks), echeve- you’ll enjoy growing them. rias, agaves and aloes. Chances are you’re familiar with jade Most cacti are lea ess succulents with and big agaves (century plants), but did spines that radiate from central points. you know that nearly 20,000 varieties of All cacti are succulents but not all succu- succulents exist? Many of those currently lents are cacti. Some have long, overlap- available in nurseries and garden centers ping spines that create starburst patterns. were introduced to the marketplace dur- Collectible cacti include those covered ing the last few decades. with what appears to be white hair. Such Succulent leaves, which typically are laments serve as a frost blanket in winter thicker than those of other plants, range and shade the plants in summer. in size from dainty beads to 6-foot swords. Nearly all succulents do well in pots, Some succulents, terraces and planter notably cacti, are boxes. Some variet- as round as balls. A A plant is a succulent if ies (such as jade), few, particularly eu- when con ned, phorbias, resemble it stores water in juicy will naturally bon- undersea creatures. leaves or stems in order sai, maintaining the Agaves and furcraeas same size for years. have upright, foun- to survive dry spells. Even those with the tain-like leaves. Aloe potential to become bainesii (aloe tree) quite large stay and Dracena draco (dragon tree) form smaller longer in containers. trunks and grow tall. Most succulents need protection from Ice plants with vivid blooms make eye- below-freezing temperatures, but frost- catching groundcovers and are good tolerant succulents do exist. Among them for slopes. Vining and pendant succu- are yuccas, sempervivums (hens and lents are perfect for hanging containers. chicks), many sedums (stonecrops), and Succulents such as adeniums store water some agaves and cacti. in bulbous roots, which can be exposed to show them o . Succulent foliage comes in red, pink, lavender, yellow and blue as well as stripes, blends and speckles. The plants also produce lovely owers. 3 Why Use Succulents? The Ultimate Easy-Care Plants I n the Southwest, before automatic irri- fact, are perfect for brown-thumb garden- gation became the norm, aloes, agaves, ers. Because the plants don’t need a lot of jade, yuccas and shrub aeoniums — along care, growing them frees time that other- with geraniums — were default plants. wise would have been spent on yard work. Homeowners used these plants to ll bare Succulents also are friendly to the ecology, dirt when they didn’t want to spend time posing no threat to birds or other wildlife. gardening or having to remember to water. Nor do the plants encroach, like weeds, When irrigation systems made water- where they’re not wanted. ing easy and conserving water was yet Other uses for spiky cacti and agaves are to be a concern, the typical yard incorpo- as security plants under windows or along rated thirsty tropicals, citrus, rose bushes, property lines. But perhaps the most un- annuals and a lawn. usual — and important — use for succu- Today, due to a growing awareness that the Southwest is basically an irrigated des- ert — prone to drought and with limited A garden comprised water for a surging population — things have come full circle. Many homeowners primarily of succulents no longer want high-water, high-mainte- nance yards and lawns. needs trimming four Fortunately, there now are more water- times a year or less. wise, easy-care succulents in garden cen- ters than ever before, and new varieties are continually being introduced. It is now pos- lents (typically jade, ice plant, aloes and sible to have a landscape that is colorful, prickly pear cactus) is as a wild re barrier. verdant and interesting in ways low-water Because of their high moisture content, gardens never were before. the plants are slow to catch re and do not They make good-looking container transmit ames. plants for your home and garden, are easy- Collectors have enjoyed succulents (the maintenance, and are fun and interesting more bizarre the better) for decades. The to collect. And because succulents don’t Cactus & Succulent Society of America now mind neglect, you needn’t worry about has chapters in every major city, and many them when you’re away. host exhibitions. Also well worth seeing are Much of the appeal of succulents is the public gardens and nurseries with idea-rich way they look. They’re often described as plantings of succulents (see Resources, p. 23). “geometric,” “architectural” and “sculptural.” Succulents are not di cult to grow and, in Agaves, aeoniums and sedums planted here with durable perennials make a colorful, easy to care for garden. Agave parryi truncata, Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop’, Sedum 4 nussbaumerianum ~Design by Je Moore, Solana Succulents Succulent Plant Care Given rich, friable soil and regular water, succulents grow lush and ll in rapidly. Water, Soil Agave attenuata variegata, Echinocactus & Fertilizer grusonii (golden barrel), Agave parryi truncata M ost succulents are capable of going without wa- when you pull it out, with soil adhering to it, don’t ter signi cantly longer than similarly-sized garden water. When you do water, let it ow out the holes plants, but they do need regular water to look their in the bottom of the pot to ush salts that may have best. Depending on the weather, the plant and the built up in the soil. size of the container, this might be as often as once a During the growing season (spring and summer week or as infrequently as once a month. for most succulents), commercial growers use dilute The fatter the succulent, the more water it holds fertilizer to encourage lush and rapid growth. But if and the less it needs. Golden barrel cactus is an ex- you’re pleased with the size of your succulents and ample of a succulent that the way they look, you needn’t fer- does ne in the arid South- tilize them at all. Or simply apply west on rainfall alone. With A rule of thumb is to a balanced liquid fertilizer di- its shape, color and tex- luted to half the recommended ture, the plant also makes let soil go nearly dry strength, once or twice a year. Temperature, Light a wonderful landscape en- between waterings. What happens to a succulent hancement. if its soil goes completely dry? As & Grooming Regardless of which suc- the plant draws on stored moisture, culents you grow, make sure water drains rapidly its leaves may lose their sheen and shrivel. Yet these from the soil. There are many successful soils for suc- are tough plants. Even when neglected for a month or I f garden plants such as geraniums, philodendrons, in shady or indoor conditions, the plants may stretch culents (they are not fussy), but the ideal mix con- more, most succulents recover when watered again. hibiscus and bougainvillea are prevalent in your area, toward light. Rotating potted succulents 180 degrees tains about equal parts organic material like peat or it means that frost is not a concern, and you can grow once a week or so will keep growth balanced. ground bark, and inorganic material like pumice or succulents outdoors year-round. Succulents are among the most pest-free plants, es- perlite (but not more than 10% sand). Even if temperatures occasionally drop below 32ºF, pecially when grown outdoors. Good air circulation Dry soil weighs less than wet, so one way to tell if many succulents — once established or in the right prevents harmful insects from settling on the plants. a potted succulent needs water is to lift it, or push a location — handle cold better than one would ex- Occasionally, however, mealy bugs (which look like wooden chopstick into the soil. If the stick is damp pect. Your garden likely has microclimates that are bits of cotton) may appear where leaves join stems. signi cantly warmer than exposed areas. Walls radi- Aphids, which look like black or yellow pinheads, are ate heat, as do pavement, hardscape and boulders. attracted to new growth — especially ower buds. Keep in mind that southern exposures are warmest; Hosing the plant will dislodge aphids. For house- northern, coldest. Also, the slightest cover, such as plants, keep rubbing alcohol diluted to half strength an eave or tree branch, will provide some frost pro- handy, and spray pests, should they appear. Or, dab tection. them with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol. Surprisingly, a little more cold, sun or dryness than A little grooming will keep your succulents tidy. the plants prefer may serve to make them even love- When owers are nished, snip stems close to the lier. The colors of the leaves of certain succulents (no- plant. As old leaves turn dry and brown, cut or pull tably jades, aloes and echeverias) will intensify when them o . If bits of debris or dry leaves fall into a dish they are stressed, turning them vivid shades of or- garden or become stuck to a cactus, extract them ange and red. with long-handled tweezers. And if you need to pull Most succulents do best when given bright light weeds from around spiky cacti and agaves, you’ll nd (several hours of sun daily).