Succulents are outlandish plants. It is difficult to call them flowers in the usual sense for Europeans. For their strange shape and high ability to survive, they are compared with newcomers from the future. By popularity among flower growers, they occupy one of the leading positions. What is it - succulents, how to care for them and is it really easy to grow them at home?
General Description: What are Succulents?
In a flower shop, these plants are easily recognizable by the juicy stems and leaves or spiky thorns. Under natural conditions, they are able to accumulate water and spend it gently during a drought.
Succulents come in many forms.
Acquaintance with the many representatives of these “desert brothers” is a very exciting activity, because their family is very diverse:
- agave (400 species);
- lily (200 species);
- Euphorbiaceae (up to 2000 species);
- cactus plants (11 knees and 4 subfamilies);
- Crassulaceae (1500 species);
- aizone (2500 species);
- lastovye (3400 species);
- kutrovye (400 genera, number of species unknown).
Florists with experience before buying make detailed inquiries about the plant in order to create conditions for it that are close to its natural habitat.
Succulent flower is a child of the desert and semi-desert, which means a lot of sun, little moisture, sand and a big temperature difference. It remains to create these conditions in the apartment, or on a separate window sill.
The choice of succulent will depend on the personal preferences of the buyer, but any representative of this exotic group of flowers with proper care will become a bright accent at home.
Succulents: Home Care
Despite the variety of varieties and species, there are a number of general rules. How to care for succulents:
- Limited watering - once a month in winter and autumn, 2 times in spring and summer. With excessive watering, the plant will begin to decay and may die.
- Lighting should be bright, but not burning and long, so the southern windows are ideal for them. With a lack of sunlight, an artificial source can be used. With the onset of spring, they create a gentle lighting regime in order to avoid burns from the bright sun.
- Soil should consist of sand and crushed stone by 70%. The remaining percent of fertile soil succulents is enough for normal development.
- The temperature in natural conditions ranges from +50 ° C to 0 ° C. Therefore, turning off the heating in the apartments, these flowers will endure calmly.
- Top dressing succulents is as necessary as any room flowers. To do this, make a special complex fertilizer during watering three to four times during the period of active growth. Organic fertilizers to succulents are contraindicated.
Important! When choosing a plant, you should find out to which family it belongs and its exact name, since there may be distinguishing features in the content.
Succulents: Popular Views and Names
There are several types that are most suitable for growing at home.
Fat woman
In everyday life - money or jade tree. One of the favorite indoor succulents. Can survive in depleted land and on the northern window. But if you create an abundance of light, the leaves will acquire an interesting reddish tint. It does not require frequent watering.
The true pleasure will be the formation of the crown and the transformation of the fat girl into a fairy tree, which according to legend brings good luck not only in finances. Reproduction will also not be a hassle: it is enough to put a leaf or a stalk on almost dry soil.
The fat woman is popularly called the money tree
Kalanchoe Blossfeld
This plant is chosen for its ability to bloom in winter. Abundant inflorescences can be white, pink, orange, red. Under favorable conditions - sparse watering, sunlight, lack of drafts and low temperature - can bloom twice. In addition, Kalanchoe is appreciated for its high healing properties (antibacterial, antiviral, wound healing, etc.)
Kalanchoe blooms even in winter
Cacti
Another favorite among flower growers among succulents. Eyes run away from many shapes and colors. With care and attention, you can achieve amazing flowering from them. True, the smell of flowers is not always pleasant - it is a protective mechanism, just like needles. But this does not frighten those who want to create a collection of cacti. The conditions of detention are almost the same as that of the bulk of succulents.
Haworthia
This plant has more than seventy species. Haworthia striped became the most homely. Narrow and fleshy leaves, it resembles aloe, but has a clear pattern on the bottom of the sheet in the form of transverse white stripes.
She does not need bright light, so she can be located away from the window facing south. Water the flower enough once every 7-10 days. Unabsorbed water must be poured out of the pan. Water should not enter the leaves and center of the outlet. This may result in burns or decay.
Haworthia outwardly resembles aloe
Echeveria
The second name is Stone Rose. This is the most compact succulent, perfect for small rooms. Despite its small size, a stone rose will not go unnoticed. Its leaves are collected in a small outlet and can be of different shapes and several shades. From these stone flowers, original compositions for the florarium are obtained.
The plant is very demanding of light - in the shade it loses its regular shape. Critical temperature +6 ° C. Therefore, echeveria in Europe is only an indoor flower.
