cclecombe
2018年02月08日
Hello! I’ve been really absent due to our house getting very little light with winter and my plant babies were suffering! I’ve had a massive clear out of anything that’s passed the point of saving and rearranged some of my plants so they’re in the best position for their needs. Now Spring is around the corner, I’m ready to update my app and buy some new plants for the emptier areas of the house. What are your favourite low light plants?
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Jamisonlee
2017年11月14日
I have a lot of plants in my house (pothos) and to keep them healthy I add sugar to their water. ️
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成长记
meriunkat
2017年10月22日
It smells like beans in the house lols, they are bigger than they appear to look in the picture
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cclecombe
2017年10月08日
Anyone else in the UK having houseplant difficulties since the susden drop in temperature? I'm having a house plant shuffle to try and accomodate their needs, but our house gets so cold in winter!
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cclecombe：@Ueca all of our plants are indoors anyway. I think they just need somewhere a bit dryer in the winter
Ueca：Move tropical/desert plants (jasmine, Aeonium, cacti, etc.) indoors.
Mountain plants (Echeveria, some Crassula, Sedum, etc.) can hang on mostly down to 5°C as long as their soil is dry when it gets that cold.
成长记
cclecombe
2017年10月01日
The lighting in the part of the house in the morning isn't that bright so sorry for the bad photos, but we're getting there!
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文章
Miss Chen
2017年09月29日
Tulips grow and bloom in late winter and early spring, bringing bright color to otherwise sleepy gardens. These bulb plants are equally successful in pots, both in the house and in the garden. Potted tulips require the same planting times, placement and care as outdoor tulips if they're to bloom in spring, so buy some tulips bulbs in fall and get started.
Step 1
Plant tulip bulbs in fall, around the first frost date in your area. All tulips require a cold "resting" time in fall in order to bloom. Use pots at least 6 inches deep with drainage holes for tulips, to accommodate their roots and keep them from sitting in water.
Step 2
Fill the pots halfway with quick-draining potting soil, and set the tulip bulbs on the soil with their noses pointing up. Plant tulip bulbs closely, but never place them close enough to touch each other. Fill the pots to within 1 inch of the surface with more potting soil.
Step 3
Water the tulips until water runs out of the drainage hole in the pot, then set them outside for the winter.
Step 4
Move tulips indoors again when their stems are 1 inch long. Put the pots in a cool, dark space and give them several weeks to grow. Move the tulips back into a sunny spot when their stems are 4 to 5 inches long.
Step 5
Water sprouted tulips with 2 inches of water a week to maintain consistent soil moisture, and keep them in full sun for six to eight hours a day.
Step 1
Plant tulip bulbs in fall, around the first frost date in your area. All tulips require a cold "resting" time in fall in order to bloom. Use pots at least 6 inches deep with drainage holes for tulips, to accommodate their roots and keep them from sitting in water.
Step 2
Fill the pots halfway with quick-draining potting soil, and set the tulip bulbs on the soil with their noses pointing up. Plant tulip bulbs closely, but never place them close enough to touch each other. Fill the pots to within 1 inch of the surface with more potting soil.
Step 3
Water the tulips until water runs out of the drainage hole in the pot, then set them outside for the winter.
Step 4
Move tulips indoors again when their stems are 1 inch long. Put the pots in a cool, dark space and give them several weeks to grow. Move the tulips back into a sunny spot when their stems are 4 to 5 inches long.
Step 5
Water sprouted tulips with 2 inches of water a week to maintain consistent soil moisture, and keep them in full sun for six to eight hours a day.
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求助
virginiagreen
2017年09月27日
I do not know what this bush is behind our house...I want to cut it back but would be helpful to know,what it before I do so. It lives in an open area, sunny and warm climate, sandy soil no additional care or watering...looks a bit straggly! It has some berries growing from it, height of plant 5'7" to top. When is a good time to cut this back a little? Thanks!
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☆MintyHorizons☆：What colour(s) are the berries??
sunnyzou：name：Nandina domestica
文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月25日
Scientific Name
Sempervivum arachnoideum L.
