Succulents, planting and care. Indoor succulents - varieties, care features Caring for succulents at home

We already know that most indoor plants are usually watered frequently during their vegetative growth period. And yet, among the diversity of plants, there are plants that, even during the growth period, prefer less frequent watering.

These include houseplants that have tough, very dense, fleshy leaves or form a thick, hard or fleshy trunk, as well as cacti and succulents. Some of these plants will survive even if you don't water them for 2 weeks. Cacti and succulents can easily survive 3-4 weeks without water, especially during the dormant period and also after grafting.

Such undemanding plants include typical representatives of cacti and succulents: aloe, agave, aporocactus, astrophytum, aspidistra, bocarnea, cereus, chamecereus, ceropegia, cleistocactus, crassula, cycad, echinocactus, echeveria, echinocereus, euphorbia, hoya, ferocactus, Ocalicium, Jatropha , lithops, mammillaria, notocactus, pachypodium, prickly pear, pachyphytum, paunsettia, parody, rebutia, sansevieria, sedum, yucca and many others.

In the wild, the development of these plants freezes during periods of drought. And during the rainy season, their growth accelerates. In thick leaves and trunks they store water reserves for long periods of drought. It is during the rainy season that cacti and succulents noticeably increase in size.

In indoor conditions, the amount and frequency of watering cacti and succulents, of course, greatly depends on the conditions of detention. For example, if cacti have a cold winter on the veranda with an air temperature of 5-12 0 C, then they can easily survive the entire winter without water. Even a few extra drops can cause cacti to rot.

If the room in the winter is warm at 20-24 0 C, and you are not going to give the cactus a cold winter, then when you water it with a few drops of water every 3-7 days you will notice how quickly your cactus will begin to grow. In the spring, after transplanting the cactus, watering should be significantly reduced, and only after the cactus has recovered from the transplant can watering be resumed.

Succulents during the period of vegetative growth - from spring to autumn - need to be watered once every 7-10 days, depending on the temperature in the room: the hotter, the more often. In winter, succulents need to be watered no more than once every 2-4 weeks. If the temperature of keeping succulents in winter is low, then you don’t need to water them at all, otherwise they will rot.

By the way, the most drought-resistant succulent is considered to be Lithops, which can even survive in a pot for almost a year without a single drop of water.

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Unusual succulent plants: care at home

Succulents are indoor plants that can accumulate water for a long time. Succulents, caring for which at home will not bring much trouble even to a novice gardener, love the sun and drought.

Succulents are indoor plants that require little attention and grow well in dry conditions.

Home care

Knowing certain rules, you can grow a plant without much difficulty. Caring for succulents is simple and does not require a lot of time and money.

All representatives of succulents love direct sunlight.

With insufficient lighting, plants can stretch, bend and change color. But there is a danger that the plant will receive excess sunlight. Although this is much less common. In this case, you should move the plant to the edge of the windowsill or deep into the room.
Succulents are not afraid of temperature changes. But even the slightest frost can have a detrimental effect on them. In summer, plants require air circulation. Windows should be left open. During the growing season, it is necessary to adhere to the optimal temperature regime.

Water the plant only when the soil is very dry.

Watering. The great thing about succulents is that they store moisture in case of drought. This is done either in a thickened stem (cacti, euphorbia) or in thickened leaves (aloe, echeveria). In order to provide plants with optimal watering, their life period should be taken into account. During dormancy and growing season, the watering regime is different:

1. Growing season. Succulents should be watered when the soil is very dry. This procedure must be avoided during rain. They usually irrigate in the morning. If watering has been sufficient, water will begin to drain from the drainage hole in the pot. Otherwise, the soil in which the plant is planted will accumulate salts. This can have a negative effect on the plant. Water for irrigation can be either rainwater or bottled. You can also use melted milk. The temperature of the irrigation liquid should be close to room temperature.
2. Rest period. Succulents have 2 of them. The first one lasts from September to February. At this time, subject to the correct temperature conditions, the plant should be watered no more than once a month. Or don't water at all. If the temperature in the room is elevated, you should water more often. But non-compliance with the temperature regime can cause rotting of the plant roots. The second dormant period begins in summer at temperatures above 40°C. At this time, you need to carefully monitor watering. Irrigation is carried out when the earthen ball is very dry.

