1. Getting to Know Succulents
In plants and gardens, the succulent family of plants is probably the most unique among green thumbers. They come with their own set of growing standards and unusual characteristics of beauty.
Succulents are generally thought to be tropical in nature. Many have originated from areas of the world that may not be known for growing most garden-variety plants and flowers. But succulents fit right in most gardens if you use care to follow the general guidelines for each specific type of plant.
This plant family can be classified as any plant ranging from cacti to succulents. And just so you know, all cacti are succulents; but not all succulents are classified as cacti. If you want to get into gardening and don’t want to spend a lot of time or care to baby your garden plants, then succulents may be just what you are looking for.
They may also be just the addition to your other plants and flowers to add that special touch. I like them because they don’t require much detail once you have them in proper soil and the right environment.
From here, you can sit back and watch them become beautiful and unusual in their many shapes and designs. They are hardy and don’t require much watering, pruning, and fertilizing as regular plants and greenery do.
2. Start With the Right Soil
If you are new to the world of succulent plants and want to start, there are three important factors to get you off to a successful start. Firstly, if you are starting from cuttings, be sure to give them a home in the soil that is light and porous.
They won’t like compact, heavy soil. To give you an example, a neighbor had a well-developed burro tail and wanted to give me some cuttings. I put them in a nice pot and took prudent care of them, careful not to overwater. That’s a big no-no for succulents.
I watched those cuttings sit in that pot for almost a year…no change, no growth, nothing. It didn’t grow. It didn’t die. It just sat there as if it was in some snooze zone. What I had done was plant them in fairly compacted soil. I replanted them in nice light soil.
They came to life, and I could almost watch them grow by the day. I had put them in the right environment and properly watered them…but the choice of soil didn’t lend itself to their liking. Lesson learned.
3. Make Sure You Have the Right Light – Proper Light is Essential for Healthy Growth
Some plants in the succulent family do better in strong light than others. All need a good supply of light but can’t handle a full day’s sun. Use care in selecting your locations before you buy your plant.
See how much light the area gets and check if it will be exposed to any direct sunlight. A little homework on the type of plant you will get and what it requires, and what it tolerates or doesn’t tolerate will greatly increase your success in growing your succulent.
For example, the jade tree doesn’t really tolerate extreme heat and direct sunlight well. Please put it in a location that provides good light but not in direct sun rays.
4. Starting From Seeds – Succulent Seed Varieties are Unlimited
Most people probably get started growing succulents because a friend or neighbor has given them some cuttings. This is a great way to begin growing your succulent garden because it gives you enough experience to care for your plants and learn from any mistakes you may make.
But eventually, as your love of these types of plants grows, you’ll probably want to buy some seeds as starters. There are so many beautiful and exotic plants available through seeds suppliers that you’ll have a hard time making your selection.
You’ll be moving up the growing ladder from the everyday variety to the more unusual. You’ll be delighted with the wide variety of seeds available to grow and add to the beauty of your succulent garden.
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