Common Names
Cobweb Houseleek, Cobweb House-Leek, Spider Web Hens and Chicks, Spindelvävstaklök (Swedish)
Synonyms
Sempervivum sanguineum
Scientific Classification
Family: Crassulaceae
Subfamily: Sedoideae
Tribe: Sedeae
Subtribe: Sedinae
Genus: Sempervivum
Flower
Color: Pink
Bloom Time: July
Description
Sempervivum arachnoideum is a low-growing, evergreen, rosette-forming, perennial succulent, up to 3 inches (7.5 cm) tall and up to 12 inches (30 cm) wide, valued in cultivation for its ability to colonise hot, dry areas via offsets. The rosettes are up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter forming dense mats green leaves, flushed with red and with white hairs connected at tips. It flowers in July, with pink flowers that are raised on stems.
How to Grow and Care
Relatively easy to grow in container or in rock garden, scree bed, wall crevice, trough or alpine house. After the plant blooms and sets seed it will die, but there will be many offsets to take its place. Plant in well drained succulent soil mix in full sun to light shade. Water regularly during the growing season and allow soil to dry out before watering again. Water very little during the winter months.
Sempervivum arachnoideum can get vine weevil and may be subject to a rust. Propagate by seed sown in spring, or root offsets in spring.
Origin
Mountain of Europe from the Pyrenees to the Carpathians.
Sempervivum arachnoideum L.
Common Names
Cobweb Houseleek, Cobweb House-Leek, Spider Web Hens and Chicks, Spindelvävstaklök (Swedish)
Synonyms
Sempervivum sanguineum
Scientific Classification
Family: Crassulaceae
Subfamily: Sedoideae
Tribe: Sedeae
Subtribe: Sedinae
Genus: Sempervivum
Flower
Color: Pink
Bloom Time: July
Description
Sempervivum arachnoideum is a low-growing, evergreen, rosette-forming, perennial succulent, up to 3 inches (7.5 cm) tall and up to 12 inches (30 cm) wide, valued in cultivation for its ability to colonise hot, dry areas via offsets. The rosettes are up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter forming dense mats green leaves, flushed with red and with white hairs connected at tips. It flowers in July, with pink flowers that are raised on stems.
How to Grow and Care
Relatively easy to grow in container or in rock garden, scree bed, wall crevice, trough or alpine house. After the plant blooms and sets seed it will die, but there will be many offsets to take its place. Plant in well drained succulent soil mix in full sun to light shade. Water regularly during the growing season and allow soil to dry out before watering again. Water very little during the winter months.
Sempervivum arachnoideum can get vine weevil and may be subject to a rust. Propagate by seed sown in spring, or root offsets in spring.
Origin
Mountain of Europe from the Pyrenees to the Carpathians.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月24日
While these notes focus on pests and diseases of cacti and succulents, incorrect cultural conditions are a major cause of poor growth or loss of house plants in general. The single commonest cultural problem is over-watering, with the roots left wet for excessively long periods resulting in rotting. Other growth problems are related to insufficient light and too low or high a temperature. Most cacti and succulents are expected to flower when they reach the mature size, or even before, and failure to flower may indicate unsatisfactory growing conditions.
Over-watering
This is probably the single most common cause of failure of succulent plants to thrive. The plant may appear to do well at first, its leaves plump up and new growth produced. However, the roots may be suffering in wet soil and begin to rot unseen. The plant still looks well as the few remaining roots are able to take up sufficient of the plentiful water. As the roots continue to die in the stagnant soil, a point is reached at which they are unable to supply sufficient water and the plant appears to be suffering from lack of water. If more water is supplied, the situation gets worse and the rot may spread upwards into the basal stems or plant body. Eventually the plant body is observed to be soft and discoloured, perhaps yellow or grayish, by which time it is usually too late to save it. The moral is, that if a plant appears to be failing to take up water, knock it out of its pot and examine the condition of the roots before supplying more water.
Other reasons for loss of roots include pest damage and dormancy. Watering a succulent plant at the wrong time of year when it is dormant can cause rotting as effectively as can also happen if the roots have been eaten by insect pests.
Under-watering
If unsufficient water is provided for the prevailing temperature and stage in the growth cycle, leafy succulents stop growing and may shed their leaves and the apical tip of stems may die. This is followed by die-back or self-pruning of stems and branches. Cacti may shrink back into the potting mixture and possibly take on a reddish or purple hue because of production of coloured stress pigments. In some cases, shrinkage of a cactus during drought produces irreversible folds in the plant body which never fill out again. However, careful watering usually reverses the effects of drought on succulent plants. Small amounts of water should be given to water-starved plants at first, in case some of the roots have been lost.
