Succulents how to grow indoors

Succulents have a common feature common to all coarse plants, namely the ability to store water in their tissues. As a result, they can survive even long periods of drought. They belong to different botanical families. The term for this group of plants comes from the Latin word “succulentus”. Succulents how to grow indoors?

Succulents are very graceful houseplants that can withstand sloppy maintenance better than any other. As ornamental plants, they give the apartment a certain breath of freshness.

Some show their figures similar to stone sculptures, others attract attention with the splendor of flowers amidst the spiky cover. All of them demonstrate the fascinating ability to store water in leaves, stems or roots. According to this criterion, there are three groups of succulents:

• Root succulents protect most of the plant underground from excessive evaporation of moisture and animals.
• Leaf succulents such as aloe and agave produce thick, fleshy leaves that can store water.
• Stem succulents use thick and succulent stems and trunks as water reservoirs. Usually they do not have any leaves.

Characteristic features of succulents

In order to lose as little water as possible, succulents form reduced, spherical, cylindrical or even dereleless leaves. In order to further reduce evaporated moisture, the stomata on succulent leaves are much smaller than on other plants.

• Compact, compact habit of succulents additionally reduces the evaporation surface. Another succulent trick to reduce evaporation is to create a waxy layer on the surface of the plant.
• Another peculiarity of succulents is the transfer of photosynthetic function from the leaves to the stem. The warts or ribs found especially in cacti are to stabilize the trunk and shade a large part of its surface.
• Numerous succulents create a woolly or hairy trunk cover against hot wind and strong sunlight.
• Some succulents produce sharp spines. They are there to protect the plants from eaten, because the water inside cacti is a easy target for many animals.
• The strong poisonous properties of many succulents are also keep herbivores from reaching for stems and leaves full of water.

Place in the apartment for growing succulents

Almost all coarse plants need direct sunlight as much as possible. Some exceptions are species of the lily family, especially haworsias and gasterias, which tend to tolerate slightly shaded places.

Potted succulents should grow on a sunny window sill or near a window. Where the light hits the plants unilaterally, the pot has to be gradually spin several times a day.

If the succulent produces unnaturally thin and long shoots, it usually lacks light. Such distorted growth is particularly evident in plants that form compact rosettes, such as Echeveria. Instead of flat and regularly spread thick, ovoid leaves, they develop longer and unsightly rosettes in low light.

What place to choose for plants in summer?

Like many other ornamental plants, succulents will also be grateful for a place outside during spring and summer. However, succulents of the genus havorsia, gasteria and aloe should be in a semi-shaded place.

For other varieties, you can choose a very sunny place. Full sun in an open space combined with night time temperature drops is very important for the flowering of many succulents. In artificial home growing conditions, the light intensity is insufficient to produce flowers.

Also, succulents wintering indoors should avoid sun. Strong UV radiation can burn plant leaves. To prepare them, put the plants in partial shade for 1-2 weeks. All succulents, without exception, must return to the room before the cold season comes.

What place to choose for plants during rain?

Some succulent plants have delicate shoots with small, softly hairy leaves on which raindrops leave ugly stains. Make sure rain will not make them wet, and when watering, make sure that the water does not fall on the leaves. Some species of Echeveria and pachyphytum are susceptible to rain succulents.

All other species enjoy a summer shower, as long as it doesn’t last too long. In the event of longe period of rainfall, the plants should go to sheltered place. Excess water may cause root rot.

How to water home-grown succulents?

The heat in living quarters, even on very sunny windows, is generally bearable for succulents. This applies to most species also in winter. Some succulents, however, require a cooler room in winter.

While they can withstand long periods of drought, succulents also need regular watering. It is a common misconception that succulents from intermittently dry areas need very little or no water.

Rainwater is better for them, but most succulents do not complain about ordinary tap water either. These plants also die if left without watering for too long.

So don’t put them to the test, and water them as much as others. You just have to remember that excess moisture, especially during the vegetative dormant period, leads to root rot.

In their biological rhythm, succulents distinguish between wet and hot growing periods and dry and cool dormant phases. Sustainable water supply should take these changes into account.

• Water moderately from March to September.
• Let the top layer of the substrate dry before the next watering.
• From the end of September, gradually reduce the amount of water.
• From October to February, water enough to keep the plant from drying out.

Particularly careful watering is required for sensitive succulents with softly hairy leaves and shoots that leave traces of water. It is best to put a pot with such a plant in a large container, filled with water to a height of about 10 cm. Due to the capillary effect, moisture rises in the substrate until the upper surface is slightly moist.

The pot should not stay in water for more than 10 minutes. After taking it out, leave it for 15 minutes for the excess water to drain off. If you cannot use this method due to the shaope of a poant, you can use a long narrow-tipped watering can.

Fertilizing succulents – step by step

Succulents need fertilizing, and fast-growing species will especially appreciate being fed regularly every 2-3 weeks. Fertilization at four-week intervals is sufficient for most species, and even less frequent for some.

A commercially available succulent fertilizer is suitable for most coarse crops. Only some of them require a complete fertilizer with an excess of potassium.

You cannot speed up growth by using more fertilizer. Some species will not tolerate that because it is in their genetic cocde. If succulents have too much nutrient or too often, their shoots will grow soft and weak and won’t produce flowers.

The fertilizer used for watering succulents should not have a high concentration, so as not to damage the roots when the substrate is dry. During the period of vegetation dormancy, succulents are not fed with fertilizer.

Which substrate to use for growing succulents?

Soil for succulents should have similar properties to soil in their natural habitat. As a rule, they grow on low-humus mineral soils resulting from weathering rocks.

Store-bought succulents are often planted in ordinary peat or flower soil. It is essential to replace it with a more suitable substrate as soon as possible. It should be water permeable so that it does not form stagnation after watering.

In order to provide the roots with air, the substrate should be stable, not compact and not stick together. It is necessary to mix soil with minerals. Practically it consists of 50% of soil for succulents and 50% of mineral additives. For species that are particularly sensitive to moisture, the soil content is reduced and the amount of additives is increased.

Transplanting and reproducing succulents

Plants that grow well should be transplanted into a larger pot once a year. Slow-growing species can be replanted every 2 to 5 years. Before performing this procedure, it is a good idea to make sure that the pot is completely full of roots.

Succulents also need to be replanted when side shoots and suckers have grown beyond the edge of the pot. Ceramic or plastic pots are used to grow succulents. In the latter case, care must be taken when watering so that no excess water forms in the pot. Just in case, a drainage layer should be laid at the bottom of the vessel before planting.

Almost all succulents are easy to reproduce. Some create new specimens from leaf cuttings, and others can be propagated from side shoots or by division. It is also possible to sow seeds.