Spring Into Succulents - Renee Holwegner WSU Master Gardener

Spring Into Succulents
                Renee Holwegner
             WSU Master Gardener

Home Sweet Home…

Living Christmas Ornaments…

Be Creative…

What are succulents?
Any plant which has enlarged, water
retaining cells in the leaves, stems
or roots can be called a succulent.

The total number of succulent plant
species is likely over 10,000.

Succulent plants can be found
within a wide variety of plant
families, the largest of these being
cactus, euphorbian, mesembs and
crassula families.

Sempervivum varieties love Yakima!
Japanese rose, Sempervivum arachnoidian, Pacific red rose, Sempervivum
tectorum to name a few

Flowering “hens and chicks”
These crazy flower forms mean that the end of the mother plant’s life is upon us.
Sempervivum is Latin for “live forever”... And because the plant puts off it’s
“chicks”, it truly does have a long life.

Sedum and echeverias too…
A combination of sempervivums, aoniums, sedum, crassulas, graptoverias and echeverias compose this beautiful mosaic.

Not likely hardy in our zone, but stunning none-the-less

Why grow succulents?

 !   Drought tolerant
 !   Easy
 !   Texture, form, color and interest
 !   Many hardy varieties
 !   Resistant to disease and pests
 !   Grown in a variety of ways
     ! Garden    beds
     ! Pots,   indoor or outdoor
     ! Vertically

Do succulents like desert conditions?

       !   NO! However, they store their own water so they can
           survive with little or no attention
       !   They tolerate long periods without ANY water but flourish
           under good water management
       !   Thrive best when roots get completely dry between
           watering

Temperatures…
Warm…
!   Most grow in spring/autumn
!   Mild to warm temps, not hot
!   Most varieties prefer 59-86 F
!   Over 95 F for > 10 days - benefit from increased
    water or shading
!   Potted succulents need to be watched for stress

Temperatures…
Cool to freezing…
!   Sempervivums are cold hardy
!   Many cacti are cold hardy
    !   if not, benefit from frost blanket or brought indoors
!   Aeoniums, some sedums (Donkey/Burrow Tail or String of
    Beads) and echeveria are not hardy below 25 F

“Gardening requires lots of water – most of it
 in the form of perspiration.” – Lou Erickson

• Common Misconceptions
   • Succulents need little water
   • They want lots of sun

• Best Practices
   • Allow roots to dry between watering
   • Give some shading in hottest temps
   • Plant in well-draining pots or beds

To Pot or…Not?

                            !   Disadvantages…

                            •   Expense
                            •   Inconvenience
!   Advantages…             •   Repotting every few years

•   Portable
•   Constrict plant size
•   Environmental control

Choosing a Container

You know me and metal…loooooovvvvve

      Variegated stonecrop, String of Beads, echeveria varieties
      (black prince?), and sedum

Combined with lavender and other
herbs making an interesting texture
combination

Terracotta is always lovely…

Italian Class…beautiful

Woven containers make an organic look with our succulent friends

Choosing a container…

                                          Maybe Notttt!!!

                                          !   Clear or highly translucent
                                              materials
                                                !   Toxic algae
                                          !   Galvanized iron
Yesssss!!!                                      !   Toxic zinc coating
                                          !   Unglazed terracotta
!   Glazed terracotta
                                                !   Fast-drying
!   Pots that are taller than they
    are wide                              !   Pots without drainage holes
!   Multiple drain holes                        !    No “crocking” allowed!

Let’s talk about potting soil…
Best mixes:
30% soil, 30% sand or pumice, 30% crushed lava or crushed rock, 10% vermiculite
Other materials: saw dust, perlite, baked clay, course peat

Pruning and cleaning up…

!   Best in early summer
!   Remove large old and dead leaves regularly
    !   Allows air to circulate, reducing the habitat for pests and disease
!   Handy tools:
    !   Needle nose pliers
    !   Narrow pointed scissors
    !   Kitchen knife for dividing

Vertical
Gardening…

An upside down
tomato cage makes
the frame for this
interesting garden
tree…

                                         Chicken wire, old
                                         hosiery, a sphere
                                         frame, lots of
                                         sphagnum moss…

                     A sneak peek of a
                     project we are working
                     on for the plant sale!

Inviting…

A good use when space is limited…

Morelia, Mexico

Year round garden…

Sources…

!   Succulent Container Gardens by Debra Lee Baldwin
!   Succulents Care and Health by Rudolf Schulz and Attila Kapitany
!   Cacti the Illustrated Dictionary by Rod and Ken Preston-Mafham
!   The Complete Book of Cacti & Succulents by Terry Hewitt
!   Succulents the Illustrated Dictionary by Maurizio Sajeva & Mariangela Costanzo
!   Yakima WSU Master Gardeners Diagnostic Clinic located at: 2403 S. 18th Street,
    Union Gap, WA 98903