Building up a collection of succulents

Building up a collection of Succulents

Maree Clarkson

The Succulent and Cactus Lady

Building up a collection of Succulents and cacti (A warning: If you have any propensity towards cactus love to begin with, moving to the desert will increase it exponentially!)

Echeveria glauca A long-standing passion - a passion most people find utterly boring and something only a cactus-lover will understand - THE LOVE OF CACTUS. So maybe this post is not for you, but if it is, read on!

It all started in the 1980's, when my (well-meaning) father gave me three Echeverias in a pot. I couldn't turn them down and hurt his feelings, but I had NO interest in those three succulents! When I got home, I hastily stuck them in the ground in some far-away corner in the garden, hoping they would disappear.

A few months later I was working in the garden and decided to do something about that 'little lost corner' of my garden. Upon investigating, to my surprise, the three Echeverias had multiplied and there were dozens of them, all displaying the most gorgeous little pink bell-shaped flowers on long stalks. I was hooked! I mean, forgotten and neglected, NO attention whatsoever, yet they blossomed forth with the most gorgeous gifts. I felt so guilty I almost cried!

Now those spiky flat coins and furry ground knobs make me go nuts. Finding a new specie not in my collection is like striking gold my stomach churns, my heart starts pounding and I just HAVE to have it!

I can spend hours fiddling with my cacti and succulents, removing seedlings and siblings from the garden and potting them in terracotta pots, I have displays all over the house, on various patios and in my garden shed. You'll find them on window sills, tree stumps, on little tables, in terracotta pots, jam tins, glass jars, buckets, cracked coffee mugs, on wooden palettes, on my desk, next to my computer, in fact, anywhere there is a flat surface! And heaven forbid I come across someone selling them at a market stand, I could buy up all their stock!

'They' say "It takes real guts to love a cactus!", but I have found it the easiest thing in the world!

I need to get some more!

Succulents and cacti are such prolific growers that it provides a lovely opportunity of planting them in pots and building up a beautiful collection without damaging your garden or spending a fortune. Many succulents and cacti spread by making babies, or pups, which are easily removed without damaging the parent plants. Another method is by merely taking off leaves from your plants and sticking them in a pot in damp soil to grow.

Separating plants also gives one a chance to really study them, perhaps do some research and get names and some interesting information you might not have known before.

Echeverias in an old dog basket Besides using bought or brand-new pots, it's a lovely challenge coming up with some innovative ideas of what to plant them in. Old shoes, baskets, wheelbarrows, enamelware, wooden crates, hollowed out logs, the possibilities are endless. Many succulents and cacti can grow in very shallow soil so even a chipped vintage saucer can be used.

Obviously one thing to keep in mind is that the container needs adequate drainage. Normally, apart from a few exceptions, cacti and succulents don't need all that much water as many of them store water in their leaves, very water-wise plants! And they are so easy to care for. As long as they have adequate sun, or enough light if you are keeping them indoors, a bit of water, maybe some dappled shade, they will provide you with years of beauty and enjoyment.

Do not use regular potting soil. Succulent plants have a need for a well draining soil, whereas most house plant soil is the opposite. Succulent soil should be approximately 1/3 regular soil, 1/3 horticultural pumice or gravel, placed right at the bottom of the pot to aid drainage, and 1/3 horticultural, coarse sand. Compost is not necessary as this can do more harm to your succulent than good. Too much compost can kill your plant.

You can find some more information on caring for your cacti and succulents at "Cactus and Succulent Society" http://www.csssj.org/welcome_visitors/basic_culture.html

Crassula Imperialis

Crassula and an aloe in a bread baking tin on the patio

Flowers of Echeveria glauca

Bunny Ears cactus

A new Rattail Cactus in the making. Just stick one of the tails in some soil and soon it will make new ones

Flower of the Rattail Cactus

Echeverias cascading out of an old piece of concrete

Echeveria glauca flowers

Echeveria glauca growing in my wooden wheelbarrow

Echeveria glauca in terracotta pots

Echeveria glauca planted in an old printers' tray

Echeveria glauca sharing space with some Marigolds

Echeverias enjoying the companionship of the Nasturtiums

Echeverias in a wooden crate

Haworthia and cacti in an enamel bowl

Echeveria glauca

Gasteria armstrongii

Haworthia minima

Aeonium

Aeonium

Old Man (or bearded) cactus - I still need to gather some info on him

Old Man Cactus

Euphorbia in my bathroom - also need to do further research

A collection of succulents awaiting a perfect space

On the left and right some Crassula and in the centre some Cacti and Haworthia in an enamel bowl on my patio table

Pachyveria and Crassula in miniature terracotta pots

Pachyveria

Crassula in my potting shed

Echinopsis cactus in my garden with lots of pups

Echinopsis cactus in flower next to a Barrel Cactus

A transplanted baby Echinopsis cactus

Echinopsis cactus in full flower

Rattail cactus before flowering

A Rattail cacti in full flower standing on a white-painted log on the patio

Another Rattail Cactus in full flower on the patio table. These cacti tend to get a bit messy-looking, with spent flowers (and seeds) sticking to the tails, which also sometimes die on their tips, so I usually do a good clean-up by removing spent flowers with a pair of long tweezers and cutting off any dead pieces.

A Barrel cactus in the garden

After a severe winter about two years ago, the main barrel seemed to be dying but lots of pups were forming on the head. They are extremely slow growers and a four year old barrel can be only 3 inches high and 2.5 inches wide. I have had my Barrel for about 10 years and they can get to a massive size. I would have liked to have seen that... They can also live up to 130 years old.

One should approach a Barrel Cactus with extreme caution. A puncture to human skin from one of the spines is considered a 'dirty wound'. If the puncture is deep enough to draw blood, antibiotics may be needed; and could take several months for the wound to heal properly. Barrel Cactus plants are one of the more dangerous Cacti.

My Barrel Cactus now completely covered in new babies

Using an old table outside to house some succulents

"Reach for the stars, even if you have to stand on a cactus!" ::

Maree Clarkson

The Succulent and Cactus Lady