They are actively discussing how to combine different succulents and cacti in one container. I think that anyone who has read at least a few posts in this multi-page thread and looked at the wonderful photographs of the mixes will eventually be struck by the idea of creating their own composition of prickly (and not so prickly) friends. This guide was created to facilitate the work of a newly minted designer, as well as to consolidate some of the postulates born in such a lively discussion. I would like to thank all the participants in this forum for their help in writing this article, as well as the author of the photographs, Alena Zavarzina (EleNZ).
As practice shows, creating a beautiful mix (if you have something) is not a problem. You take enough succulents, a bowl, a minimum of knowledge about plants and carefully plant... In the first month this Always Beautiful! And then the surprises begin. Some people don’t get along together, some grow up too quickly, some, on the contrary, don’t want to grow up. But it’s not interesting to plant a mix twice a year; I want to choose compositions that will grow successfully over a noticeable period of time - 3-4 years, without replanting and with minimal care. At the same time, with maximum impact - flowering, beautiful foliage, absence of pests, diseases, etc.
There are many tasks, but the only way to achieve what you want is to try different variants and exchange experiences. And, based on trial and error, avid mixers got the following:
Mixes of cacti and succulents are not recommended. Cacti need a cool and dry winter to bloom, but succulents can do without such extreme conditions. In addition, if succulents such as aeoniums or echeverias are kept completely dry in winter, some of their leaves may fall off, causing appearance plants will be lost. If we continue to water the cacti mix in winter, by spring we will get elongated tops, which also do not add additional charm to the composition. So we plant cacti separately, succulents separately.
When composing a composition from cacti alone, it is necessary to remember that it is better to combine cacti in compositions only symbolically, i.e. Leave each one in an individual plastic pot with drainage holes. In this case, several problems can be avoided: the roots of the cacti will not intertwine with each other, and you can easily plant them if necessary; if an infection or pest is suspected, it will be possible to quickly and easily remove the sick person from the “communal apartment” without disturbing the roots of the other neighbors. If you nevertheless planted cacti without pots, then it is better to replant them only in the spring, following all the rules of replanting and watering regime.
To create a composition of cacti, you need to take slow-growing specimens that rarely produce children. These can be astrophytums, echinofossulocacti, gymnocalyciums (especially colored grafted forms as a color spot), Cereus Peruvian monstrous form, Chamecereus Selvester (a dwarf cactus and bushes well). Cirrus mammillaria (plumosa) and slender mammillaria (gracilis) are also good.
As one of the ways to create a mix of cacti, the following option is proposed.
A container without drainage holes is selected, then two-thirds of the height is filled with small pebbles. You need to choose a medium-sized pebble and compact it tightly (shake the pot, knock it gently on the table). Then sand to fill the voids, then about 3 cm of soil. Then the pots with cacti are screwed into the pebbles, and the excess is removed. If you lift a pot of cactus from such a mix, a few pebbles may fall off, but that’s not a big deal. After inspection, you can put it in place. Watering such a composition is carried out not in pots, but on pebbles, so that it does not reach the pots with plants, but is always at the bottom. In such conditions, your composition can last about 2-3 years, naturally, subject to the rules of watering cacti. It is very easy to control the amount of moisture - lift the pot and inspect it: if the pebbles underneath are still wet, then watering is not needed. If your summer is very warm and dry, then the pebbles need to be kept at high humidity.
Now about succulent gardens. When selecting plants for them, you need to focus both on the conditions in which the mix will exist in the future, and on the growth rate of the plants themselves. If the place of the proposed dislocation is replaced by partial shade, then for such a composition it is necessary to select succulents that can easily tolerate the absence large quantity Sveta. These may be Haworthia and Gasteria with green leaves, Crassulaceae with a delicate green epidermis, swallowworts (Guernia, Stapelia, Ceropegia), Sansevieria and aloe. But in any case, the most reasonable thing is to keep the mix in partial shade for about six months, but move it to a more illuminated place for six months. Let’s say that in the summer the composition stays in a lighted place, and in the winter it moves to partial shade to “revitalize the interior of the room.”
