We suggest succulents to decorate your home
Succulents have become extremely popular in recent years. There are hundreds of unique varieties and almost anyone can grow them, including beginners.
Their special water-storage tissues don’t survive in environments that are too dry for most other plants, so they’ll hang in there even if you forget to water them for a while.
They also thrive in dry air and warm temperatures, which most homes already have, so you don’t need to have anything to grow in your home.
If you’re new to plants, here are some of the best indoor succulents to buy as you start your collection and are sure to add another twist to your fresh kitchen or living room decor.
What are succulents?
A question we are often asked is, what are succulents? While succulents are growing in popularity, many people still ignore these amazing plants. Hopefully this will give you a better understanding.
So, succulents are a group of plants that store water in their leaves. Leaves tend to be thick and fleshy, but some species have thicker ones than others. They tend to thrive in dry climates and don’t like too much moisture.
As with any other plant, proper watering will make for the best growth and flowering. While they need water to survive, they cannot cope with prolonged periods of drought, relying on stored water and nutrients in their leaves. If their roots stay in the water for a long time they will start to rot causing them to fail.
Most succulents prefer warm temperatures and don’t like very cold. Because of the water stored in their leaves, the low enough temperature often results in dead or mushy leaves.
Suitable Light for Succulents.
Both indoor and outdoor succulents generally need at least 3 hours of direct sun daily. Morning sunlight would be preferable as the afternoon sun can be very harsh. Some of the ones that get too much sun can be damaged and appear from the sun with scarred leaves or washed out color.
Especially in hot climates where the sun is the most direct, be sure to keep them in areas with filtered sunlight.
Alternatively, those that do not receive enough sun may begin to grow taller with the leaves spaced further apart. Colored ones can also turn green if not enough light is received.
How do we water succulents?
They are made to grow in dry climates and therefore do not need much water. Instead they store their water in their leaves or stems. When you water them make sure the soil is dry before the next watering.
Soak the soil around the plant and do not water again until the soil is dry. If the roots remain wet for long periods of time, they may begin to rot, causing the plant to rot, the leaves will turn black and dull, and may begin to develop mold.
In general, most only need to be watered once a week. This will vary depending on your climate and soil conditions. If you are not sure how often you should water them, it is better to submerge them under water.
11 secrets for caring for succulents.
Succulents, a whole world of wonderful exotic plants to choose from!
Succulents are extremely popular ornamental plants that can be planted almost anywhere!
In the garden, in the yard and on the balcony, while in recent years we often find it in the interior of houses and offices.
After all, succulents, apart from being beautiful, also need care!
They are very adaptable and particularly attractive thanks to their exotic appearance, which is combined with great durability and minimal maintenance. From the scientific point of view, the name “succulent plants” refers to a large group of plants that have thick fleshy leaves, which act as water reservoirs and use for their survival in dry conditions and lack of water.
The category of succulents contains many plant families such as cacti, agaves, euphorbias, crassulas, bromeliads and includes thousands of plant species with a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and flowers.
Let’s see in detail what we need to know about the care of succulents, how much light they need, every time we water them, what conditions they need to give us flowers and how we can keep them full of colors and vitality!
How do we distinguish succulents from cacti?
Cacti and succulents are often referred to together and there is a lot of confusion about how to tell them apart, so it is very useful to break down this distinction.
Cacti belong to succulents, next to succulents is the large category that includes other plants in addition to cacti. It should be emphasized that spines are not a differentiator, as there are succulents that have spines such as euphorbia and agave that do not belong to the cactus family. Cacti differ from succulents as they have areoles, the characteristic fluffy bumps from which wonderful flowers, thorns or even new shoots grow. Succulents do not have areoles.
Do succulents need a lot of light to grow?
Succulents love light and need good lighting to thrive.
Of course, there are different types of lighting depending on the species, while some succulents such as havorthias, gasterias and some types of vines need relatively shady places.
Also, it is good to avoid intense direct sunlight, especially in the summer months, as they can cause burns and discoloration on the leaves of succulents.
Insufficient lighting, especially when succulents are indoors, creates growth problems and pale yellow areas on the leaves.
Succulents need at least 6-8 hours of daily light to bloom, so rich light and adequate sunshine are essential care elements to keep them vibrant and healthy.
At what temperatures do succulents thrive?
Most succulents grow in relatively high temperature environments.
During the spring period when they grow at a faster rate, temperatures for succulents are around 25°C.
When the temperature drops below 18°C, their growth rate is significantly reduced and this is something that should be avoided.
