All About Succulent Plants

Succulent plants make ideal indoor displays so are a great winter project (or present!) for anyone who its itching to do a bit of gardening. Plants are easy and fun to propagate with leaf or stem cuttings: so you can increase your stock or make pretty miniature planting schemes.

I have put together some of the basics in terms of plant care and propagation below if you would like to have a go at this rewarding hobby.

Succulents are Desert Plants
Succulents have evolved to live in hot, dry climates. Their trademark thick leaves are water reservoirs and enable them to store moisture and withstand prolonged periods of drought. They are generally suited to desert soil conditions which will be dry and relatively low in nutrients.

It is important to keep their origins in mind when growing them, as the most common reasons gardeners fail is by using an unsuitable soil mix and by overwatering them (more on this further down the page).

Succulents are relatively slow growing
For the most part, succulents are slow growing plants. The reason (if you are interested in the science) is that they utilise the CAM photosynthetic pathway (crassulaean acid metabolism), which is less efficient than the more common C4 pathway.

The benefit of CAM is it allows the plants to keep their stomata (or their little leaf mouths) closed during the day, therefore reducing evaporation. The trade off is that they are slower growing because they can't photosynthesise as quickly as C4 plants.

Why are you telling me this?
Slow growth is a handy trait for houseplants, as they won't outgrow their pots too quickly. The current trend is for miniature succulents (as shown in the sardine tin above), which are actually just a collection of baby rosettes propagated (easily) from stem or leaf cuttings.

The slow growing nature of the plants means that the displays you create don't get unruly too quickly. You will generally have to re-pot or trim only every 6-12 months.

How to Propagate Succulents
The photo above (thanks to 'Succulents & Sunshine') is a new miniature rosette starting to grow on the end of a severed leaf. Succulents can be propagated using either a stem or leaf cutting.

A stem cutting involves snipping a portion of the stem from the plant with a secateurs, before planting in moist compost. The cutting should be left open to the air for a few days for the cut to form a callous and seal over before planting.

A leaf cutting is achieved by simply removing a full leaf (right down to its base) from the plant and placing it on a bed of compost. The end of the leaf should not be buried in the compost; it is simply laid on the surface as shown in the image above.

Leaf cuttings need to be misted every day or so with a fine spray of water, and should start to produce a new mini plant after 2-4 weeks. Some varieties will propagate better from either a stem or leaf cutting: it's important to check the variety you have before choosing your propagation method.

What is the Best Compost for Growing Succulents?
As we've said, succulents are desert plants - so the compost you use should be very free-draining but also quite low in nutrients. You can purchase a cacti and succulent compost mix. or you can make up your own using potting compost, coir and horticultural grit or perlite.

The mix we use for succculents is:

• 2 parts potting compost
• 1 part coir
• 2 part coarse sand and
• 1 part perlite

It is OK to use a standard multipurpose compost (which will have fertiliser added) - as bulking up with the other additions reduce the amount of fertiliser in the mix.

How To Water Succulents 
Again, coming back to our desert conditions, succulents should be allowed to dry out between watering in the same way they would in their natural environment. These are tough plants and will more likely suffer from pampering rather than neglect.

From October to March, plants should not be watered at all other than a light misting with a spray bottle. From April, plants should be watered approx. every 2 weeks depending on their position (full sun or partial shade).

If you want to give them the 'super deluxe' treatment, water with tepid rainwater instead of tap water. This is because minerals in tap water can build up in the soil and can leave deposits on the leaves. You might feel life is too short to bother with the tepid water, but they actually do seem to grow better. They certainly don't like cold, wet roots.

Flowering
Succulents flower at different times (autumn or spring) depending on the variety. In their natural habitat they follow a pattern between a dry season when they rest and a rainy season when they flower.

You can simulate the seasons and get the best flowers by keeping watering to a minimum for the rest period followed by an increase in water and a little feed when the plant enters its flowering period. Check the flowering period for the variety you are growing to get your timing right.

Where is the Best Place to Grow Succulents?
Most varieties are not hardy, so they are best planted in pots when growing outside so they can be moved indoors in winter. Personally I think they look their best planted in bowls (as in the photo above). There is plenty of inspiration online where home growers have created some fantastic looking displays.

The majority of succulents have fibrous roots which grow close to the surface, so they are well suited to shallow pots or wide bowls. Unglazed terracotta is a good option as they warm up quickly if growing outside. They are also porous, which allows the compost to drain and dry quicker after rain.

Adding a fine gravel to the surface of the compost looks great, but it's also practical as it prevents leaves rotting from being in contact with damp compost.

Are Succulents Plants Suitable for the Office?
Easy to care for plants like succulent and cactus plants are ideal for brightening up office space, they look great on a desk and provide something colourful and vibrant to look at when screen glare is becoming too much.

A little oasis on the desk can provide a happy alternative to the usual detritus of the modern work space. Whatever your office looks like - whether it's a bright corner office or a cubicle - succulent plants will be able to survive. They actually enjoy the dry, warm air of a shared office and are perfectly suited to the long periods of low or no light outside office hours.