And if sun-tolerant, slow-growing and drought-resistant plants are needed, then you need to select plants covered with a waxy coating, or brown in color, covered with pubescence, having ribs and small size. Therefore, according to these “signs” the following are suitable:
- pachyphytum, echeveria, sedum, graptoveria, cotyledon, in short, almost all Crassulaceae with these characters;
- Haworthia and Gasteria having these characteristics, namely: brown color, compact growth, papillae on the surface of the leaves;
- ragworts covered with bloom or pubescence, succulent peperomia with thick leaves and windows on them;
- mesembryanthemums, easy to maintain, such as: faucaria, fritia, unpretentious lithops, etc.;
- euphorbia;
- miniature agaves and aloe;
- sun-loving swallowtails (hudiyas, piaranthus);
- plants of other genera with similar characteristics.
When planting a succulent garden, it is recommended to leave fairly large gaps between the plants, so that in the future, as they grow, they do not interfere with each other and do not force frequent transplants. To disguise empty spaces, you can scatter pebbles (pebbles) on the surface of the soil, lay out all kinds of snags, sticks, cones, glass, shells, pieces tree bark, plastic toys. By the way, you can also purchase (for example, in fishing, zoo, and hunting stores) imitations of spiders, snakes, and centipedes. The latter can be placed in any mix to give the effect of surprise. Just be careful not to let your compositions end up looking like a pebble beach. And if you put a large stone in the middle of the composition, it will be easier to water the mix: water can be poured directly onto this stone, there will be no erosion of the soil and the water will be distributed very evenly.
And finally, some features of succulent plants that were noticed when trying to combine them.
- The Crassula moss moss does not like ceramics. It becomes gray and as if dried out. At the same time, it remains more alive than all living things, breaks easily and produces babies from the apical shoots, scattering them throughout the pot.
- Small surfaces are not suitable for pachyphytums. Planted so that they hang down, they easily break and go bald. If you plant them in a wide bowl, closer to the center, so that they “lie”, it turns out better.
- It is important to group together plants with approximately the same watering requirements. Otherwise, after some time you will notice that one is “wet”, and the other is sad from dryness.
- Hatiora is very undemanding. It can be planted in mixes without fear.
But, despite careful selection and optimal care, the succulent arrangement will grow over time and require replanting. On the other hand, it will new opportunity for a flight of fancy, because it’s so exciting - succulent mixes!
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| To compose a KS composition, you will need a shallow pot of suitable diameter, at the bottom of which you need to put drainage (in this case, large pebbles). | Cacti can be left in plastic flowerpots, or freed from them, as in our photo. If you are sure that the roots are healthy, you don’t have to completely shake off the soil from them. | |
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| Fill the pot approximately halfway with prepared soil, to which you can add granular fertilizers for cacti. | We place the cacti in the pot somewhat obliquely, guided by our own considerations of beauty. | |
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| Fill in the rest free space soil, not forgetting to compact it. | Scatter pebbles between the plants on the surface of the soil, not forgetting big stone. The mix is ready! |
Usually, growing cacti from seeds is practiced in breeding work, since these plants reproduce well vegetative way. But it is quite possible to grow cacti from seeds at home; there is nothing complicated in this agricultural procedure. You can learn how to grow a cactus from seeds from the material provided. It talks about necessary tool and equipment, training planting material and organization of seedling care. A description of the entire process of propagation by seedlings will allow every gardener to repeat this work.
Before growing cacti from seeds at home, you need to prepare everything you need and be patient, since the initial growth and development of these crops will be very slow. Cacti grown from seeds at home can produce their first fruit only after 5-6 years. Otherwise, propagating cacti from seeds is not very difficult.
