by Vicky Austin
Growing succulents can be one of the most demanding and satisfying accomplishments for the gardener whether you are an amateur or professional. Their severe and elaborate beauty that nature gathered in succulents is amazing. Succulents are distinctive and often difficult to grow. Knowing a few of the basic concepts can decrease substantially the frustration in growing them. An important consideration is whether the succulent comes from a wet or dry area, the soil it is used to, and whether there is a lot of rainfall or very little. When you consider the natural habitat of the succulent, you have important information as to how to properly plant and care for them.
Watering succulents can be very tricky. Try to remember that the majority of succulents come from very dry terrains, such as the desert, and receive a very limited amount of water. It is usually best to allow the succulents to become reasonably dry in between waterings. You should definitely water them less often that you would herbaceous plants. If you are not sure whether it is time to water, it is better not to water. If it dries out too much it may stop growing which is all right because the water will help bring it back to life. On the other hand, if you over water it the succulent will rot and die. If you use fertilizer, it should only be used during the active growth periods.
Families of succulents have varying degrees of growing temperatures. For the most part succulents grow best between temperatures of 65 to 90 degrees. There are some succulents that grow well during the winter, which has temperatures around 55 to 75 degrees. Succulents often make excellent indoor plants but you should make sure that you force dormancy at least once per year. Proper lighting is often a problem for indoor succulents but is dealt with easily. If you use south/west windows, these are best for direct sunlight although if you plant them outside they prefer a south/east exposure to sunlight with a bit of shade in the afternoon.
I am not aware that any man has ever built on the spot which I occupy. Deliver me from a city built on the site of a more ancient city, whose materials are ruins, whose gardens cemeteries. The soil is blanched and accursed there, and before that becomes necessary the earth itself will be destroyed.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
Whether you use clay or plastic pots, you will find that they will both be successful and the type of pot is primarily the personal taste of the gardener. Most succulents have fibrous roots and do not require or use the full depth of a standard pot. If you were to put a shallow rooted succulent in a deep pot this will be counter-productive as the soil below the reach of the roots will stay wet for prolonged periods after watering and may become stagnant. Those succulents that have tuberous or tap roots may require more depth and will probably grow better in a standard pot if you can find one. All pots of whatever type chosen should have drainage holes and the bottom should be lined with several pieces of broken clay pots or large clean gravel. Bonsai pots can work effectively for a succulent that have a swollen root or lower stem and is raised up above the compost. You may also want to consider using limestone, as there are some succulents that are native to limestone boulders.
Those who grow succulents know there are a number of acceptable alternatives when it comes to the type of soil to use. Most types of soil have four things in common:
They are devoid of decomposing organic matter
High in inorganic substances
What sought they thus afar?
Bright jewels of the mine?
The wealthy of seas, the spoils of war?—
They sought a faith’s pure shrine!
Ay, call it holy ground,
The soil where first they trod;
They have left unstained what there they found,—
Freedom to worship God.
—Felicia Dorothea Hemans (1783–1835)
Loose in texture
Drain well
A basic soil mixture is approximately 1 part mixed commercial potting soil and one or two parts mixed inorganic material. This mixture produces a very loose open soil that benefits succulents and if you desire you can add more gravel or granite to the soil mix. If you live in the desert areas, you can take the native soil and use it instead. In addition to these mixes, there are many different types of available commercially ranging from soil-based composts; peat based, and recycled garden composts. You can add horticultural grade sand and grit to make the mixture porous. This may take a bit of experimentation but you can do it with a bit of practice. Be careful with lime as some succulents hate lime.