Succulents love slightly acidic or neutral soil. The soil must be air and water permeable. The main components of the soil mixture for all succulents will be coarse river sand, expanded clay or fine gravel, and turf soil. One of the approximate compositions of the soil mixture could be as follows: 1 part each of turf and leaf soil, the same amount of coarse sand, 10% each of charcoal, brick chips, sphagnum moss. For every 10 liters of mixture, use 10 g of bone meal. But it should be remembered that each individual type of succulent plant prefers its own soil composition. Therefore, the soil for succulents is selected based on the individual preferences of a particular species.

This type of plant is fertilized during the growing season. This is usually required once a month. Fertilizers with low nitrogen content should be selected. From September and during the winter, there is no need to feed the plants.

You can emphasize the uniqueness of plants with the help of interestingly shaped pots and containers for these indoor “dwellers”. They can decorate both the interior of a room and almost any landscape composition.

Features of plants from the succulent family

The common difference for all representatives of the genus is the similarity of the shape of the fleshy leaves or stems, and not family ties. Representatives of succulents are found in every plant family that exists in nature.

All plants are similar to each other due to the special coating of leaves and stems. These are spines, bristles and hairs that perform a protective function. A characteristic feature of succulents is the fleshy structure of the plant body and a bluish-blue coating. A succulent is a plant that, thanks to its protective properties, survives in the complete absence of moisture. They have well-developed accumulating properties, thanks to which moisture is retained for a long time in the leaves and trunks of plants. Thus, the plant feeds itself with water in the complete absence of external sources of moisture.

Another feature of plants lies in the root system. A succulent is a representative of the flora, the root system of which is so developed that even wall panels and mosaics are created with the help of this plant. This is a new trend in landscape design, and it is worth noting that it is incredibly popular.

Succulents as decorative elements of a modern interior

The succulent is a favorite among landscape designers. The mode of existence of such plants makes them absolutely adaptable to any climatic conditions. If you love greenery but don't want or don't have time to care for flowers, the type of plant that's right for you is succulents. Types of flowers from different families allow you to create a wide variety of compositions in pots, wall compositions for interior decoration, alpine slides and rockeries for exterior decoration. Interior solutions and street landscape design options in this sense are limitless.

Succulent plants, of which there are forty species in the family, are an excellent material for home decoration. They cope with their decorative properties better than any of their relatives. Raspberry, Kalanchoe, and agave combine well and are suitable for outdoor decoration of gardens, greenhouses or green areas near window sills.

A succulent is a plant that is great to keep in the bathroom. A place with high humidity is an excellent environment for growing such plants. By combining succulents with cacti, you can create vibrant corners of your home. Such vegetation is not whimsical, therefore it survives in any conditions. The only thing worth thinking about when complementing mosaic paintings of living plants with cacti concerns safety. It is better to glaze such a composition when placing it on the wall. When creating individual decorative elements, succulents (plant species) and cacti are often placed in glass flasks, cubes, vases and aquariums.

Rules for caring for plants

Succulent plants are not too fancy, but still, if you want to keep them in the house, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with the rules for caring for them.

Succulents love light. Therefore, most plants are recommended to be stored in places with plenty of sunlight or artificial lighting.

Some succulent flowers prefer darkness to light. These types of plants are most often used to create wall panels.

Succulent flowers like moderate temperatures. It is important that the difference between day and night temperatures is at least 5 degrees, then the plants will feel comfortable.

There is no need to water succulents frequently. Home care involves monitoring the soil moisture level and watering as needed. Such plants can easily live up to 3 weeks without water and still feel comfortable, without in any way externally showing a lack of moisture. Nature prepared them for this.

Planting succulents is interesting. Caring for the root zone at home requires constant loosening and drainage. The root system must receive a lot of oxygen. A breathable or crumbly mixture is chosen as the composition for planting.

Features of planting and propagation

Indoor succulents can exist harmoniously only if you plant them correctly. It is important that the container you use for planting is almost flat. Forest soil mixed with river sand in a ratio of 1:4 and charcoal in a ratio of 1:5 is suitable as a base for the substrate.

Succulents propagate in two ways.

Florariums are often used for planting succulents - transparent containers that openly display the substrate poured into their layers.