How to germinate and sow cactus seeds
Before planting a cactus from seeds, you should make sure that this variety or genus does not give rise to genetic mutations. If it retains all varietal characteristics, then the process will be exciting. The only thing is that before sowing cacti with seeds, you must follow a few basic rules. Thus, cactus seeds germinate, in accordance with the growth pattern of these plants in general, slowly; seedlings also develop slowly. In addition, although the seeds need moisture and warmth, on the other hand, cactus seedlings are very susceptible to fungal diseases. Therefore, when sowing seeds, you need to maintain the required humidity and at the same time strive to prevent the appearance of fungal diseases. How to germinate cactus seeds is described in detail in this article further down the page.
Sowing cactus seeds on a larger scale or propagating especially difficult, slow-growing cacti, which often have very small seeds, should only be carried out by experienced amateur cactus growers. The information necessary for this can be found in specialized literature. However, try to propagate by seeds suitable species cacti - for example, fast-growing columnar cacti - may, if available simple remedies even novice amateurs. The seed plant is an interesting spectacle to watch, and also when grown with my own hands From the seed, the plant always receives a special treatment. Therefore, below are some recommendations for sowing cactus seeds.
What cactus seeds look like (with photo)
Specialty stores offer a wide variety of cactus seeds. Usually, for their first attempt, beginners choose either a mixture of seeds different varieties, either seeds of fast-growing columnar cacti or seeds of species that bloom a few years after planting, such as rebutia. You need to know what the seeds of the type and variety of cacti you are interested in look like, otherwise you will be disappointed in the future.
Of course, you can also sow seeds received from another cactus lover. For sowing, you should use seeds that have been stored for no more than one or two years. To prevent possible damage to seedlings by fungal infections, seeds must be cleaned of possible residues of fruit pulp before sowing.
To do this, pour larger seeds into a tea strainer, and smaller ones into a bag made of linen fabric and wash them thoroughly in warm water, after which they are scattered on paper and dried.
Look what cactus seeds look like - the photo shows planting material from different groups of these plants:
Before planting cactus seeds, prepare the soil and dishes
First we prepare the soil and dishes. Cactus seeds can be sown in low, wide or bowls, for example, made of styrofoam. Before planting cactus seeds, wash the dishes hot water. A convex clay shard is placed on the drainage hole, which, if necessary, can be made in the bottom of the bowl with a pencil. Then the container is filled 2/3, which should be especially loose and, if possible, contain more coarse sand or perlite.
Steamed, and therefore well disinfected, soil mixture provides the best protection against fungal diseases, but this is not necessary. A layer is poured on top of the soil broken bricks, crushed basalt (lava) or coarse sand in a layer of 0.5 cm. This material is first sifted to a grain size of 1-2 mm, then washed to remove all small dust particles, dried and then scattered over the surface of the soil in a bowl. As a result, this layer will not provide a breeding ground for randomly germinating pathogens.
Propagation of cacti by seeds in a mini-greenhouse
Propagating cacti by seeds in a mini-greenhouse has many advantages, since favorable conditions are created for the germination of planting material. The seeds of most cacti germinate especially well at temperatures between 20 and 25°C. Reducing the temperature to 15°C at night is often beneficial, but cooler conditions or temperatures above 35°C will slow down or stop seed germination altogether.
The easiest way to maintain the desired temperature is in mini-greenhouses for growing seedlings, which have a special low-power electric heating cable laid along the bottom.
The most convenient are mini-greenhouses with a thermostat that allows you to regulate the temperature, but the need for this arises only when there are strong temperature changes in the room.
Of course, additional heating is not necessary if the mini-greenhouse is located in a heated living room, for example, on a windowsill under a radiator central heating, where the required temperature is constantly maintained. Thanks to closed lid inside the greenhouse, more high humidity air. Since cactus seeds need light to germinate, the mini-greenhouse must be placed in a bright place, for example, on the windowsill of a window facing north or east.
However, it should not be in the sun, that is, on a sunny south or west window, since intense solar radiation very quickly heats the air inside a small closed space to critical values. Although cactus seeds require light for germination, it should be soft and not bright sunlight.
Sowing cacti with seeds
When sowing, cactus seeds must be evenly distributed over the surface of the substrate.
