Succulents: home care and the main types of the family

Succulents are outlandish plants. It is difficult to call them flowers in the usual sense for Europeans. For their strange shape and high ability to survive, they are compared to aliens from the future. In terms of popularity among flower growers, they occupy one of the leading positions. What are these succulents, how to care for them and is it really easy to grow them at home?

General description: what are succulents

In a flower shop, these plants are easily recognizable by their succulent stems and leaves or sharp thorns. Under natural conditions, they are able to accumulate water and spend it carefully during a drought.

Succulents come in different types

Acquaintance with many representatives of these "desert brothers" is a very exciting experience, because their family is very diverse:

• agave (400 species);
• liliaceae (200 species);
• euphorbia (up to 2000 species);
• cactus (11 tribes and 4 subfamilies);
• fatty (1500 species);
• aizonovye (2500 species);
• crotch (3400 species);
• kutrovye (400 genera, number of species is unknown).

Experienced flower growers make detailed inquiries about the plant before buying in order to create conditions for it that are close to its natural habitat.

The succulent flower is a child of the desert and semi-desert, which means a lot of sun, little moisture, sand and a big temperature difference. It remains to create these conditions in the apartment, or on a separate window sill.

The choice of succulent will depend on the personal preferences of the buyer, but any representative of this exotic group of flowers, with proper care, will become a bright accent at home.

Succulents: home care

Despite the variety of varieties and species, there are a number of general rules. How to care for succulents:

• Limited watering - once a month in winter and autumn, 2 times in spring and summer. With excessive watering, the plant will begin to rot and may die.
• The lighting should be bright, but not scalding and long, so southern windows are ideal for them. If there is a lack of sunlight, an artificial source can be used. With the onset of spring, a gentle lighting regime is created to avoid burns from the bright sun.
• The soil should be 70% sand and gravel. The remaining percent of fertile soil for succulents is quite enough for normal development.
• The temperature in natural conditions ranges from +50 C ° to 0 C °. Therefore, turning off the heating in apartments, these flowers will tolerate calmly.
• Feeding succulents is as necessary as any indoor flowers. For this, a special complex fertilizer is applied during watering three to four times during the period of active growth. Organic fertilizers are contraindicated for succulents.

Succulents: popular species and names

There are several types that are most convenient for growing at home.

Fat woman

In everyday life - a money or jade tree. One of my favorite indoor succulents. Can survive in depleted ground and north window.But if you create an abundance of light, the leaves will take on an interesting reddish hue. Does not require frequent watering.

A true pleasure will be the formation of a crown and the transformation of a fat woman into a fabulous tree, which, according to legend, brings good luck not only in finances. Reproduction will also not be a hassle: it is enough to put a leaf or stem on practically dry ground.

The fat woman is popularly called the money tree

Kalanchoe Blossfeld

This plant is chosen for its ability to bloom in the winter. Abundant inflorescences can be white, pink, orange, red. Under favorable conditions - rare watering, sunlight, no drafts and low temperatures - it can bloom twice. In addition, Kalanchoe is valued for its high healing properties (antibacterial, antiviral, wound healing, etc.)

Kalanchoe blooms even in winter

Cactus

Another favorite among succulents of florists. Eyes diverge from a variety of shapes and colors. With care and attention, you can achieve amazing flowering from them. True, the smell of flowers is not always pleasant - it is a defense mechanism, just like needles. But those who want to create a collection of cacti are not discouraged. The living conditions are practically the same as those of the bulk of succulents.

Haworthia

This plant has more than seventy species. The striped Haworthia became the most homely. With narrow and fleshy leaves, it resembles an aloe, but it has a clear pattern on the bottom of the leaf in the form of transverse white stripes.

It does not need bright light, so it can be positioned away from a south-facing window. Watering the flower is enough once every 7-10 days. Water that has not been absorbed must be poured out of the pan. Water should not get on the leaves and in the center of the outlet. This can cause burns or rotting.

Haworthia looks like aloe

Echeveria

The second name is Stone Rose. This is the most compact succulent plant, perfect for small spaces. Despite its small size, the stone rose will not go unnoticed. Its leaves are collected in a small rosette and can be of different shapes and several shades. From these stone flowers, original compositions for the florarium are obtained.

