How to grow succulents: features of different types of plants and rules of care

Indoor plants are indispensable in the house. They enliven the monochrome picture of the interior, improve the microclimate, play the role of a unique decoration of the surrounding space. For the purpose of landscaping an apartment or house, you need to know how to grow succulents. These include many types of ornamental plants, interconnected by unpretentious care and the absence of special requirements for living conditions.

The variety of colors and outlines of leaves, compatibility with any soil, the ability to create a “living” green carpet on the ground with a variable base are the reasons for their immense popularity in landscape design. Having learned how to grow succulents, you can unrecognizably change the appearance of a summer cottage or house adjoining territory.

Varieties of succulents: photos and names

This type of plant unites more than 40 different families of representatives of the flora. Characteristic features of succulents are fleshy, full-bodied leaves of small size with a bristly, hairy or prickly cover. Their color reflects all sorts of gradations of green and blue: emerald, gray, light green, jade, lilac, cobalt, cornflower blue and other tones. A strong root system determines adaptability to drought, vertical and horizontal growth.

Among the variety of succulents, the most common are the following types:

• aloe;
• fat woman;
• stone rose;
• agave;
• dracaena;
• lithops;
• echeveria.

Each species has unique external features. Aloe vera is characterized by densely collected long leaves of light green color with a prickly edging. They have excellent moisturizing properties. Thanks to the healing properties of aloe, you can find it on the windowsills of almost every home.

Agave has a regular spherical shape, formed by triangular leaves growing in a circle with a snow-white frame. She is photophilous, extremely dislikes abundant frequent watering. Due to the excessive love for the sun, it is reasonable to plant it in hanging containers on the balcony.

Lithops visually resemble sea stones or coral reefs with reduced rounded leaves. During flowering, beautiful inflorescences of bright yellow color are formed, similar to chamomile. Thanks to the distinctive visual features, you can create unique decorative compositions in indoor and outdoor spaces.

Succulents thrive in dry soil under hot sun.This is an undoubted advantage of unpretentious plants, which are easy to care for even with a lack of free time.

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Growing popular succulents

Young is a versatile plant that adapts remarkably in open and closed habitats. Small pointed leaves, growing in a circle, are very similar to the opened rose buds. Therefore, they are popularly called stone roses. Due to the strong root system, they can gain a foothold even on the thinnest crack in the rock, covered with earth or sand.

Cultivation of juveniles consists in the sequential implementation of elementary actions:

• When planting, you must choose a place with porous soil - rocky or sandy. In soft chernozem or clay, juveniles will grow progressively only if the landing site is equipped with gravel, which acts as a drainage system.

• For growing indoors, voluminous wide flower pots are perfect. Stone rose grows very quickly and has a negative attitude to transplantation. When planting a small sprout in a large container, to level the effect of emptiness on the surrounding soil, it is recommended to cover it with crushed pebbles, sea stones or shells. In a short time, many brethren will appear in an empty place.
• The juvenile reproduces extremely quickly by self-formation of new sockets, which tend to take root easily.

• It is necessary to carefully water dry-loving succulents, trying not to fall on the leaves. With an excess of moisture, they will begin to wither and dry out due to rotting of the root system.
• Youth does not need to be sprayed.

A stone rose is ideal for those who are just starting out in gardening. It grows well in dry soil, does not need delicate care, it rarely needs to be replanted as it grows.

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"Money tree": the subtleties of the content

A fat woman is in great demand in phytodesign of interiors. Flower growers call it the "money tree" because of the round shape of the leaves associated with the appearance of coins. The symbol of well-being is actively used in the arrangement of home and office interiors, decorated according to the rules of "feng shui".

The color and shape of the leaves of different varieties of "money trees" is radically different from each other: the outlines change from rounded to needle-shaped. They can be bright green with red edging, have a patchy marble color or a solid emerald color.

Among the variety of species of fat woman, there are flowering plants that attract the eye to lilac, pink, snow-white inflorescences. These include crassula and reed, which pleases with a rare occurrence of bright buds. In order for the fat women to bloom as often as possible, you need to know in detail how to care for succulents:

• The southeast side is ideal for placing ornamental plants.
• For planting, it is optimal to use pots with numerous holes at the bottom, which remove excess moisture when watering.

• Water them only with filtered or settled tap water. The fat woman needs watering only if the soil is dry at a depth of up to 4 cm.
• Dust sheets regularly.
• Trim the branches of the "money tree" in order to form an aesthetically pleasing crown of the correct geometric shape.

A green mini-garden in any design looks original in the interior. The juicy greenery of succulents all year round creates a spring mood in the house.

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How to grow succulents from seeds: the secrets of successful floriculture

If you want to grow succulents yourself, you need to know the intricacies of working with seeds:

• use landing trays with holes to organize a drainage system;
• plant in wet sand or substrate for succulents or cacti;

• sow seeds in a place isolated from the wind;
• evenly distribute the seeds at a remote distance from each other;

• cover the trays with a transparent bag or wrap with cling film in order to keep the soil moist for as long as possible;
• remove the film after the appearance of sprouts on the ground;
• water abundantly until the plant grows up to 3-4 cm;

• create desert habitat conditions - put the pot on a window with direct sunlight and rarely water the soil.

Seedlings begin to germinate in two weeks. The deadline for waiting for the appearance of sprouts of succulents is 2 months.