To do this, fold a piece of paper in half, pour the seeds into the resulting groove, after which, by lightly tapping the paper slightly inclined towards the bowl, sprinkle the seeds one at a time onto the soil surface.
Since cacti develop slowly and grow better in a community, the seeds are sown relatively densely. As a guide, you can indicate that approximately 20 cactus seeds are sown on the soil surface in a bowl measuring 2 x 2 cm.
After sowing cacti with seeds, they are lightly pressed into the soil using any object with a smooth surface, for example matchbox. Since cactus seeds need light to germinate, they are not sprinkled with soil on top.
After this, the seeds and substrate must be moistened. Of course, this cannot be done from a watering can, since in this case the seeds will be washed away from the surface of the soil by a stream of water. Therefore, the bowls with the sown seeds are placed in a container filled with settled water and kept there until the substrate is well saturated with moisture to the very top layer. To prevent fungal diseases, you can use a 0.05% solution of quinosol (1 tablet per 2 liters of water). Quinozol is a mild disinfectant. Finally, the seeding bowls or pots are placed in a mini-greenhouse, where, thanks to the transparent plastic cover will be supported required humidity substrate.
Germination of cactus seeds after planting
During germination after germination, the substrate should not dry out. Temperature is best monitored using a minimum-maximum thermometer.
The seeds of many cacti germinate within two weeks. It is interesting to observe how small green balls begin to appear on the surface of the soil and two well-defined cotyledons develop, between which a cactus stem later forms.
When most of the seeds have sprouted, the lid of the mini-greenhouse is slightly raised from time to time to reduce air humidity, and with it the risk of fungal infection. After three to four months, the bowls with seedlings can be removed from the greenhouse. Now they need to be placed in a bright and slightly sunny - however, not in the bright sun - place; since in natural conditions cactus seedlings grow in the light shade of adult cacti or under the protection of taller surrounding vegetation.
It is best to let the seedlings develop for several months in the bowl where they sprouted. Now, between next waterings, the soil in the bowl should dry out slightly, however, despite this, the seedlings need to be watered more often than adult cacti, since a relatively looser soil mixture is used for sowing seeds, and the roots of the seedlings are not yet very well developed. Watering should continue to be done from below. To ensure that the seedlings grow healthy and the substrate does not become alkalized, potassium phosphate can be added to the irrigation water (1 g per 2 liters of water).
Picking.
When the seedlings begin to form a dense cushion (curtain) in the bowl, they need to be planted into fresh soil.
In this case, the substrate in the planting plate or pot must be dry, then it easily disintegrates and allows the seedlings to be removed without damage. Young plants, which by this time have a diameter of about 0.5 cm, are not planted in separate small pots, but are planted in large numbers in larger pots or bowls.
Dishes for planting young plants are filled with relatively dry ordinary soil mixture for cacti. Then make a hole with a pencil or a pointed stick, place the seedling in it and carefully add soil from all sides.
Seedlings are planted from each other at a distance equal to approximately three times the diameter of the young plants.
Afterwards, the seedlings are kept in a warm, shaded place; They are carefully watered not immediately after transplantation, but only a few days later, when any root damage that may have occurred has healed. When the seedlings take root in fresh soil - after about a week - they are again transferred to a light area, slightly shaded from direct sun rays place. Now the plants grow and develop relatively quickly and without any problems.
How to plant cacti with seeds in a closed plastic bag (with video)
Some cactus growers strive good results using a simple method of sowing cactus seeds. Before planting cacti with seeds, pots or bowls are filled, as described above, with a well-steamed soil mixture and covered with a layer of sterile material such as sand, perlite, crushed basalt or pumice. Then cactus seeds are sown on the surface of the substrate and the crops are thoroughly watered from below, adding any fungicidal drug, such as quinozol, to the water.
After excess water has drained from the pot, place it inside a sealed (no holes) plastic bag, tie it and place or hang it in a bright, but not sunny, place.
Since the moisture in a closed plastic bag cannot evaporate, the crops do not need constant monitoring and can be left to their own devices for a quarter of the year. The decisive point for successfully obtaining seedlings using this sowing method is the exclusion of fungal infections.
