Succulents in Containers

After attending a session on succulent container gardening at UC Davis, I decided to try it.  This is my first attempt.  When I purchased the succulents, I thought it would be too crowded in the planter but there is space.  As they grow, I think it will fill it, but if not I plan to add some other succulents.

There are many kinds of succulents and I just got a few different ones.  They have shallow roots so I put rocks in the bottom of my planter.  Then I used packaged soil designed for succulents or cactus mix.  It is more porous that the usual potting mix and helps retain water for longer periods.  This one is located at the entrance to our gazebo and gets morning and early afternoon sun then some shade.  It seems to be doing well.  I water it about every two weeks slowly with at least a quart of water.  But if I forget they are very forgiving.  This winter I will move them to a sheltered area when frost is in the forecast.

You might want to try this type of gardening.  There are so many different and variety of plants that it is fun to select a interesting combination for your container.  And it doesn’t require a lot of care or frequent fertilizing.

Cacti in a wall container (Photo by Emily Rued)

Echeverria spp. (Photo by Marsha Lucas)

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