When mold and fungus form in the planting tray, treat the soil with a fungicide and remove damaged sprouts. Experienced flower growers recommend watering young plants with rain or melt water, simulating natural habitat conditions.

In order to successfully grow succulents from seeds in the open field, it is optimal to sow during late spring or early summer. This season is perfect for transplanting sprouts into well-warmed soil. Heat-loving plants are detrimentally affected by severe frosts. Therefore, you must first cover them with polyethylene.

An alternative way to propagate succulents is to separate stem cuttings and leaves. They do not need to be placed in water. It is enough to place the cutting on the ground, where it will dry out a little. Then you need to water the soil abundantly and plant a shoot. It will soon take root and begin to grow rapidly.

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Succulents: home care

Knowing how to care for succulents at home, you can create a spectacular looking greenhouse even in an apartment space. The key requirements for proper care of them are:

• Succulents need minimal watering due to their ability to store and retain moisture in their dense leaves. In open areas, they must be watered 2 times a month; at home, it is enough to moisten the soil once with an interval of 30 days.
• Keep at a temperature of 25 ° C and regularly ventilate the room.

• Moderate watering should be done in the morning or evening. In the midday heat, water droplets on leaves or stems can focus the sun's rays on themselves. As a result, the plant will get burned. In order for the remaining water to evaporate painlessly, you need to water long before lunch or after sunset.
• Regular inspection is needed to prevent diseases and counteract insects. To combat them, it is recommended to treat the leaves and stems with water with a high content of laundry soap. To control pests, flower growers are advised to periodically spray them with insecticidal aerosols.

• Placement on the windowsill for the purpose of intense natural light. These photophilous plants should be well lit for 10-12 hours. In winter, it is recommended to hang a fluorescent lamp over the succulents.

For intensive growth, color brightness, frequent flowering, you need to periodically update the soil under the succulents. Care with knowledge of the basics of floriculture will prevent the occurrence of diseases, fungi and reliably protect against various insects.

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The role of succulents in interior phytodesign

Indoor plants in spatial compositions perform numerous functions:

• Grouped succulents placed in floor-type voluminous ceramic flowerpots or hanging planters can be rationally used for conditional division of space into functional zones.
• Succulents focus the attention of others on the dominance of natural motifs in the interior, visually reminiscent of the Garden of Eden.

• They participate in the organization of comfortable recreation areas in the house or on the balcony, where you can fully relax while admiring the beautiful outlines and colorful colors of succulents.
• Effectively perform the role of an air purifier.
• Fully fill the free space in the room, on hanging shelves, racks, coffee tables.

• They divert attention from the acute-angled outlines of furniture, asymmetric details of the furnishings, and the rich color palette of the interior.

Succulents occupy a special place in interior phytodesign. They are so outwardly different that you can create picturesque compositions and florariums from them, decorate terrariums in an original way, organize mini-gardens in apartment conditions. A bright decoration of the living room or bedroom will be a wicker or forged bookcase filled with colorfully decorated pots with little tea, echeveria, gasteria and other indoor flowers.

In wooden and stone containers, miniature aquariums, and various bizarre glass vessels, succulents of different heights and shapes look unusual in the interior. Florists actively publish photos and names, home care for these unpretentious representatives of the flora in print and web magazines. Thanks to their valuable recommendations, every succulent lover will be able to independently grow even exotic plant species.

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Ways to use succulents in landscape design

Admirers of the desert habitat have a different appearance: grassy, ​​artisanal, weaving, tree-like. Succulents organically look in different landscape compositions:

• rock gardens;
• rockeries;
• flower beds;
• along the paths;
• around artificially created ponds;
• on the roofs of buildings.

These ornamental plants easily take root in the smallest areas of soil. Knowing this feature, the cultivation of succulents can be performed in non-trivial places:

• gaps between the curb and the tiles used for paving the paths;
• gaps between stones during the formation of an alpine hill;
• stumps and snags;
• when creating a "living" hedge;
• when framing a fountain with a granite base or plaster sculptural compositions.

Succulents perfectly perform various tasks of landscape design:

• For landscaping the roof of the gazebo, it is reasonable to use weaving stonecrops.
• To decorate the flower beds with bright plants, it is important to plant prickly pear and livizia, which can delight with many-sided flowering all summer.

• To create colorful-looking flower arrangements, it is advisable to place a tall tree-like crassula or lush agave in the central part. Around it is optimal to plant a compact echeveria, faucaria or pachyphytum weaving along the ground.

• To arrange a flower bed with a mosaic base, it is necessary to arrange multi-colored plants.

Due to the variety of species, they are ideal for landscaping a personal plot. Decorating the landscape with succulents allows you to independently create a genuine botanical garden in the local area with a heavenly atmosphere.

Due to the minimal time spent on watering and the ease of cultivation, it is advisable to fill the house with succulents. Home care, photos with the names of different types of plants are clearly demonstrated and described in detail in order to familiarize beginner gardeners. Examples of interior and landscape compositions will help create an ecologically clean environment where you can endlessly admire the unique beauty of natural decorations.

Self-growing succulents from seeds is a great opportunity to decorate a house or yard with exotic plant species.. They are extremely difficult to purchase in a flower shop, but easy to cultivate at home.

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Photo gallery - succulents

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