After three to four months, the bags are opened, the substrate is slightly dried in bowls and the seedlings are picked, as described above. This simple method of sowing cacti is definitely worth trying, first of all, in the case when you have received - for example, from a familiar amateur cactus grower - a lot of seeds of some particularly hardy species.
See how to properly propagate a cactus with seeds - the video demonstrates all the complex technical aspects of sowing, picking and organizing the care of seedlings:
Succulents are considered to be plants that can store water for a long time, as a result of which they do not require frequent watering, which cannot be said for other flowers grown at home. Caring for such plants is quite simple; the only thing they love is an abundance of sunlight. If you decide to plant beautiful flowers and your windows face south, then best option, like a succulent, you won't find it.
What types of succulents are there?
The most common succulents include flowers such as:
- Echeveria, better known as stone flower;
- Crassula, also known as Crassula;
- sedium, simply called sedum;
- Kalanchoe;
- scarlet, also known as agave;
- epiphyllum, better known as cactus.
In nature, these plants can be found in countries such as Africa, South America and Madagascar. Despite this, these plants grow very well, both at home and in the flowerbed of your dacha.
Growing succulents at home varies depending on the time of year. IN spring period they must be transplanted into new soil, which must be sufficiently nutritious and consist of sand, earth and bark. This soil has good air and moisture permeability.
For the summer season, in order to grow succulents, they must be watered and fed regularly. In winter, the amount of watering can be reduced, since there is much less sunlight at this time. A flower pot will feel best right next to the glass, as there is much more light and coolness there. It is worth noting that in winter period You can completely refuse watering, since due to its ability to accumulate moisture well, it can do without water for a long time. Until spring, this flower is in a kind of hibernation, and you need to water it only when you see the first signs of beginning wilting.
But as for sunlight, succulents simply cannot live without it. If you take other plants, then bright sunlight can be destructive for them, but these flowers, due to the presence of special protective elements, feel great even in the most scorching heat.
In summer best place For this flower there will be a balcony or loggia. If you decide to place it in your florarium, then you can do this no earlier than a month later, and then return it back to the windowsill closer to sunlight, without a sufficient amount of which the succulent may simply die.
As mentioned above, succulents are indifferent to water, so you can get by with watering summer time- twice a week, and in winter - twice a month. This is due to the ability of this plant to accumulate water reserves to survive in the driest conditions.
In addition, these plants tolerate temperature changes well, but as for frosts, they are undesirable for it. Despite their relationship to light, these flowers should be in a place with good air circulation. If you comply with everything simple rules in caring for these plants, then all year round Such beautiful flowers as succulents will delight you with their blooming.
Reproduction process
These plants reproduce quite simply; many of them sprout from leaves that have fallen. For some, it is enough to simply cut off the side of the sprout and plant it in the ground. It is worth noting that under no circumstances should the shoots be placed in water; they will simply rot there. For proper reproduction The sprouts are first dried for several days and then planted. After a couple of weeks young plant The first roots have already sprung. At this time it is very important to take Special attention its complementary foods, which can actively stimulate root formation, which is very important for the process of its engraftment.
When propagating by leaf, it must be completely broken off and placed side by side on the ground. This plant can independently shed the leaves necessary for reproduction, which will subsequently take root on their own. To do this, you will simply need to add fresh soil. Within two weeks, the root system will sprout and further bud formation will occur.
Some specimens of succulents become full-fledged flowers within two months, but there are also those that require a whole year to achieve this.
There are types of succulents that only need part of a leaf to reproduce. These include gasteria, haurotia and kalanchoe. To do this, part of the leaf, which must be pre-dried, must be planted in the ground to a depth of about one centimeter. Types of succulents such as haurotia and gasteria do not fully grow until after a year. But Kalanchoe is able to fully grow in just a couple of months.
It is best to propagate these plants in the summer. In summer, these plants take root quickly and grow well. During the cold season, this is not recommended due to the low availability of sunlight.
