Potting Succulents in My Greenhouse
Among my favorite plants are the exotic forms of succulents - they make excellent container specimens.
If you like growing plants, but don’t really have a lot of time to care for them, I encourage you to consider growing succulents. Succulents, which includes the cactus family, require very little maintenance. These plants are able to survive prolonged drought because they store moisture in their fleshy stems, roots, and leaves. Cacti also have pad-like buds, called areoles, out of which grow sharp spines, which protect the plant from harm and collect and condense moisture. While visiting the Desert Botanical Garden earlier this month, I bought a few interesting succulents to add to my growing collection.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Whenever I bring plants home, they go straight to my greenhouse for repotting. Ryan chooses the appropriate size container for each specimen – each is just slightly larger than the plants original vessel. I’ve been using Guy Wolff pots for many years – he makes every one of them by hand. http://www.guywolff.com/
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- Each pot has a drainage hole. A clay shard is placed over the hole to help with drainage. I also like to use clay pots because they allow proper aeration and moisture to penetrate through the sides and to the plant.
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- For succulents, we use a mix of equal parts sand, perlite and vermiculite for best drainage. The right soil mix will also help to promote faster root growth, and gives quick anchorage to young roots.
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- Ryan also adds gravel to the mix. The gravel will also provide adequate moisture drainage. Ryan mixes it all together in a trug bucket.
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- Next, soil is added to the bottom of the pot.
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- This is Euphorbia lactea is also known as a “Coral Cactus.” It is a species native to tropical Asia, mainly in India. The showy part of the plant, the section that resembles coral, is called the crest. The ridges are spiny, with short spines. After placing it in the pot and adding more soil, Ryan tamps the soil down to prevent any air holes.
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- The Euphorbia lactea is an eye-catching houseplant. The “Coral Cactus” is not really a cactus, but two succulent plants joined together. It prefers full to partial light.
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- Ryan moves onto the next plant and adds soil to the pot making sure it is all well mixed.
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- Ryan gently removes the succulent from the pot, being very careful not to damage any of the roots. To stimulate new root growth, Ryan also loosens the root ball with his hands. Ryan uses thick work gloves to protect his hands from the sharp spines.
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- This plant is called Mammillaria, or “Owl Eye Cactus”, known for dichotomous branching, or forking or dividing into two parts. This plant is easy to cultivate, but very slow-growing. It needs full sun and does not tolerate intense cold.
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- Ryan adds some pea gravel to the top of the pot. Pea gravel, so named because the pieces are pea-sized, is available at garden centers and comes in different colors.
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- This is an Adenium. Adeniums are appreciated for their colorful flowers, but also for their unusual, thick caudices. They can be grown for many years in a pot and are commonly used for bonsai.
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- Adeniums are native to sub-Saharan Africa and the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula. Common names for Adeniums include Sabi star, kudu, mock azalea, impala lily, and Desert Rose. They are highly sought-after houseplants and can remain a manageable size for years.
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- Here, Ryan tops the pot with another small scoop of pea gravel.
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- These plants will so do well in my greenhouse where the temperature and humidity levels can be monitored.
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- I also got this cactus from Phoenix – I just love its interesting shape. This is a totem pole cactus, which is a slow-growing cactus that’s easy to grow as a houseplant or outdoors in zones 9 to 11.
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- Here is another tall exotic succulent.
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- A closer look shows its leaves and spines.
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- Ryan stakes it to give it more support until the plant is more secure in its new pot.
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- Epiphyllum guatemalense is a jungle cacti native to Guatemala. Epiphyllums are one of the few true cacti where they are often found growing with the orchids and bromeliads far removed from the forest floor.
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- Known as “Curly Locks Cactus,” it uses its curly stems to capture more moisture and light. The plant has curly, curved, bright green twisting stems that produce three-inch wide white flowers with six-inch long tubes that open at night. This is because in nature it is pollinated by moths and bats, and these night animals can see the big white blooms easily.
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- After potting, do not water the succulents immediately – wait a few days to give them some time to adjust to the new soil. Then, place them on a table where they can drink in lots of natural light even when the sun isn’t directly over their pots. I am so happy to add these to my growing collection of succulent specimens.
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