Succulent plants reproduce using stem cuttings and leaves. Separated cuttings are not placed in water (as is done with other types of indoor plants), but are allowed to dry for several days (2-3). After this, they are immediately planted in the ground.

The reproductive process with the help of leaves looks like this: leaf blades are placed on top of damp soil and left. The leaf will sprout on its own. The best period for propagating succulents is from April to August.

When using seeds for planting plants, it is necessary to pay special attention to the quality of the planting material. Only healthy and fully ripened seeds can germinate. It is difficult to breed such material at home, so you can either buy seeds or use the well-known vegetative method to propagate indoor plants.

Interesting! For regular flowering of plants, create special conditions - poor soil, keeping them in a flat container and a minimum amount of watering will allow succulents to enter the flowering phase.

Types of succulents and their characteristics

This material will be useful to those who study succulents. Popular plant species are represented in the top ten most popular flowers for home maintenance.

Agave Victoria-Regina

A typical representative of the "leaf succulents" group.

The plant is light-loving, does not tolerate excess moisture and is interesting for its spherical shape, formed by dense leaves with a white border at the edges.

Euphorbia Mile

It is especially popular among novice gardeners. This is a thorny shrub with elongated branches of a greenish-matte color falling down. Flowers surprise with their shapes and shades.

Lithops (“living pebbles”)

Succulents often get their names because of their bizarre appearance. Such plants look good in a rock garden composition. Lithops love the sun. The flowering period occurs from July to August. Plants are resistant to pests and diseases. They are easy to care for.

Aeonium arborescens

A bushy plant with tufts of green or red leaves collected in regular rosettes. As a decorative element it is used as a compositional element of Chinese gardens and alpine slides. Aeonium is ideal for outdoor landscape decoration, as it loves a lot of light and does not suffer from a lack of moisture.

Echeveria agave

Often found in the gardens of true connoisseurs of landscape art. It’s easy to choose additions to this flower and combine it with other succulents. Like all plants, these succulents are hardy and easy to care for.

Stapelia

It is famous for its decorative properties. The appearance of the flowers alone evokes admiration. External beauty is the only thing you can love about this plant, because its aroma is disgusting. The smell of carrion occurs due to the pollination characteristics of the succulent. But, despite this drawback, gardeners actively use the slipway as a bright accent when decorating a landscape or garden. The flower fits perfectly into the compositions of rockeries and alpine slides, but it is not recommended to keep such a plant in the house.

Gasteria

A typical representative of stemless succulents. Thick and fleshy leaves covered with white dots form a tall rosette. Gasteria requires special care and caution, since the root system of the plant is poorly developed. Flowering occurs in early spring. A long peduncle with white or orange flowers that look like bells appears from the center of the rosette.

Abrometella

A dwarf plant related to pineapple. Small rosettes collected in a cushion, together with green leaves, form a luxurious ball. Dry and hot climates are favorable for abrometela.

Aloe vera

A plant whose rosette is formed by tall, arrow-shaped leaves. The structure of the leaf is soft and fleshy, green in color, framed by small spines. Aloe is a medicinal plant actively used in folk medicine.

Argyroderma

A striking representative of plants masquerading as “living stones”. They are green in color with a grayish or limestone coating. The leaves of the plants are collected in rosettes, and the flowers resemble asters in appearance. The flower is much larger than the plant body itself. Argyroderma is ideal for home decoration as part of a rockery or other decorative composition. The amazing shape of the plants attracts the eye. Being geometrically correct and similar to a man-made one, it makes you wonder what it is: a plant or a stone, a creation of nature or a cunning human invention.

Unpretentiousness, endurance, exclusivity - all these are the features that succulents have. The names of the plants were based on their description and beneficial properties, and the flowers themselves were fixed in the design. They look harmonious in large-scale landscape compositions in combination with other flora and are well suited for decorating city apartments.

Interesting! Few people know that the beloved money tree also belongs to the group of succulents. This is a favorite material for green decoration among interior designers.

The decorative possibilities of succulents are limitless; this is what contributes to the widespread dissemination of modern trends in decorating exotic plants previously unknown to us.

Ease of care and unpretentiousness give the novice gardener the opportunity to experiment. After all, it’s never too late to start mastering landscape art and interior decor features, starting from scratch.

