Potting Succulents for the Greenhouse
Among my favorite plants are the exotic forms of succulents.
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. With their fleshy leaves and interesting shapes, succulents are easy to maintain and make excellent container specimens - I have a large number of succulents in my collection. Last week, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, transplanted a selection of Echeveria succulents into smaller pots after they had spent the entire warm season displayed outside my Winter House.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Last spring, we planted a selection of beautiful succulents in these long trough planters. I hope you caught the segment on “Martha Knows Best,” my newest show on HGTV. It airs Wednesdays at 8pm ET – be sure to catch an all-new episode tonight!
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- These plants remained on this ledge in front of my white garden all summer. Succulents, or fat plants, are those that store water in fleshy leaves, stems, or stem-root structures for times of drought. Succulent comes from the Latin word “sucus,” which means juice or sap. It’s also a nod to the nourishing leaves that help these plants survive in extremely warm conditions.
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- Not long ago, Ryan removed them from the planters, so they could be kept indoors for the cold season. Here they are on the Head House table ready to be potted up. Succulents are often grown as ornamental plants because of their striking shapes.
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- Succulents have relatively shallow root systems so they don’t need a lot of soil. I love this selection of succulents – the variation of colors looks so beautiful.
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- One type of succulent is echeveria. Echeveria is a large genus of flowering plants in the stonecrop family Crassulaceae, native to semi-desert areas of Central America, Mexico and northwestern South America.
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- Echeverias are some of the most attractive of all succulents and they are highly valued by plant enthusiasts for their gorgeous colors and beautiful shapes.
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- Ryan fills the pots with the appropriate medium. Because succulents don’t like wet roots, it is important to use a soil mixture that will drain well.
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- We use a mix of sand, perlite and vermiculite for best drainage. The right soil mix will help to promote faster root growth, and gives quick anchorage to young roots.
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- Ryan adds just enough soil, so it is filled up to a half inch below the top of the pot.
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- Succulents are best planted in clay or terra cotta pots with proper drainage holes because the vessels dry quickly, and prevent water from building up.
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- Once this echeveria is planted, Ryan tamps the soil down to prevent any air holes.
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- This plant will so do well in my greenhouse where the temperature and humidity levels can be monitored. Once planted, don’t water the succulent immediately – wait a few days to give it some time to adjust to the new soil.
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- In this next pot, Ryan plants several echeverias in a tight group. Before planting, he placed the specimens on top of the pot to make sure the pot was the right size.
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- Succulents can be planted closely together, so don’t worry if some of them touch each other.
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- Succulents thrive in bright light and will do excellently in my greenhouse where they can drink in lots of natural sunshine even when the sun isn’t directly over their pots.
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- Blackie watches from the nearby table, but perhaps he is more interested in getting his supper after the planting is done.
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- Next, Ryan will pot up a mix of succulents in these square pots.
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- Ryan carefully begins planting the echeveria in one corner of the pot. The genus is named after the 19th century Mexican botanical artist Atanasio Echeverría y Godoy.
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- And then places another one in the opposite corner.
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- Next, he chooses a lighter green echeveria and plants them diagonally as well.
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- Succulents grow in so many different and interesting formations. I often bring succulents into my home when I entertain – guests love seeing and learning about the different varieties.
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- Echeverias are slow growing and usually don’t exceed 12-inches in height or spread.
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- Succulents require very little water to survive – these will be watered about once a week.
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- Succulents look great potted by themselves, or in groups. Shades of green are a given, but one can also find succulents that are blue, purple, pink, orange, and even red! What are your favorite succulents? Share your comments in the section below. I read every single one of them.
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