There are also species that reproduce by seeds. To do this, you need to add gravel to the soil and keep the flower under a hood after planting. The first shoots appear in about a week, and full ripening occurs no earlier than a year later.
Only 4 types of “living stones” survive at home:
- Hybeums;
- Lithops;
When growing succulents, it is necessary to approximate all the conditions to which they adapted in the desert:
Reproduction methods
Seeds
How to grow a plant from seeds at home and what do the seeds look like?
You can buy seeds in a store or ask friends who already have these plants. They are easily pollinated by hand if you have two separately. flowering plants. A brush can be used to transfer pollen from one flower to another. The seeds of “living stones” are very small in size, similar to dust, almost invisible. This makes them difficult to plant.
How to plant:
The germination period of seeds is about 2 weeks. Care of crops consists of daily ventilation and strict control over temperature conditions. It is necessary to ventilate when condensation forms. Ripening of fruits and ripening of seeds lasts approximately 9 months. They do not need to be replanted for the first year. On next year after molting they are dived into new ground.
Cuttings
Unfortunately, not all “living stones” reproduce by cuttings, because cuttings are the best way rejuvenation of an elderly bushy plant. This way Lithops does not reproduce. Other “living pebbles” can be easily propagated by cuttings.
To propagate by cuttings, you need to carefully cut off a leaf with part of the stem and plant it for rooting in the soil. The first watering is carried out only 3 weeks after planting, during which time the cuttings should grow roots.
Advice: Some experienced flower growers It is recommended to leave the cutting on outdoors for drying for 1–2 days. Then the cut is treated with heteroauxin powder or colloidal sulfur.
The plant is rooted in a sandy substrate for a month. A rooted plant usually does not require any special conditions, watering is also normal. The time for reproduction is the beginning of spring. It is better not to plant in autumn and winter, as due to lack of light and heat the plant will easily rot in damp soil.
Transfer
Succulents only need to be repotted when they become cramped in the pot. e. The pot should be wide and not tapering towards the bottom.
How to transplant:
We recommend watching a video about transplanting “Living Stones”:
Difficulties in care
- "Living stones" are succulents that prefer to grow in families of three or more flowers. One plant usually does not survive.
- If the plant is shriveled, it sure sign that it needs to be watered, but watered moderately and better around it, directly on it better water do not pour.
- If it has small dents, this means that it has been overwatered, it is necessary to reduce watering.
- Due to the fact that “living stones” are watered very rarely, mealybugs may appear. This is a pest that appears in dry soil. How to care for the plant in this case? For prevention, you need to mix a decoction of garlic with pieces of soap and pour this solution over the plant.
- In low light, the succulent stretches out. Sometimes in the summer it grows a new pair of leaves, but the old one does not dry out. In this case, the flower grows in height and weakens. This will not happen if you keep the succulent in direct sun. Due to poor lighting, it may also not bloom.
"Living Pebbles" is very unpretentious plants and at proper care will delight you for many years.
Succulents are plants that prefer bright sun; they grow in places where water is scarce and therefore store it in their succulent leaves or stems. They have special growing requirements. If you understand how to grow them, new horizons will open up for you. Because it's not just cacti, it's much more.
Today, cuttings of succulents can also be purchased on the Internet (this allows you to obtain rare varieties that you cannot find in your gardening centers). In the fall, cuttings are usually sent in fairly sluggish condition, this is how it should be: they are overwintering, and sluggish succulents are less susceptible to damage from low temperatures upon shipment.
1. Sun
This is the first condition for success. If you don't have a south-facing window sill at home, you may not like your succulents.
I love succulents bright light
and is unable to develop normally without it. IN Middle lane In Russia they need to be placed in direct sun. In summer, they can and should be placed on the balcony with cover from the rain (they don’t need excessive watering at all, these are desert plants). Provide them with desert, and they will reward you with growth and flowering.
2. Why do they die on you?
Succulents should not be planted in purchased soil peat-based and water frequently.
The main enemies of succulents are dampness and darkness.. They cannot grow on shady windows or away from windows and the sun. More precisely, they can, but they will be elongated, weak, frail plants.