Anacampseros Anacampseros filamentosa

Most succulents in nature grow in climatic zones with sharp temperature fluctuations, both annual and daily. For some cacti, in their historical homeland, for example, in the desert regions of northern Mexico, in summer the daytime temperature can rise to 40-50°C, and at night drop to 10-13°C. In winter, daytime air temperatures there rise to 20°C and drop to +7°C at night. Many cacti come from here, for example, prickly pear, telocactus, lophophora, pediocactus, echinocereus, etc. The average annual precipitation is approximately 250 mm.

The homeland of Crassula is southern Africa, in particular the Cape province of South Africa. They are characterized by hot and dry summers with temperatures during the day 30-40°C, at night 16-17°C, and wet winters, when during the day 16-17°C, at night up to 8-9°C.

It is impossible to create such conditions in central Russia; in summer, daily temperature fluctuations are 5-10 ° C, for plants placed on the balcony, and this is quite unstable, but still more natural than if flower pots were kept indoors. That is why everything that is possible (pots with succulents) in the spring (April-May) needs to be moved to fresh air, or, in extreme cases, the room should be ventilated more often.

With the onset of autumn, in temperate climates there is a decrease in temperatures, an increase in air humidity and a sharp decrease in the amount of sunlight. We bring plants into the house, and try to achieve some balance between temperature, watering and light, in order to provide a period of rest, which some succulents simply need (many types of cacti), while others are optional, but forced due to the shortening of daylight hours (crassula, spurge).

Most succulents need a lot of light, usually full sun. The need for light may differ among different families and genera, but one thing is absolutely certain - among succulents there are no shade-loving plants, there are some that can grow in light partial shade.

The attitude towards direct sun is also ambiguous. So, almost all cacti, acacia, agave, require as much sun as possible; they grow in nature in open areas under the scorching sun. They should be placed in an apartment on a south window sill; a southeast or southwest window is also suitable if it is not shaded from the street.

There are succulents that need sunlight, but only in the morning or evening, at the hottest time of the day in the sun, they can get burned - they burn out, the color of the leaves or stems becomes reddish. These are plants such as cotyledon and crassula (crassulaceae), didierea (didieraceae), caralluma, duvalia and guernia (palsinaceae), godsons (Asteraceae), some types of aloe (asphodelaceae), haworthia and gasteria (asphodelaceae), etc.

These plants are best placed on east and west windows, or on a south window, with shade from direct sun during the hottest time of the day, which is from about 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Shading can be a tulle curtain, a sparse mesh, or a veil.

Light requirements for many succulents decrease in winter, with lower temperatures and reduced watering. However, there are plants, for example some types of cacti, that even in winter need good lighting for successful flowering, because At this time, the birth of buds occurs. In many euphorbias, the formation of flower buds also occurs in the first half of October, when a temperature in the range of 20-22 ° C is needed to ensure normal development of bracts, and at this temperature very good lighting is necessary.

Additional illumination of succulents can be effective, but not for all plants (as a rule, succulent seedlings require this; “living stones” grow well under artificial light, etc.). Additional lighting with fluorescent lamps (including energy-saving ones) will help avoid stretching of shoots for those plants that do not need direct sunlight, so when choosing a succulent, you need to familiarize yourself with the growing conditions in advance. For plants that require full sunlight and warmth in winter, the need for light is so great that to provide it, they must be under lamps for many hours, and illuminated evenly from all sides (lighting from both above and from the sides). This is technically difficult to achieve.

It is much easier and more humane for flowers to survive the period from October to February in a cool place, and in an almost dry substrate. The lack of intense light, heat and moisture does not encourage plants to grow; they seem to fall asleep until spring, and you will not get elongated pale shoots and ugly trunks.

Watering succulents

Succulents are grouped into a separate group because they have a special relationship with moisture. These plants accumulate water in separate parts - stems or leaves, and are able to survive for a long time without watering. It would seem that during a dry period, cacti and other succulents should intensively consume moisture from succulent stems and leaves, but then they would quickly dry out and die, but this does not happen.

This is explained by the fact that there are special physiological adaptations against strong evaporation of moisture from the surface, i.e. reducing transpiration. Thus, in many succulents, the surface of the leaves, stems or trunk is protected from excessive evaporation by a waxy coating or pubescence. In addition, during these periods the intensity of physiological processes sharply decreases and extreme water saving mode is activated.

