It started with a couple of plants, then I saw a friend’s
collection and thought I love these, I want more… and then the obsession began,
because there are so many and they are so fascinating and beautiful.
But, then came the questions…how do I look after them?
Here are some handy hints that I have found in the last year
of collecting that hopefully you will find the answers to your questions and
more.
WATERING
I find that it is best to give them a good drenching, thoroughly water the whole pot. Try not to get
water in the crests of the plants where it can puddle and cause rot. Let them
then dry out completely before watering again. In winter this is around once
every 2 weeks, depending on the rain. In the summer around twice a week.
SUN
Morning sun is the best, avoiding midday sun and early afternoon sun. Always
sun harden gradually. Even late afternoon sun can be harsh. Burnt plants will
show brown dry patches. Some plants can take more sun than others. When they
close up and/or wrinkle up they are probably feeling the heat. Some plants can
be grown in low light indoors like Sansevieria (Mother in law’s tongues) but
most need good light to grow, I have some in a shaded area that are alive but
aren’t growing as there is not enough light. A few plants that will tolerate
low light are: Sansevieria, Haworthia, Gasteria, Gasteraloe, Aloe hybrids, some
Craassula, some Kalanchoe, some Euphorbia. Some plants will just love the full sun like Crassula Campfire and Senecio Talinoides Mandraliscae (Blue Chalksicks)
POTTING MIX AND SOIL
Many of these plants love being planted in the ground and will reward you with
beautiful growth. They still prefer morning or later afternoon sun only or a
dappled/shaded area. Adding some soil improver helps, but many are tough enough
to survive in the West Australian sand.
Potting Mix – everyone will tell you they have their own formula. It is a matter of trying out various options and deciding on what suits you and your budget. If you are starting out then a pre-made Succulent and Cacti mix is the best way to start, there are various brands including Debco and Osmocote. These mixes provide a more free draining mix than standard potting mix, you do not want the potting mix to stay damp or your plants will rot and die.
Making your own mix can involve many ingredients, most starting with a base premium potting mix and adding COARSE sand (fine will clog up and go solid), and perlite in a rough 3:2:1 ratio.
I have my own mix which involves using Square Foot Soil Mix (from Greenlife, Midvale WA 6056 http://www.greenlifesoil.com.au/soils-and-conditioners/square-foot-garden-mix-25l-pack-of-5 ), sand, perlite, gravel, charcoal, blood and bone, and slow release fertiliser.
Potting Mix – everyone will tell you they have their own formula. It is a matter of trying out various options and deciding on what suits you and your budget. If you are starting out then a pre-made Succulent and Cacti mix is the best way to start, there are various brands including Debco and Osmocote. These mixes provide a more free draining mix than standard potting mix, you do not want the potting mix to stay damp or your plants will rot and die.
Making your own mix can involve many ingredients, most starting with a base premium potting mix and adding COARSE sand (fine will clog up and go solid), and perlite in a rough 3:2:1 ratio.
I have my own mix which involves using Square Foot Soil Mix (from Greenlife, Midvale WA 6056 http://www.greenlifesoil.com.au/soils-and-conditioners/square-foot-garden-mix-25l-pack-of-5 ), sand, perlite, gravel, charcoal, blood and bone, and slow release fertiliser.
Some
handy links for deciding for yourself are:
http://www.cactusoz.org/Growing%20Tips.htm
http://www.sbs.com.au/.../Making-a-Cactus-and-Succulent-Mix
http://www.sbs.com.au/shows/costa/tab-listings/detail/i/1/article/6597/Making-a-Cactus-and-Succulent-Mix
http://www.ebay.com.au/gds/Soil-mixes-for-potted-Cactus-and-Succulent-plants-/10000000179108047/g.html
http://www.cactusoz.org/Growing%20Tips.htm
http://www.sbs.com.au/.../Making-a-Cactus-and-Succulent-Mix
http://www.sbs.com.au/shows/costa/tab-listings/detail/i/1/article/6597/Making-a-Cactus-and-Succulent-Mix
http://www.ebay.com.au/gds/Soil-mixes-for-potted-Cactus-and-Succulent-plants-/10000000179108047/g.html
FERTILISER
Feed with ¼ strength fertiliser during growing period only – some succulents
are winter growers and some summer. They do not need high nitrogen as this
makes them leggy and weak. So pick a lower nitrogen fertiliser, there is no succulent specific fertiliser in Australia, but an equal ratio of N:P:K would be ideal.
POTS
It appears that Terracotta pots are the succulent growers favourite as they dry
out quickly.
You can pot in what ever you like as long as there is good drainage. In fact it also becomes an obsession finding what unusual items you can plant in. Many household items can be used and the ceramic drill bit gets a lot of use in my home, and a good investment.
