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Thirty years ago, I spotted a sign on a variety of sedum called ‘Autumn Joy’ that claimed the plant would “thrive on neglect.” Convinced the phrase was nothing more than marketing blather, I took one home, stuck it in a one-gallon terra cotta pot, and vowed never to water it, fertilize it, or intervene in its life in any way. I figured it might last a year, maybe two. I was wrong.
In fact, it lasted 20 years, surviving extreme temperatures, including single-digit cold and triple-digit heat, being covered in ice and snow again and again, and being rain soaked and sitting in soggy soil for days on end. It finally bit the dust only after my beagle, Buster, decided it made an ideal urinal.
The point is succulents — and sedum (also called stonecrop) is a type of succulent — actually do thrive on neglect, and that includes all succulents, both indoor and outdoor varieties, as well as cacti. Of course, I’d never suggest you put them to the test the way I did, but I would suggest you not intervene too much in their lives, and follow these simple suggestions for succulent success.
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| DON’T OVERWATER. From late spring to late summer, water indoor succulents no more than once a week. During the fall and winter months, water maybe once every three or four weeks. Except during extreme periods of drought, outdoor varieties rarely need to be watered. In fact, overwatering is the fastest way to kill them. |
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THINK TWICE BEFORE FERTILIZING. Truth is, succulents will be perfectly happy without any fertilizer, and if you feed them too much or too often, they’ll croak. At the most, fertilize once a month during spring and summer, and not at all during fall and winter.
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| GIVE THEM THE RIGHT LIGHT. Although most succulents are native to desert regions of the world, they actually do best outdoors in this area when protected from late afternoon sun. Too much light – combined with hot temps — can lead to sunscald. Indoors, they need at least a half day of bright, indirect light. |
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REPOT ROUTINELY. Succulents respond well to annual repotting with a mix specifically blended for them. The best time to repot is spring.
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Enjoy your succulents. Just remember not to kill them with kindness.
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| All cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti. |
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More than once I've found myself simply staring at succulents and marveling at their incredible diversity in terms of colors, textures, shapes, and forms. They’re truly unlike any other group of plants. And one of the coolest things about them is that you can’t go wrong with any of them, from the small and bizarrely beautiful Lithrops such as Split Rock to the “String” series (such as String of Pearls, String of Turtles, and so on) or the hugely popular and carefree Sansevieria (Snake Plant) and ZZ Plant, which are among the largest of all succulents.
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Yes, there are hardy succulents that grow great in our area, both in pots and in the ground. By far and away, the most popular are the Sedums, whose thick, fleshy leaves add both color and texture to perennial beds. Good drainage is a must, but they’re otherwise tolerant of most soil types. Closely related are the Sempervivums, which includes the amazing Hens & Chicks. And there’s the matt-forming Ice Plant (Delosperma), whose daisy-like flowers are available in several colors.
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| Both cacti and cactuses are acceptable plural forms of cactus. |
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Equally diverse are the cacti, which are succulents worthy of their own category. And although not all of them bloom -- or may take years to do so -- those that do are especially worth growing. What I find most intriguing about cacti is their symmetry of form, but I must admit that I find their spines (which are actually modified leaves) pretty darn cool too. Never grown cacti before? Give them a go, but know in advance that collecting them can be addicting.
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When potting succulents and cacti indoors or out, the right potting mix is critical. It needs to be fairly light and drain quickly to prevent root rot, which is the number-one cause of death in succulents. That’s why we’re sold on Espoma’s Organic Cactus Mix, and you should be too.
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| The Saguaro cactus is the largest of all, often growing to 45 feet. The largest ever recorded reached 78 feet! |
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Coming Next Week -- Fall Veggies!
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What? You’ve never grown veggies in the fall? Well trust me, folks -- once you do, you’ll wonder why you never did. And you’ll understand why it’s my favorite season for growing tasty treats of all kinds.
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Tip Of The Week
Splashes of water can cause unsightly spots and discoloration on cacti and some succulents, so water only the base of the plant. |
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