Designing with SucculentsHow to incorporate succulents and cacti into your garden design

The secret to succulent care and growing them successfully is to give them weather condition similar to their aboriginal home ground , which for the most part are fond , arid and welcome minimal rain ( under 20 inch a year ) .

photograph by : Debra Lee Baldwin

1. Temperature

Although succulent can usually handle more rain than they ’d get in their aboriginal habitat , their roots may rot if the soil stays soggy . Very few succulent thrive outside where temperatures drop below freeze ( 32 grade F ) for prolonged period of time . insensate - hardy miscellanea are in the first place delicately - leaved , perennial stonecrops(Sedumsp . ) , and hen - and - dame ( Sempervivumsp.)—genera that also do n’t do well in temps above 80 degrees .

2. Water & Fertilizer

raindrop on echeveria . Photo by : Debra Lee Baldwin

The rule of ovolo is to water succulent thoroughly once a calendar week in summertime , twice a month in spring and fall , and monthly during their winter dormancy . Keep succulents on the dry side , and give their roots superb drainage .

When under - water , succulent subsist on stored moisture . If the grime dries completely , roots may desiccate and growth cease . Some succulent are capable of regenerating roots when the rains return , but it ’s proficient to keep soil about as moist as a wrung - out parazoan .

Increase or diminish the amount of weewee with these consideration :

Apply a balanced liquid fertilizer , diluted to half persuasiveness , once or doubly in saltation ( or fall for summer - dormant variety such as senecios and aeoniums ) .

3. Sun and shade

At the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix , a nicety structure protects non - native cacti from frost and scorching Lord’s Day . Photo by : Debra Lee Baldwin

In general , give succulents half a day of full sun ; ideally full sunlight in the morning and then bright or dappled shade the ease of the twenty-four hours . Keep in mind that the loudness and continuance of sunlight vary according to line of latitude and meridian , throughout the season , and in different orientation and location in your garden . Moreover , the same succulent that bask in full - twenty-four hours sun along the California coast may scorch in under 30 minutes in Arizona .

Varieties that will want more sun — and wo n’t flower without it — are those aboriginal to the Southwest such as cacti and yuccas , and bitter aloes from South Africa .

Succulents do need adequate light for balanced growth ( so they do n’t stretch ) , and any succulent — any plant for that matter — that has been cultivated in humble - light or in a nursery should be indurate - off ( bring out gradually ) to capital Lord’s Day exposure .

Here are a few things to keep in nous :

4. Soil and drainage

pumice stone is a volcanic rock music with air pockets that engross surplus moisture and enhance aeration . Photo by : Debra Lee Baldwin

The safe soil for succulents , whether in the primer coat or in containers , is a coarse , fast - draining mix . you’re able to buy bagged cactus mix , but it ’s less expensive to make your own .

Although dirt types depart from region to region and even within your own garden , the basic formula for in - background plantings is :

If you ’re growing primarily desert succulent , reduce the amount of compost and add sharp ( large - grained ) sand , such as builder ’s sand or decomposed granite . If your native soil drain poorly ( distinctive of clay ) , void have roots sit in water by planting atop the Lucius Clay in raise layer or mound soil .

For containers , mix any bagged potting grime half - and - half with pumice . Increase the part of pumice for cacti and rotund euphorbias , and fall it for fine - leaved succulent , such as sedums .

5. Pest control

Cotyledon bud damaged by aphid may not open . pic by : Debra Lee Baldwin

Prevent infestations by pay succulents splendid line circulation . Aphidsandthripslike flower buds;scaletends to colonise stems ; andmealybugs(which look like bits of lint ) burrow into leaf axils .

atomiser pests with 70 % rubbing alcohol reduce 50 % with water . Scale can be scraped off , but if it prevail , handle it withhorticultural soap(not dish soap ) andhorticultural oil . sequester any infested plants at once to keep the pests from spreading , and thoroughly clean house the area .

mildew may be a job in humid climate ; keep succulent as dry as possible ( which sound well-to-do , but of course is n’t ) .

If pests seem to be make headway , take cuttings from unmoved growth and institute them in bracing soil . Discard the pathological industrial plant , soil and all , and clean house the pot before reusing .

Can’t grow succulents outdoors where you live?

The banana tree belt for outdoor cultivation of succulent yr - rhythm is coastal California from the Bay Area south . But no matter where you live , you could have any succulent you fancy ; simply grow the fussy ones in shelter microclimates or containers . Succulents , being shallow - rooted , thrive in quite a little that can be affect and sheltered when the weather turns too red-hot , dusty or wet . And even potentially enormous succulent tend to stay belittled when their roots are restrict .

At my home , an outside countertop is a great positioning for succulents that I prefer not to uprise in the subject garden .

Books by Debra Lee Baldwin

Designing with succulent

Succulents Simplified

Succulent Container Gardens