Gas exchange and evaporation of water in all plants occurs through stomata - these are pores, holes in the upper layer of the epidermis of a leaf or stem (in cacti). In succulents during the day in the hottest time, the stomata are closed, they begin to open in the evening, and are completely open at night, when the temperature drops sharply and, accordingly, the evaporation of moisture is several times lower than during the day.

Watering succulents should be carried out depending on the humidity and temperature of the surrounding air; this determines how quickly the substrate in the pot dries out.

Ordinary indoor plants, in the summer we water them abundantly, i.e. as soon as the top layer of soil has dried, it’s time to water, and if the soil is dry, then the plant begins to lose turgor (the elasticity of the leaves) and wither. We should water succulents moderately in the summer - the soil should dry out completely, and remain in this state for several days; it is quite possible that completely dry soil can remain for a week or more. When many plants become too dry, their stems and/or leaves shrink. If the weather is very hot, the time between waterings is reduced, but the soil should still remain dry for 2-3 days.

In winter, watering succulent plants also depends on temperature. So, at a temperature of about 6-8°C (some types of cacti require this), they are stored in a completely dry state, and can do without watering for 2-3 months. At a temperature of 12-14°C, watering can be carried out approximately once a month, or even less often.

However, there are cases when hosts can dry out succulent plants. For fear of flooding, watering is reduced so much that the plant begins to suffer from lack of moisture - the roots dry out.

Some succulents, for example, Haworthia and Gasteria, tolerate winter well in warm conditions at 20-22°C, if they have enough light. In this case, they are watered more often, about once every 1-2 weeks.

All these figures are very arbitrary, because... The evaporation of water from the ground depends on the composition of the substrate, the volume of the pot and the materials from which it is made. Therefore, only the appearance, condition of the plant and accumulated experience can suggest the correctness of the chosen care.

Soil for succulents

All succulents prefer soil that is loose, easily breathable, and well-drained. In nature, some of them grow in rock crevices, on bare sand or a mixture of sand and crushed stone.

The main condition for substrates is, first of all, not nutritional value, or even acidity, but that it is well and evenly wetted, but dries quickly and does not retain water. Take, for example, peat - in its pure form it is not suitable for cultivation, because has a tendency to stick together, and when it is very dry, it is very poorly wetted and allows water to pass through. After watering, water lingers on the surface, tends to seep through the voids near the walls of the pot and flow into the drainage hole. Garden soil is a very imprecise concept - in gardens the soil can be peat, sandy, clayey or black soil, its only difference is that garden crops grew on it, for which fertilizers were applied and which changed its chemical parameters, but not mechanical ones. Garden soil can also stick together and cake; black soil is generally not suitable for succulents in its pure form - these are humus soils, which are not at all typical for the natural habitat of succulents.

There are a great many recipes for soil mixtures for succulents, including those on sale. If you look at the mixture in the store, then, as a rule, it contains peat soil, expanded clay and sand. But soil requirements are very individual, not only among different families, but even among different species of the same genus, so store-bought mixtures are not suitable for everyone, and experienced flower growers always prefer to make the soil themselves.

The need for a certain type of soil, nutritional value, proportion of constituent elements (sand, clay, gravel, crushed stone, lime, brick chips) also depends on the shape of the root system: succulents with thin surface roots are planted in soil with a larger proportion of sand and crushed stone, the substrate is light and loose. Succulents with a more powerful root system, with thick and deep water-storing (radish-like) roots (for example, euphorbias), are planted in heavier clay soil.

So, any soil mixtures for all succulents should include disintegrants: coarse river sand, fine gravel or expanded clay (particle size 1-5mm), well washed. It is permissible to add perlite or vermiculite (they have a high coefficient of water absorption) - they can, and even need to be added for soil mixtures consisting mainly of sand and crushed stone, because they allow water to pass through very quickly, without retaining it or absorbing it, and the added vermiculite is able to absorb moisture and gradually evaporate it, without direct contact with water, and there is no rotting of the roots.

Zamioculcas grows well only in a cramped pot.

Activated carbon is also used in soil mixtures for succulents. Not in tablets, medical, but in granules, it can be obtained in filters for kitchen hoods or water filters, or you can use crushed charcoal (burnt birch log, crushed into pieces up to 5 mm in size). Coal adds looseness to the soil, absorbs water to some extent, and removes impurities from the water (such as chlorine). It is added to approximately 1/10 of the total volume of soil.