Succulents die when they are planted in purchased soil for cacti (unfortunately, the soil for cacti in the store is also based on peat, which succulents do not like), watered abundantly, placed in the shade, watered regularly in winter when kept on cold windows (forgetting wintering and root rotting in damp, cold soil). They cannot survive in such conditions.
3. Why you have to compose the soil yourself
Peat is an organic matter that is biodegradable by soil fungi, bacteria and blue-green algae. This is not suitable for succulents at all.
Succulents grow in the desert, and best soil for them it is dry dust, clay, stones and sand. These are subtrates with a low organic content and without dampness. In their composition no peat or other rich organic sources.
Under no circumstances should you plant succulents in purchased peat-based soil, even if it is called “Special soil for desert cacti.” That is why, if you want not to ruin another plant, you will have to work with the soil yourself. Actually, it's not difficult.
Constantly damp organic substrates (peat in a spacious pot and good watering) is a natural habitat for soil microflora, fungi and bacteria.
Succulents in their natural habitats do not encounter the presence of soil microflora in the substrate and therefore have absolutely no immunity to it. Their roots in your house die from ordinary soil microorganisms that are harmless to other plants.
To grow succulents you need soil that dries very quickly.
Peat and soils based on it dry out for a very long time due to the high water holding capacity peat If such soil is dry, it is extremely difficult to wet it back: the water simply flows down the walls of the pot without reaching the roots. This soil needs to be watered regularly, without drying it out. And for succulents, regular drying of the earthen coma is the main measure to prevent rotting.
Ordinary outdoor forest or garden soil mixed with coarse sand is best suited for succulents.
Coarse sand is sold in the department products for pet shops/aquariums. There is no need to heat or steam the soil and sand. Spill the soil with potassium permanganate no need either because potassium permanganate is a strong oxidizing agent that worsens Chemical properties soil.
4. Small pots
Large pots are not suitable for succulents (and most other plants too) because the soil in them dries out too long between waterings, which is harmful for succulents, especially in winter. Suitable small plastic or clay pots(including Eco-people), small cups for seedlings and even just plastic cups for 50 and 100 ml (for small specimens).
5. No need to water
Compared to other houseplants, succulents require little to no watering. They have long adapted to moisture deficiency and know how to store it in their own leaves or stems, using it sparingly.
In summer, you need to water as the top layer of soil in the pot dries out (sometimes every other day in extreme heat, and sometimes after a week or more). The earth must really dry.
In winter, watering should be very rare, only as the leaves or stems of the plants become lethargic and soft. This is 1-2 times a month and even less often. Many people don't water succulents at all in December and January (but then you need to keep them cool).
6. Winter is all about storage.
That is why watering is practically reduced to nothing. It is also very advisable to lower the temperature. The metabolic rate will slow down 2-4 times for every 10 degrees change in temperature. For plants there is also zero active temperature, which is slightly above zero Celsius, at this moment the metabolism in the plant stops almost completely. This is storage.
From November to March, you need to give succulents a drought at low temperatures so that they slowed down growth as much as possible. Place on the coolest windows (you can remove them from the southern ones if your northern ones are colder), watering very rarely (once a month or less).
Wintering promotes better flowering. If you want to finally see your cactus bloom, winterize it.
Nolina, or bottle tree. This houseplant can be plant seeds. This unusual plant belongs to the Agave family.
7. And under the lamps?
It is possible, but it must be placed almost closely, because the radiation intensity of household lamps (fluorescent, halogen and others, including special phyto-lamps for plants) is insufficient for normal height succulents.
8. They are not afraid of temperature changes
Succulents easily tolerate temperature fluctuations over a much wider range than occurs in residential areas. There's only one thing to keep in mind here: most of the home-grown succulent species cannot withstand frost. They are not afraid of the summer heat, even the most severe, if you open the windows slightly. If you need to leave and the windows are closed, and according to forecasts there is great heat ahead, from direct sun better plants remove so that they do not “cook”.