You can pot in what ever you like as long as there is good drainage. In fact it also becomes an obsession finding what unusual items you can plant in. Many household items can be used and the ceramic drill bit gets a lot of use in my home, and a good investment.
An important fact to note is that succulents grow better with not too much room around their roots. In other words they love shallow small pots, and they love multi planting, they will grow a lot faster this way.
Also I find it good to add some small pebbles as mulch, the roots are near the top of the pot and I find this helps with the Summer sun.
PESTS & DISEASES
You must inspect your plants regularly for unusual signs, rot and mealy bug are
the most common killers of succulents in WA, but also scale, red spider mite
and fungus gnats.
Keeping your plants healthy will help combat these problems. Also you must keep the ant population down as they spread mealy bug throughout your plants quickly. There are various methods once you have a problem and it depends if you want to use chemicals or not.
Some links with further information are
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/pests-and-problems/insects/mealybugs/insect-pests-of-cacti-and-succulents.aspx
Keeping your plants healthy will help combat these problems. Also you must keep the ant population down as they spread mealy bug throughout your plants quickly. There are various methods once you have a problem and it depends if you want to use chemicals or not.
Some links with further information are
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/pests-and-problems/insects/mealybugs/insect-pests-of-cacti-and-succulents.aspx
CHANGE IN SEASON
Bear in mind that the sun changes position so you may find that your plants are
now getting too much or not enough sun. Their watering requirements will change
also.
There is a good table here showing the dormancy/growing season of succulents, please bear in mind it is for America so the Seasons are opposite.
https://www.highlandsucculents.com/culture_guide.htm
There is a good table here showing the dormancy/growing season of succulents, please bear in mind it is for America so the Seasons are opposite.
https://www.highlandsucculents.com/culture_guide.htm
WHERE TO BUY AND HOW MUCH TO PAY
In WA we are limited on our selection of plants as import from the Eastern
States and Internationally is severely limited and also expensive.
Places I have bought from are Bunnings and Masters (their stock depends on when their delivery comes in and the good stuff tends to disappear very quickly as word gets around). Other local nurseries including Bloomings, Waldecks, Mitre10, Zanthorrhea, Verdure, Fickle Prickles, All Palms Garden Centre, South Fremantle Garden Centre and many more (let your fingers do the walking
http://perthnurseries.com/ ). Also Gumtree, Sunday Markets, and other Fairs and Fetes, plus the various groups on Facebook and the Cactus and Succulent Society of WA have several sales throughout the year.
Places I have bought from are Bunnings and Masters (their stock depends on when their delivery comes in and the good stuff tends to disappear very quickly as word gets around). Other local nurseries including Bloomings, Waldecks, Mitre10, Zanthorrhea, Verdure, Fickle Prickles, All Palms Garden Centre, South Fremantle Garden Centre and many more (let your fingers do the walking
http://perthnurseries.com/ ). Also Gumtree, Sunday Markets, and other Fairs and Fetes, plus the various groups on Facebook and the Cactus and Succulent Society of WA have several sales throughout the year.
Expect to pay from $2 for common plants up to $20 and more for a large
established plant, rarer ones are dearer, but just because they are labelled
rare doesn't mean they are.
Some Facebook sellers that I can recommend are:
Ali Herbert (Gnangara)
https://www.facebook.com/alisucculents/
https://www.facebook.com/alisucculents/
Lisa Price (Serpentine)
https://www.facebook.com/Uniquely-succulent-632151996821690/?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/Uniquely-succulent-632151996821690/?fref=ts
Tania Wood (Rockingham)
https://www.facebook.com/hiddengardensrockingham/?fref=nf
https://www.facebook.com/hiddengardensrockingham/?fref=nf
OR message me, I often have a few spare bits and pieces for sale, see end of this post for current plants available.
IDENTIFICATION and ID’s
Succulents can be extremely hard to identify because they look different under
different conditions, there are many hybrids, and matching a plant to a photo
online can be very deceiving in colour, size, thickness and texture.
Succulents vary depending on their age, the amount of sunlight, water, the season, the type of potting mix. Even the experts still argue about classifications and change the names quite often.
The shape and colour of the flowers and the stalk can be very important in identification, and without flowers identification may be impossible.
A lot of plants may be hybrids and just don't have names, even seeds can very hugely, also now plants are being produced by tissue culture and can vary as well.
Also over the years plants have been sold under various different names for the same plants so you may think you are buying one that you don’t have in your collection only to get home and find out that you already have it under a different name.
It is a frustrating business trying to find identifications for plants and can cause a lot of heartache, but it is something that I regard as a challenge and I like to try and ID plants as I learn so much about other plants while doing it.
I have started some pinterest boards to help identify various plants in WA, while generally you can never be 100% sure it is nice to have an idea.