Poor light more about light and lighting
Natural sunlight is the best way of illuminating your plants, many of which are native to arid hillsides under scorchingly bright sunlight. Succulent plants kept with insufficient light grow with pale or yellow sometimes stunted leaves and elongated relatively thin stems with long spaces between the leaf joints. This is known as etiolation. Cacti become soft and elongated with weak spination. The condition can generally be reversed by providing stronger light, although elongated growth in cacti will always remain as a record of the change in growing conditions. Succulent plants can often be pruned to restore their shape.
Cacti and some succulents will not usually become etiolated in dark conditions if kept cool and absolutely dry, and some growers allow their plants to become dormant for winter storage.
Scorch and heat damage
Scorch can affect succulent plants if there is a sudden period of sunshine after the dark winter days, or even after a prolonged cloudy period during the summer. Sunken brown or white patches develop down one side of a plant where the tissues have effectively been "cooked" and the green chlorophyll destroyed. Sometimes a glasshouse plant loses all its green pigment through excessive heat alone, even though it may not have been in the direct sunlight.
Scorching can be avoided by the timely application of shading to the greenhouse, improved ventilation and air circulation within the growing area to even out air temperatures. When moving plants into direct sunlight, or putting them outside for the summer, harden them off gradually in diffuse sunlight or put them under mesh shading for a few days to acclimatise.
Cold damage
Although many cacti and succulents are surprisingly cold-hardy if kept absolutely dry during the winter, some species from perpetually tropical climates (e.g. Madagascar) can suffer damage to the soft tissues at their growing points, and scarring and collapse of their stems leading to fungal attack and death of the tissues. The only solution is to maintain higher temperatures for susceptible plants.
Some species such as Echincactus grusonii which are otherwise easy to grow, can develop unsightly brown marks which spoil a specimen plant, if temperatures are too low.
Over-watering
This is probably the single most common cause of failure of succulent plants to thrive. The plant may appear to do well at first, its leaves plump up and new growth produced. However, the roots may be suffering in wet soil and begin to rot unseen. The plant still looks well as the few remaining roots are able to take up sufficient of the plentiful water. As the roots continue to die in the stagnant soil, a point is reached at which they are unable to supply sufficient water and the plant appears to be suffering from lack of water. If more water is supplied, the situation gets worse and the rot may spread upwards into the basal stems or plant body. Eventually the plant body is observed to be soft and discoloured, perhaps yellow or grayish, by which time it is usually too late to save it. The moral is, that if a plant appears to be failing to take up water, knock it out of its pot and examine the condition of the roots before supplying more water.
Other reasons for loss of roots include pest damage and dormancy. Watering a succulent plant at the wrong time of year when it is dormant can cause rotting as effectively as can also happen if the roots have been eaten by insect pests.
Under-watering
If unsufficient water is provided for the prevailing temperature and stage in the growth cycle, leafy succulents stop growing and may shed their leaves and the apical tip of stems may die. This is followed by die-back or self-pruning of stems and branches. Cacti may shrink back into the potting mixture and possibly take on a reddish or purple hue because of production of coloured stress pigments. In some cases, shrinkage of a cactus during drought produces irreversible folds in the plant body which never fill out again. However, careful watering usually reverses the effects of drought on succulent plants. Small amounts of water should be given to water-starved plants at first, in case some of the roots have been lost.
Poor light more about light and lighting
Natural sunlight is the best way of illuminating your plants, many of which are native to arid hillsides under scorchingly bright sunlight. Succulent plants kept with insufficient light grow with pale or yellow sometimes stunted leaves and elongated relatively thin stems with long spaces between the leaf joints. This is known as etiolation. Cacti become soft and elongated with weak spination. The condition can generally be reversed by providing stronger light, although elongated growth in cacti will always remain as a record of the change in growing conditions. Succulent plants can often be pruned to restore their shape.
Cacti and some succulents will not usually become etiolated in dark conditions if kept cool and absolutely dry, and some growers allow their plants to become dormant for winter storage.
Scorch and heat damage
Scorch can affect succulent plants if there is a sudden period of sunshine after the dark winter days, or even after a prolonged cloudy period during the summer. Sunken brown or white patches develop down one side of a plant where the tissues have effectively been "cooked" and the green chlorophyll destroyed. Sometimes a glasshouse plant loses all its green pigment through excessive heat alone, even though it may not have been in the direct sunlight.