Echeveria is also called stone rose.
Sedum (Stonecrop)
Presented in more than six hundred options. Ampel variant of this succulent is in demand. You can grow stonecrops not only at home, but if there is no heavy rain, then it will feel great in the open ground of the flower garden. It has a variety of shapes and colors of leaves.
Succulent flower pots and soil
It is better to purchase your favorite flower in the store. The seller can offer the so-called succulent mix - one or two plants in a technical pot with a diameter of 5 cm. The plant should be well rooted in the pot. In the same store, as a rule, they suggest choosing the right dishes for transplanting a flower and soil.
Planter
Pots for succulents are selected in accordance with the interior of the room. But the shape and size must be selected taking into account the root system of the flower. If the volume of the pots for succulents and the shape of the underground part do not match each other, then the plant may not survive.
For a fat woman, not high, but wide in diameter, capacity is better. With age, a pot for a living tree will need more, but with the same proportions. But for haworthies I’ll go deeper, vertically elongated vessels. It is better to use ceramic pots as a material - plastic walls may not withstand the pressure of powerful roots.
Florarium
Familiar pots can be replaced with glass dishes, the so-called florariums. The composition consists not only of plants, but also of colored soil, which gives the original appearance of a simple glass container. The ability to make florarium with succulents is popular. He is not difficult to learn by following the step-by-step instructions:
- Treat the glass container with alcohol.
- Pour fine drainage, about one fourth of the height of the tank, into the first layer.
- Lay the same amount of soil with a second layer.
- Seal both layers lightly.
- Plant the plants, sprinkle their roots with soil and lightly tamp.
- Lay the next layer of beautiful colored pebbles or sand, previously treated from pollution.
- You can add another layer of contrasting color for greater decorativeness.
The surface of the soil is often decorated with small figures and large pebbles.
Important! A plant planted in a closed container needs less watering. Be careful.
Priming
Manufacturers offer ready-made primer for any plants. Having bought the soil for succulent plants, it is still worth checking its composition. The soil should contain sand, gravel, small pebbles and less than half the volume of fertile land. If sellers do not inspire confidence, then you can make the right mixture yourself. Components can be bought separately, or to collect the soil for free, having gone into the countryside.
Important! Disinfection is mandatory - purchased or self-prepared soil must be treated with special preparations.
The market offers many varieties of fungicides. Among the most popular are Phytosporin, Barrier, Barrier.
How succulents usually breed
It is believed that it is very difficult to propagate succulents on your own. This is not entirely true. Just for most amateur gardeners it’s unusual to root cuttings without roots in dry land. And still have to be patient - succulents grow slowly.
A new plant can be obtained from a leaf, shank, baby, or seed.
Propagation from the leaf
A healthy leaf is cut with a knife, without leaving a stump on the trunk of an adult plant. The sheet is laid with a slice on the ground, allowed to dry for a day, and then sprinkled with soil a little. And it remains to wait. The plant will do everything by itself.
Propagation by cuttings
If a stalk is used for propagation, it is also cut with a clean sharp knife and air dried for a while.
Important! Rinse the place of the cut on the mother flower and treat the wound with charcoal.
Cuttings root well both in water and in the sand mixture. For best results, a container of sand is covered with a film, organizing a small greenhouse. The roots will appear in about two weeks.
Seed propagation
It will take more time to get the plant from the seeds. Only six months later, it will be possible to transplant the plant as an independent instance. Growing these flowers from seeds is the longest way to get new plants. But as a result, you can get rare instances.
Succulent Disease
During transplantation, reproduction, and the dormant period, close attention is paid to the general condition of the plants. They are also susceptible to disease or attacked by pests.
Important! The main causes of succulent disease are lack of water and light. In low light, the flowers change color, become pale, their stems are stretched, violating the usual appearance. This problem is solved by moving the flower to a brighter place, or by adding artificial lighting.
When the leaves become soft, they begin to curl, which means that the water supplies are running out. Urgent watering required. An indicator of excess moisture is when brown or white spots appear on the leaves along with lethargy, rot on the leaves. You can save the plant by cutting damaged parts and reducing watering. If the root is rotted, the top of the plant needs to be cut to a healthy place, dry the base and plant in a new soil.
Meatworms, thrips and ticks have become the main pests for succulents. You can get rid of them with the help of affordable drugs. But, unfortunately, traces of their presence (spots, holes and plaque) can appear on the leaves.
Following simple tips for caring for succulents, you can get great results even for beginners.