The plant is very demanding on light - in the shade it loses its regular shape. The critical temperature is +6 C °. Therefore, Echeveria in Europe is only an indoor flower.

Echeveria is also called a stone rose

Sedum (Sedum)

It is presented in more than six hundred variants. The ampelous version of this succulent is in demand. Sedum can be grown not only at home, but if there are no heavy rains, then it will feel great in the open ground of a flower garden. It has a variety of leaf shapes and colors.

Flower dishes for succulents and soil

It is better to buy the flower you like in the store. The seller can offer the so-called succulent mix - one or two plants in a technical pot with a diameter of 5 cm. The plant must be well rooted in the pot. In the same store, as a rule, they offer to choose the appropriate utensils for transplanting a flower and soil.

Pots

Succulent pots are selected in accordance with the interior of the room. But the shape and size must be selected taking into account the root system of the flower. If the volume of the planter for succulents and the shape of the underground part do not match, then the plant may not survive.

For a fat woman, a container that is not high, but wide in diameter, is better suited. With age, a pot for a living tree will need more, but with the same proportions. But for haworthia, I will approach deeper, vertically elongated vessels. It is better to use ceramic pots as a material - plastic walls may not withstand under the pressure of powerful roots.

Florarium

Familiar pots can be replaced with glassware, the so-called florariums. The composition consists not only of plants, but also of colored soil, which gives an original look to a simple glass container.The ability to make a florarium with succulents is popular. It is not difficult to learn it by following step-by-step instructions:

1. Treat the glass container with alcohol.
2. Pour in the first layer a shallow drain, about one fourth of the height of the container.
3. Lay the same amount of soil in the second layer.
4. Thicken both layers slightly.
5. Plant the plants, sprinkle their roots with soil and lightly tamp.
6. The next layer is to lay beautiful colored pebbles or sand, pretreated from dirt.
7. You can add another layer of contrasting color for more decorative effect.

The surface of the soil is often decorated with small figures and large pebbles.

Priming

Manufacturers offer ready-made soil for any plant. Having bought soil for succulent plants, it is still worth checking its composition. The soil should contain sand, gravel, small pebbles and less than half the volume of fertile soil. If the sellers do not inspire confidence, then you may well make the desired mixture yourself. The components can be bought separately, or you can collect soil for free by going out into the countryside.

The market offers many options for fungicides. Among the most popular are Fitosporin, Zaslon, Barrier.

How succulents usually breed

There is an opinion that it is very difficult to propagate succulents on your own. This is not entirely true. It's just that it's unusual for most amateur flower growers to root cuttings without roots in dry soil. And you also have to be patient - succulents grow slowly.

A new plant can be obtained from a leaf, cutting, baby, or seed.

Reproduction from a leaf

A healthy leaf is cut with a knife, without leaving a "stump" on the trunk of an adult plant. The leaf is laid with a cut on the ground, allowed to dry for a day, and then slightly sprinkled with soil. And it remains to wait. The plant will do everything by itself.

Propagation by cuttings

If a cutting is used for propagation, it is also cut off with a clean, sharp knife and dried in the air for a while.

Cuttings root well both in water and in a sandy mixture. For the best result, the container with sand is covered with a film, organizing a small greenhouse. The roots will appear in about two weeks.

Seed propagation

It will take longer to get a plant from seed. Only six months later it will be possible to transplant the plant as an independent specimen. Growing these flowers from seeds is the longest way to get new plants. But as a result, you can get rare specimens.

Diseases of succulents

During transplantation, reproduction, dormancy, close attention is paid to the general condition of the plants. They, too, are susceptible to disease or attacked by pests.

When the leaves become soft, they begin to curl, which means that the water reserves are running out. An urgent need to water. An indicator of excess moisture - when, along with lethargy, brown or white spots appear on the leaves, rot on the leaves. You can save the plant by cutting off damaged parts and reducing watering. If the root has rotted, the top of the plant must be cut off to a healthy place, the base must be dried and planted in new soil.

The main pests for succulents are mealybugs, thrips and mites. You can get rid of them with the help of available drugs. But, unfortunately, traces of their presence (spots, holes and plaque) can appear on the leaves.

Even beginners can get great results by following simple tips for caring for succulents.