Scorching can be avoided by the timely application of shading to the greenhouse, improved ventilation and air circulation within the growing area to even out air temperatures. When moving plants into direct sunlight, or putting them outside for the summer, harden them off gradually in diffuse sunlight or put them under mesh shading for a few days to acclimatise.
Cold damage
Although many cacti and succulents are surprisingly cold-hardy if kept absolutely dry during the winter, some species from perpetually tropical climates (e.g. Madagascar) can suffer damage to the soft tissues at their growing points, and scarring and collapse of their stems leading to fungal attack and death of the tissues. The only solution is to maintain higher temperatures for susceptible plants.
Some species such as Echincactus grusonii which are otherwise easy to grow, can develop unsightly brown marks which spoil a specimen plant, if temperatures are too low.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月21日
If you’re lucky, you could receive a Christmas Cactus as a gift this holiday season. This common house plant blooms during the Christmas season, but its long green arms are attractive throughout the year. With cultivars in a rainbow of colors, it is a plant worthy of appreciation. These 10 facts about Christmas Cacti will help you to care for your plant if you happen to receive one this holiday season.
1. It’s called a “cactus”, but it thrives in cooler temperatures. Christmas Cacti need to be kept away from heat sources. According to the Purdue University Extension Service, a Christmas Cactus will blossom longer when exposed to only cooler temperatures. For best results, keep your Christmas Cactus in a cool place (away from heaters and fireplaces) where there are not frequent drafts (right next to a frequently used door would not be a good place). Big changes in temperature can cause the blooms to drop off the plant before they open. The optimal temperature for Christmas Cacti is 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius).
2. Christmas Cacti need light to bloom. According to Purdue University Extension Service, keeping your Christmas Cactus plants in a sunny location indoors is the key to prolonged blooms. However, if you move them outside during the summer, you’ll have the most success in a partially shaded location, as too much direct light can burn the leaves.
3. The Christmas Cactus is native to Brazil. These epiphytes (a plant that grows on top of another plant non-parasitically) grow in the Brazilian rain forest, among tree branches, according to Clemson University Cooperative Extension. Since they are tropical plants, they thrive in humid conditions.
4. Christmas Cacti need their beauty sleep. The horticulture experts at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens recommend setting your Christmas Cactus in a room where you never turn the lights on at night. In order for the flower buds to set, Christmas Cacti need 14 hours or more of continuous darkness per day. However, after the flower buds have set, Christmas Cacti can withstand lights on at night.
5. Unlike the other Christmas favorite, Poinsettia, Christmas Cactus is not toxic to dogs and cats. Poinsettia is famously poisonous to dogs and cats. However, according to the ASPCA, if Fido or Fluffy nibbles on a Christmas Cactus, she should not experience irritation or vomiting like she would from the sap of the Poinsettia.
6. Christmas Cactus can live for 20 to 30 years. Can you imagine passing a living, flowering plant on to your children or grandchildren? According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, when properly cared for, Christmas Cacti can live for 20 to 30 years. If you provide long nights starting around October 1st, you can force the Christmas Cactus to bloom year after year. Cool night temperatures can also encourage it to bloom.
7. Overwatering will kill Christmas Cacti, but they like to be misted on a daily basis. A horticulturist at the Oregon State University Extension Service recommend only adding water to the soil that a Christmas Cactus is planted in when the soil is dry to the touch. Instead, gardening expert and radio host Walter Reeves, the Georgia Gardener, suggests misting the leaves of the Christmas Cactus to maintain the desired level of humidity around the plant.
8. 5 diseases commonly infect Christmas Cactus. Penn State University Extension experts provide a handy fact sheet that outlines the plant diseases that most often affect Christmas Cacti. Their list includes: Basal stem rot, botrytis blight, impatiens necrotic spot virus, phytophthora root rot, and pythium root rot.
9. Fungus gnats, flower thrips, and root mealybugs are the pests that most often infest Christmas Cacti. The University of Massachusetts-Amherst Extension Service recommends preventative measures. The biggest culprit in attracting pests to Christmas Cacti seems to be overwatering. Preventative care, such as discarding infested plants, is another recommended tactic. Pesticides are available for commercial growers, although home-growers may not be able to get their hands on those pesticides.