The main components of the soil mixture are turf soil, leaf soil, heather soil, and greenhouse soil, in various proportions.
So, for example, a soil mixture for yucca can consist of 1 part turf, 1 part humus (well-rotted compost), 1 part sand and 1 part expanded clay (perlite).

And for milkweeds, the soil mixture is lighter: 1 part turf, 1 part leaf, 2 parts sand.

Turf soil can be found in meadows or at a summer cottage; it is quite easy to collect it after moles - they leave entrances to burrows - low mounds of waste, loose earth. Leaf soil is half-rotted leaf litter that accumulates and rots for years under deciduous trees. It can be harvested in birch groves, but only in the spring, as soon as the snow melts, before the grass begins to grow. However, succulents also have different attitudes towards organic matter; some types of cacti absolutely cannot tolerate the presence of unrotted particles in the ground; then they choose deeper layers of leafy soil, where the litter has completely rotted and decomposed (there are no fragments of leaves or twigs).

Sand can be collected from the river, but it will have to be washed and sifted long and hard to remove silt and salts; it is much easier to buy it in an aquarium store, just like fine gravel.

About pots: The choice of pot depends more on the size of the plant. For large, heavy yuccas, crassulas, and milkweeds, it is better to take wide clay pots, and if the pot seems too bulky to you, compensate for this with a high layer of drainage at the bottom.

Small plastic pots are suitable for medium-sized haworthias, gasterias, aloe, and cacti.

Succulent is a true miracle of nature that retains water in its leaves, stems and roots. Since people are accustomed to perceiving succulents as a desert plant, many do not understand that when growing them at home or in the garden, special attention must be paid to watering.

How to water succulents indoors

Instead of watering succulents little by little, it is better to water deeply once so that the water completely saturates the soil. The soil must be well drained to avoid stagnation of water. Be sure to drain any water that accumulates in the tray at the base of the pot. It is necessary to allow the soil to dry completely before the next watering. After watering, a week later, check the soil. If it is still damp, then there is no need to water it. After a couple of days you can check again and then water it.

Sedum, sedum, kalanchoe, aloe and sansevieria (also known as mother-in-law's tongue) are popular succulents to grow at home. Succulents also include cacti, which usually require less water than other succulents.

You can purchase soil mixture for succulents at flower shops or make your own. The substrate should be light, loose, well-drained and with good aeration; it should contain large particles of sand with the addition of perlite. You can use the following soil mixture:
- leaf humus - 40%;
- sand (not very fine, 1-1.5 mm) – 40%;
- charcoal – 10%;
- soil loosening agent (perlite, coarse sand, expanded clay 2.5-4 mm) – 10%.
If you use ready-made soil for cacti for replanting, then it must be supplemented (20-30% of the volume) with sand, add a little charcoal and substrate baking powder.

Succulents require more frequent watering in early spring when the plants are actively growing. Watering should be done less often in summer and kept to a minimum in winter. Most succulents go dormant in winter, so they require little watering. Typically, in winter, succulents are watered once a month.

The frequency of watering will also depend on the light level, as well as the size of the pot. The larger the container, the longer the moisture is retained in the soil. Small pots should be watered more often.

How to Water Succulents in Outdoor Containers

Summer is a good time to place succulents outdoors. Although these plants love the sun, they need to be given a chance to acclimate to outdoor conditions. They are first placed in a shaded area before moving them into the sun. When choosing a place, pay attention to the fact that there is no intense lighting in the second, hottest, half of the day. Outdoor plants usually require more frequent watering than indoor plants. Your conditions will dictate how often these plants will need watering.

Succulents, including cacti, that are grown in shallow containers will need watering every few days.

How to water succulents outdoors

Succulents, especially sedums, grow quite well in open ground. They should also be watered weekly, depending on conditions. Plants transplanted into the ground have stronger root systems and can withstand dry conditions better than container plants.

Whether you are growing hardy or annual succulents, they should be planted in well-drained soil. Constant moisture inhibits the root system of succulents. If the soil where you want to plant the succulent is clayey, then it is recommended to remove the soil layer and replace it with a well-aerated mixture.

Good soil, good aeration and good drainage equals a happy plant.