How to care for Succulents
Succulent plants are categorized as drought tolerant plants with thickened or fleshy parts that allow for the storage of water.
Care Essentials
- Choose high porous soil (not rich compost)
- Succulents love good sun and great drainage
- Make sure the pot has a hole at the bottom to drain water
- The pot should be fairly small, as succulents do not develop large roots
- Make sure they get good air circulation, either from wind, or by setting up a fan in your greenhouse
- Only water when soil is fully dry
- Protect from frost and freezing temperatures
- They are not meant to be indoor plants
- Avoid touching or watering the leaves (only water the soil)
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Planting your succulent
While meticulously packaged, succulents might still be unhappy from their travels, but they will recover rapidly. Once you have received your succulent, immediately plant your succulent in a coarse potting mix, such as cactus mix, with perlite or pumice to aid with drainage and aeration and a pot with adequate drainage holes.
Newly potted succulents can easily get sunburned, especially pale and variegated varieties, so introduce them gradually to sunlight over the course of a few days.
Planting a succulent with no roots or sparse roots
Simply sit the plant down in semi-moistened potting mix and allow the soil to dry out for a few days, up to a week, before you mist the soil again. Don't give it a real watering until you are sure that it has a healthy root system (this can take many weeks). Once you are sure that it has rooted, only water the soil again after it has fully dried out.
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Watering
The "Rosette" (Rose)
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Other information
- Sometimes the bottom leaves of succulents may dry out during shipping. This is fairly common, not a worry, and the succulent will regrow and repair itself promptly.
- Sometimes the succulent might be a slightly greener or redder shade than what is pictured in my shop. Colors change depending on the season, amount of sunlight, temperature, etc.
Questions, comments, suggestions? Contact info@terracegardenfrance.com