10. By the way, that Christmas Cactus you are buying is probably not actually a Christmas cactus. Surprise! According to the U-Mass Extension Service, “Holiday Cactus is sometimes marketed as Christmas Cactus, Thanksgiving Cactus, or Zygocactus. The “true” Christmas Cactus is an interspecific hybrid of Schlumbergera truncata and Schlumbergera russelliana that originated about 150 years ago in England. It is a common houseplant but is not often grown commercially. Plants have segments with rounded margins, ribbed ovaries, and purplish-brown anthers. The correct latin name for Christmas Cactus is Schlumbergera x buckleyi; the “x” indicates that it is an interspecific hybrid. Most commercial cultivars of Holiday Cactus are actually Schlumbergera truncata, commonly known as Thanksgiving Cactus or Zygocactus.”
1. It’s called a “cactus”, but it thrives in cooler temperatures. Christmas Cacti need to be kept away from heat sources. According to the Purdue University Extension Service, a Christmas Cactus will blossom longer when exposed to only cooler temperatures. For best results, keep your Christmas Cactus in a cool place (away from heaters and fireplaces) where there are not frequent drafts (right next to a frequently used door would not be a good place). Big changes in temperature can cause the blooms to drop off the plant before they open. The optimal temperature for Christmas Cacti is 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius).
2. Christmas Cacti need light to bloom. According to Purdue University Extension Service, keeping your Christmas Cactus plants in a sunny location indoors is the key to prolonged blooms. However, if you move them outside during the summer, you’ll have the most success in a partially shaded location, as too much direct light can burn the leaves.
3. The Christmas Cactus is native to Brazil. These epiphytes (a plant that grows on top of another plant non-parasitically) grow in the Brazilian rain forest, among tree branches, according to Clemson University Cooperative Extension. Since they are tropical plants, they thrive in humid conditions.
4. Christmas Cacti need their beauty sleep. The horticulture experts at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens recommend setting your Christmas Cactus in a room where you never turn the lights on at night. In order for the flower buds to set, Christmas Cacti need 14 hours or more of continuous darkness per day. However, after the flower buds have set, Christmas Cacti can withstand lights on at night.
5. Unlike the other Christmas favorite, Poinsettia, Christmas Cactus is not toxic to dogs and cats. Poinsettia is famously poisonous to dogs and cats. However, according to the ASPCA, if Fido or Fluffy nibbles on a Christmas Cactus, she should not experience irritation or vomiting like she would from the sap of the Poinsettia.
6. Christmas Cactus can live for 20 to 30 years. Can you imagine passing a living, flowering plant on to your children or grandchildren? According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, when properly cared for, Christmas Cacti can live for 20 to 30 years. If you provide long nights starting around October 1st, you can force the Christmas Cactus to bloom year after year. Cool night temperatures can also encourage it to bloom.
7. Overwatering will kill Christmas Cacti, but they like to be misted on a daily basis. A horticulturist at the Oregon State University Extension Service recommend only adding water to the soil that a Christmas Cactus is planted in when the soil is dry to the touch. Instead, gardening expert and radio host Walter Reeves, the Georgia Gardener, suggests misting the leaves of the Christmas Cactus to maintain the desired level of humidity around the plant.
8. 5 diseases commonly infect Christmas Cactus. Penn State University Extension experts provide a handy fact sheet that outlines the plant diseases that most often affect Christmas Cacti. Their list includes: Basal stem rot, botrytis blight, impatiens necrotic spot virus, phytophthora root rot, and pythium root rot.
9. Fungus gnats, flower thrips, and root mealybugs are the pests that most often infest Christmas Cacti. The University of Massachusetts-Amherst Extension Service recommends preventative measures. The biggest culprit in attracting pests to Christmas Cacti seems to be overwatering. Preventative care, such as discarding infested plants, is another recommended tactic. Pesticides are available for commercial growers, although home-growers may not be able to get their hands on those pesticides.
10. By the way, that Christmas Cactus you are buying is probably not actually a Christmas cactus. Surprise! According to the U-Mass Extension Service, “Holiday Cactus is sometimes marketed as Christmas Cactus, Thanksgiving Cactus, or Zygocactus. The “true” Christmas Cactus is an interspecific hybrid of Schlumbergera truncata and Schlumbergera russelliana that originated about 150 years ago in England. It is a common houseplant but is not often grown commercially. Plants have segments with rounded margins, ribbed ovaries, and purplish-brown anthers. The correct latin name for Christmas Cactus is Schlumbergera x buckleyi; the “x” indicates that it is an interspecific hybrid. Most commercial cultivars of Holiday Cactus are actually Schlumbergera truncata, commonly known as Thanksgiving Cactus or Zygocactus.”