Succulents vary depending on their age, the amount of sunlight, water, the season, the type of potting mix. Even the experts still argue about classifications and change the names quite often.
The shape and colour of the flowers and the stalk can be very important in identification, and without flowers identification may be impossible.
A lot of plants may be hybrids and just don't have names, even seeds can very hugely, also now plants are being produced by tissue culture and can vary as well.
Also over the years plants have been sold under various different names for the same plants so you may think you are buying one that you don’t have in your collection only to get home and find out that you already have it under a different name.
It is a frustrating business trying to find identifications for plants and can cause a lot of heartache, but it is something that I regard as a challenge and I like to try and ID plants as I learn so much about other plants while doing it.
I have started some pinterest boards to help identify various plants in WA, while generally you can never be 100% sure it is nice to have an idea.
CRESTS / CRISTATA
Cresting is quite common with succulents, it is where the plant suddenly grows
in a fan type structure, explained in more detail here
http://www.cactuscollection.com/info/succulents/crests_monstrose.html
Some examples here
http://www.cactuscollection.com/info/succulents/crests_monstrose.html
Some examples here
(crested Aeonium Sunburst)
PROPAGATION
Once you have started growing succulents you need to learn about propagation as
almost always you end up breaking a bit off as they are quite fragile. But, do
not despair as you can now grow yourself a new plant! I normally chuck my
leaves and bits in a tray or cardboard box in the shade. From 2-6 weeks you
will see baby plants and roots begin to sprout. Then I take the leaves and lay
them on some potting mix in a tray and the stalks I plant. Put into a bit more
light and water when the potting mix is dry. Within not too long you will have
new plants.
See http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/fact-sheets/in-the-garden/gardening-tips-books-techniques-and-tools/propagating-succulents/#.VWOyEkZ46cs
http://www.wikihow.com/Propagate-Succulent-Plant-Cuttings
http://howtodoitblogs.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/how-to-propagate-succulents-from-leaves.html
http://www.instructables.com/id/Propagating-Succulent-Leaf-Cuttings/?ALLSTEPS
http://www.succulentsandmore.com/2012/02/making-new-plants-from-succulent-leaf.html
See http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/fact-sheets/in-the-garden/gardening-tips-books-techniques-and-tools/propagating-succulents/#.VWOyEkZ46cs
http://www.wikihow.com/Propagate-Succulent-Plant-Cuttings
http://howtodoitblogs.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/how-to-propagate-succulents-from-leaves.html
http://www.instructables.com/id/Propagating-Succulent-Leaf-Cuttings/?ALLSTEPS
http://www.succulentsandmore.com/2012/02/making-new-plants-from-succulent-leaf.html
BOOKS
Succulents and Cacti are a huge subject, and you will not find any books that
cover everything. Most are specialised in various species, but not many go into
the hybrids as new ones are being grown all the time. eBay, and Abebooks are
always good for finding books at a good price.
I can recommend anything by Debra Lee Baldwin and also anything by Attila Kapitany.
I can recommend anything by Debra Lee Baldwin and also anything by Attila Kapitany.
WEBSITES
My goto website is http://www.crassulaceae.ch/de/artikel?akID=48
This is the best source of information
online.
Another good website is a Russian one
http://lapshin.org/succulent/plants.php?id=agen&s=Graptoveria
Another good website is a Russian one
http://lapshin.org/succulent/plants.php?id=agen&s=Graptoveria
Be very aware that many photos of plants online are not ID’ed correctly, even the online stores selling them have incorrect ID’s, so don’t assume anything without verification.
Western Australian Organism List (allowed plants in WA) https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/organisms
Sedum photos
http://www.sedumphotos.net/v/sedum-a/
Fickle Prickles
http://www.fickleprickles.com.au/
Haworthia
Gasteriashttp://succulentplantcultivation.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/how-to-identify-your-gasterias-species.html
Facebook groups - type in succulents in the search bar and there are quite a few groups you may want to join and see how they are for you.
Facebook groups - type in succulents in the search bar and there are quite a few groups you may want to join and see how they are for you.
HAVE
I MISSED ANYTHING?
If you think I have missed anything or you have any questions or something is incorrect please leave me a comment and I’ll get back to you .
If you think I have missed anything or you have any questions or something is incorrect please leave me a comment and I’ll get back to you .
FOR SALE
Euphorbia Tirucali (fire sticks) $8Echeveria Topsy Turvy Crested $10
Kalanchoe Gastonis Bonnieri (Donkey's Ears) $10
Sedeveria Francesco Baldi (Starburst) $8 ready soon
Sedum Pat's Pink $8 ready soon
Black glazed pot with 12 plants $30
Mother of Onions plant (Ornithogalum longibracteatum) $15
Various hanging baskets and pot plantings ready soon ranging from $15 to $40
Fairy Garden still in progress
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