During the summer season, succulents can also withstand hot conditions where the temperature reaches 40°C. In winter, succulents thrive without much difficulty at temperatures up to 10°C, while for a short time it can rise to a temperature of up to 5°C.
Which soil is suitable for growing succulents?
In order for succulents to grow and thrive, they need a special plant that ensures good drainage and good ventilation so that their delicate root system does not rot.
We supply specialized growing media for succulents containing coarse sand, perlite and pumice, enriched with nutrients that provide them with the necessary nutrients.
If we have a general purpose plant in our house, we can add sand and topsoil in a ratio of 1:1:1 in order to better drain the mixture and create ideal conditions for the growth of our succulents.
In what pot do we plant succulents?
Succulents are planted in relatively shallow wide pots that have room to take root and allow us to create unique compositions by choosing different species from the wide range of succulents.
Clay pots are porous and offer better aeration to succulents, but require more frequent watering than plastic or glass pots which hold more water.
Also, you should know that smaller pots with succulents need more frequent watering and in small amounts compared to larger pots.
We plant the succulents in pots that have a hole in the base to remove excess water, otherwise there is a risk that they will rot due to the humidity.
If we have pots that do not allow water to drain, water very carefully to avoid excessive moisture in the soil.
When and how do we transplant succulents?
Although succulents grow relatively slowly, at some point they will need to be transplanted into a larger pot, which we prefer to be 1-2 sizes larger. Suitable time for transplanting is the period of spring or early autumn.
Before transplanting, the soil in the pot must be relatively moist so that the pot can be turned upside down so that we can remove the succulent along with the soil and its roots.
If we find dried or rotten roots, cut them and then place the plant in the new pot, in such a way that its roots are about 2 centimeters from the base.
Add a special plant for succulents and press lightly until the pot is full. We place the pot for a few days in a shady environment, before moving it to its final location.
Avoid watering the succulents immediately after transplanting and allow 2-3 days to adapt to their new environment.
Then we water and care for our succulents normally.
How often do we water succulents?
Although many people believe that succulents do not need watering, as in their natural environment they thrive and grow in desert conditions, this is not the case.
Succulents may contain more water from the water vapor of the environment than from the root system, but this does not mean that they do not need regular watering.
To maintain healthy and lush growth, water once a week during spring and fall and every 4-5 days during hot summer days.
In the winter season, we water every 2 weeks, in case we don’t have any rain, while for succulents we have indoors we check their soil to make sure it is dry before watering. However, watering depends on the type of succulent, on the climatic conditions of the area, on the type of soil as well as on the location where the plant has been planted.
What fertilizer do we put on succulents?
Succulents are not particularly demanding in terms of nutrients, while in order to use them properly they need favorable lighting, humidity and temperature conditions.
We use a low-nitrogen, high-content liquid water-soluble succulent fertilizer every two weeks from early spring to mid-summer and repeat once in early fall.
We apply fertilizer only during the period when the succulents are growing and in no case do we use large doses of fertilizer, in order to avoid problems and toxicities.
What problems do succulents usually show?
Succulents are attacked by bollworm and cotton bollworms, tetranych, as well as root rot mycological disease.
To deal with insects, preventively spray with grated green soap and water with copper megasulphate.
Very common problems that occur in cacti are burns on the shoots when exposed to direct sunlight, as well as deformation due to excessive watering and poor lighting during the winter period.
If we notice the bark of succulents bursting, this is due to irregular watering.
Succulent shoots shrink when exposed to low temperatures in winter, so they need proper protection from the cold.
Yellowing of the shoots of succulents is also very common, which is due to the lack of nutrients such as magnesium, iron, boron and zinc.
How do we create new succulents?
If we want to give friends succulents, it’s very easy and we don’t spend anything.
A big advantage that succulents have is that they multiply without much difficulty and this is another reason why they are so popular!
Propagation of succulents can be done using stem sections, small plants sprouting from the base of the succulent, leaves or even leaf sections.
For example, it is enough to cut a small vine leaf, put it on paper to dry the section and after a few days leave it on the soil of a pot to take roots and develop into a new vine plant.
We can also create new succulents from seed by following the basic seeding method as suggested in our related article on seeding.
Some succulents that are very difficult to root can be grafted onto suitable rootstocks and thus propagated. Grafted succulents are generally faster growing and more hardy.
And one last secret about succulents.
Succulents, unlike most plants, open their stomata at night to install barrier dioxide and carry out the process of photosynthesis.
In this way, succulents save water, as at night there is a lower temperature and higher humidity, so water losses are kept to a minimum.