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年09月21日
A group of plants called succulents that have either fleshy stems and/or leaves are often chosen as house plants for direct light conditions. Their ability to endure drought is reflected in the succulent stem/leaf condition where water is stored. These plants come from many plant families; most notably the cactus family. Others in this group, however, come from sub-tropical areas where light conditions are less extreme and moisture is more abundant. In this second group we find the Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and Orchid cacti. Some refer to this group as the jungle cacti because they are found as understory plants in tropical forests.
Some succulents make good house plants because they generally do not require much care and can grow under the average conditions of the home in which we find higher temperatures and low humidity. Some varieties are slow growers and therefore, present fewer demands for care than most other house plants. If you have a southern window in your home that receives direct light and becomes fairly hot, then you might consider choosing a succulent for that spot.
Light
The cacti and succulents generally require at least 4 hours of bright, direct light each day. However, some including the jungle cacti prefer medium light intensities and should never be placed in direct light except during the winter. Overall, if you wish to move a plant which has been grown in indirect light to direct light, then this should be done gradually. The same is true if you move a plant outdoors. Even though it has been in a direct light location in the house, it will be damaged if moved directly to full sun. Moving plants to a position with filtered light such as under a tree or shade screen will prevent sunscald. This appears as a bleaching of the foliage resulting in a yellow-white color. In addition, plants receiving direct light benefit from turning periodically so that all sides are exposed. This is especially true of plants with heavy growth.
Temperature and Humidity
Most cacti and succulents tolerate the low humidities and warmth of the home. During the winter, it becomes difficult to regulate humidity because of heating. The only succulents which can be temperamental are the jungle cacti. These plants, including the Christmas and Thanksgiving cacti, require higher humidities and should be placed on a tray of moistened rocks. This condition will promote flowering and flower retention.
Temperature in the home is generally adequate to maintain cacti and succulents all year round and this makes them particularly suitable as house plants. Some, however, do much better if presented with cool conditions during the winter. This is known as a rest period. Window sills and cool basements are good sites for these plants. The light should be as bright as possible.
Watering
Overall, cacti and succulents should be watered more frequently during the period of greatest growth and this occurs between the months of March and October in the Midwest. The most frequent cause of problems with the cacti is due to overwatering. The moisture condition should be checked ever 2 to 3 weeks. This is simply done by sticking the index finger into the soil. Soil particles should not cling if conditions are dry. Also, you should become familiar with the weight of the pot at dryness and this can served as a gauge for watering. It is best to allow the pot to dry out thoroughly between waterings. Plants in full sun will naturally dry out more quickly than those in filtered light. In winter, water no more than once per month. This is a slow growth period. Overwatering at this time will result is root rot by fungal organisms. Jungle cacti should be kept evenly moist all year round, especially during the flowering period of late fall or early spring. When flowering has stopped, water should be withheld to allow the soil to dry before rewatering.
Soil
The soil mix should match the moisture requirements of the plant. This is better than trying to match the frequency of watering the soil mix. It also dictates the drainage and regulates the nutrient supply. All cacti and succulents require good drainage and the type of soil should be coarser. An appropriate soil mix for most cacti would consist of two parts sand and one part soil mix. For tropical cacti like Christmas and Easter cacti, mix one part sand with one part soil mix and one part peat. The peat will hold more moisture than is required for these plants. Sand will create the proper drainage for all cacti and succulents and by varying its content, greater or lesser moisture will be held by the mix.
Fertilization
Generally, succulents and cacti do not demand a great deal of fertilizer to grow. Amounts recommended for typical house plants should be cut back to one-quarter to one-half concentration typically recommended on the label. The time to fertilize is during the active growth phase which begins in March and ends in October. In winter, no fertilizer is necessary as this represents the dormant state where little obvious growth occurs.
