| FAQ: Succulent Containers |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-411 |
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Q: What kind of soil does a succulent need? A: (From Jessie Mack Burns, Ask DIY Gardening expert) The soil needs to be well draining, first of all. I prefer a potting medium composed of soil, sand (to increase drainage), vermiculite (to help hold in moisture) and perlite (to help with drainage). Q: How often do I water a succulent? A: It's best to underwater, and be sure to let the soil dry out between waterings. Water the plants at their base, and remember that the larger the leaves, the more water the plant can hold. Q: Are there any succulents that flower? A: There sure are! For instance, the kalanchoe (figure A) comes in a variety of colors that range from white through peach to red. Check out the succulents in your local nursery for more varieties that produce flowers (figure B). To repot your flowering succulent, put a small amount of potting medium in the new pot, then lift the plant -- soil and all -- from its container, saving as much of the root ball as possible (figure C). Set it down into the soil in the new pot and then fill in around it with soil. Water gently around -- not on -- the plant. If you want to place a saucer under the pot, you can water the plant by simply pouring the water into the saucer. Q: The leaves on my aloe plant are falling off. How can I save the plant, and how do I get the other leaves to root? A: If a shoot of the aloe looks as if it's getting ready to fall off, go ahead and tear it off (figure D). Remove any dead matter on the shoot and stick the end down into a pot of potting medium (just poke your finger down into the soil to make a hole). Water the new plant, and keep it moist until it takes root. As for the leaves that are falling off your plant, the cause could be too much water. Cut back on the watering and see whether the plant stops dropping its leaves. Q: I have a cactus that's supposed to flower, but so far it hasn't. What am I doing wrong? A: Make sure you put it near a window so it gets enough light. Also, don't forget to fertilize it.
RESOURCES :
The Complete Container Garden
Model: 0895778483
Author: David Joyce
Reader's Digest Adult
216 pages
(April 1996)
Colorful Container Gardens: Vibrant Schemes for Pots and Planters
Model: 1842153862
Author: Stephanie Donaldson
(May, 2001)
Southwater Publishing (The Manning Partnership Ltd.-- Imprint of Anness Pub)
Phone: 0-1225-852727
Fax: 0-1225-85282
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