Repotting and Propagation
Most cacti and succulent prefer to be pot-bound. This condition leads to more frequent flowering in the case of jungle cacti. If plants become too pot-bound and the top growth is unbalanced, they should be repotted. The size of the pot should only be about 1 inch larger in diameter than the previous one. Tall plants should be repotted in a container which is at least one-half the size in diameter as the plant is tall. The time to repot is when growth begins in the spring. Potting during the dormant stage will set the plant back because a part of the root system may be lost during the process and it will be very slow to recover.
Cacti and succulents are among the easiest to propagate because they have such a large storage system of water and nutrients and are thus, very well adapted to adverse growing conditions. Some cacti actually loose parts of their stems as an active way to self-propagate. These parts may lay dormant for over a year and become quite desiccated before new roots emerge as a response to wetter conditions. There are three forms of vegetative propagation where some part of the mother plant is removed and used to grow the new plant. This is by offset division, stem cuttings and leaf cuttings.
Although more time consuming, some cacti and succulents can be started from seed. Generally, this is not worth the trouble because it may take between 2 to 5 years to establish the new plant with such slow growth rates as characterized by these plants.
The most popular way to propagate cacti and succulents is by division. Certain cacti will produce offsets which are small bulb-like protrusions that stick out from the mother plant. These can simply be pinched off and potted after a couple days of drying at room temperature to callus over the wound. The soil should be kept damp for about 4 weeks. Check for roots by tugging at the plant. If the pot lifts with the plant, then you can be assured that it has rooted.
The other way many cacti and succulents can be propagated is by taking cuttings of stems and leaves. Plants can be cut just above a node with a sharp, clean knife. The excised part should be air dried for 2 days then potted by burying a slight portion of the plant part in a sandy/peat potting mix. In a similar way, leaf portions from some plants like Sansevieria can be cut and potted. Leaf segments for this plants should be about 2 inches long. A segment should be potted in such a way that the basal portion that was closest to the root system of the mother plant is buried in the soil mix. Roots will not form from segments that are upside-down.
Cacti and Succulents that Flower
Although it may take a number of years, most small cacti and succulents will eventually flower. Larger cacti are not frequent flower producers. Some produce a tremendous number of blossoms over a short period and some only produce one or two. Additionally, some plants only produce flowers at night which last a single 24-hour period. Others bloom in full sun.
The most prized flowering plants in this class are the jungle cacti. These plants are native to shaded tropical forest floors and, therefore, do not fair well under intense light. Flowers are initiated when the day length becomes short as would occur in early winter and spring. The famous Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti are two such plants which respond to short days. These plants should be placed in a window which receives indirect light. They do best when they become pot-bound and the soil moisture is evenly maintained. Changing conditions in the middle of the flower response will surely result in bud drop, a condition which plagues many indoor gardeners.
Some succulents make good house plants because they generally do not require much care and can grow under the average conditions of the home in which we find higher temperatures and low humidity. Some varieties are slow growers and therefore, present fewer demands for care than most other house plants. If you have a southern window in your home that receives direct light and becomes fairly hot, then you might consider choosing a succulent for that spot.
Light
The cacti and succulents generally require at least 4 hours of bright, direct light each day. However, some including the jungle cacti prefer medium light intensities and should never be placed in direct light except during the winter. Overall, if you wish to move a plant which has been grown in indirect light to direct light, then this should be done gradually. The same is true if you move a plant outdoors. Even though it has been in a direct light location in the house, it will be damaged if moved directly to full sun. Moving plants to a position with filtered light such as under a tree or shade screen will prevent sunscald. This appears as a bleaching of the foliage resulting in a yellow-white color. In addition, plants receiving direct light benefit from turning periodically so that all sides are exposed. This is especially true of plants with heavy growth.
Temperature and Humidity
Most cacti and succulents tolerate the low humidities and warmth of the home. During the winter, it becomes difficult to regulate humidity because of heating. The only succulents which can be temperamental are the jungle cacti. These plants, including the Christmas and Thanksgiving cacti, require higher humidities and should be placed on a tray of moistened rocks. This condition will promote flowering and flower retention.
Temperature in the home is generally adequate to maintain cacti and succulents all year round and this makes them particularly suitable as house plants. Some, however, do much better if presented with cool conditions during the winter. This is known as a rest period. Window sills and cool basements are good sites for these plants. The light should be as bright as possible.
Watering
Overall, cacti and succulents should be watered more frequently during the period of greatest growth and this occurs between the months of March and October in the Midwest. The most frequent cause of problems with the cacti is due to overwatering. The moisture condition should be checked ever 2 to 3 weeks. This is simply done by sticking the index finger into the soil. Soil particles should not cling if conditions are dry. Also, you should become familiar with the weight of the pot at dryness and this can served as a gauge for watering. It is best to allow the pot to dry out thoroughly between waterings. Plants in full sun will naturally dry out more quickly than those in filtered light. In winter, water no more than once per month. This is a slow growth period. Overwatering at this time will result is root rot by fungal organisms. Jungle cacti should be kept evenly moist all year round, especially during the flowering period of late fall or early spring. When flowering has stopped, water should be withheld to allow the soil to dry before rewatering.
Soil
The soil mix should match the moisture requirements of the plant. This is better than trying to match the frequency of watering the soil mix. It also dictates the drainage and regulates the nutrient supply. All cacti and succulents require good drainage and the type of soil should be coarser. An appropriate soil mix for most cacti would consist of two parts sand and one part soil mix. For tropical cacti like Christmas and Easter cacti, mix one part sand with one part soil mix and one part peat. The peat will hold more moisture than is required for these plants. Sand will create the proper drainage for all cacti and succulents and by varying its content, greater or lesser moisture will be held by the mix.
Fertilization
Generally, succulents and cacti do not demand a great deal of fertilizer to grow. Amounts recommended for typical house plants should be cut back to one-quarter to one-half concentration typically recommended on the label. The time to fertilize is during the active growth phase which begins in March and ends in October. In winter, no fertilizer is necessary as this represents the dormant state where little obvious growth occurs.
Repotting and Propagation
Most cacti and succulent prefer to be pot-bound. This condition leads to more frequent flowering in the case of jungle cacti. If plants become too pot-bound and the top growth is unbalanced, they should be repotted. The size of the pot should only be about 1 inch larger in diameter than the previous one. Tall plants should be repotted in a container which is at least one-half the size in diameter as the plant is tall. The time to repot is when growth begins in the spring. Potting during the dormant stage will set the plant back because a part of the root system may be lost during the process and it will be very slow to recover.
Cacti and succulents are among the easiest to propagate because they have such a large storage system of water and nutrients and are thus, very well adapted to adverse growing conditions. Some cacti actually loose parts of their stems as an active way to self-propagate. These parts may lay dormant for over a year and become quite desiccated before new roots emerge as a response to wetter conditions. There are three forms of vegetative propagation where some part of the mother plant is removed and used to grow the new plant. This is by offset division, stem cuttings and leaf cuttings.
Although more time consuming, some cacti and succulents can be started from seed. Generally, this is not worth the trouble because it may take between 2 to 5 years to establish the new plant with such slow growth rates as characterized by these plants.
The most popular way to propagate cacti and succulents is by division. Certain cacti will produce offsets which are small bulb-like protrusions that stick out from the mother plant. These can simply be pinched off and potted after a couple days of drying at room temperature to callus over the wound. The soil should be kept damp for about 4 weeks. Check for roots by tugging at the plant. If the pot lifts with the plant, then you can be assured that it has rooted.
The other way many cacti and succulents can be propagated is by taking cuttings of stems and leaves. Plants can be cut just above a node with a sharp, clean knife. The excised part should be air dried for 2 days then potted by burying a slight portion of the plant part in a sandy/peat potting mix. In a similar way, leaf portions from some plants like Sansevieria can be cut and potted. Leaf segments for this plants should be about 2 inches long. A segment should be potted in such a way that the basal portion that was closest to the root system of the mother plant is buried in the soil mix. Roots will not form from segments that are upside-down.
Cacti and Succulents that Flower
Although it may take a number of years, most small cacti and succulents will eventually flower. Larger cacti are not frequent flower producers. Some produce a tremendous number of blossoms over a short period and some only produce one or two. Additionally, some plants only produce flowers at night which last a single 24-hour period. Others bloom in full sun.
The most prized flowering plants in this class are the jungle cacti. These plants are native to shaded tropical forest floors and, therefore, do not fair well under intense light. Flowers are initiated when the day length becomes short as would occur in early winter and spring. The famous Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti are two such plants which respond to short days. These plants should be placed in a window which receives indirect light. They do best when they become pot-bound and the soil moisture is evenly maintained. Changing conditions in the middle of the flower response will surely result in bud drop, a condition which plagues many indoor gardeners.
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