Succulent Gardening

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A succulent is a plant that’s known as a fleshy or water retaining plant. They’re a perfect plant for most climates, plus they don’t require a lot of watering. They’re sturdier plants and more resistant to pests.

You can create a succulent garden indoors or outdoors. Not all succulent plants are the same so the growing conditions will differ. You may have to adjust the amount of water you use for each plant.

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You’ll have to provide excellent drainage for the plant since these can be more susceptible to root rot if over-watered or if water accumulates in the soil. If you don’t give a succulent enough water, they can still thrive on their own moisture for a while.

For the most successful growth of these kind of plants, adjust your watering schedule according to the temperature if they’re outside. Never water a succulent daily, even on hot weeks. Water the roots, not the tops of the plants.

You may also have to adjust the kind of soil that you use for planting, as well as how deep the soil is, depending on the succulent type.

Most succulents need soil mixed with pumice, which is volcanic rock, that can be purchased in home improvement or gardening stores. Pumice is needed for good drainage.

When planning your garden, space the plants according to their growth needs. Some of them will need more room. The sunlight needed can vary as well.

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Most succulents need plenty of sun, but the strength of the sun’s rays can change, depending on time of year, as well as cloud coverage. The sunlight strength on the plant can also be affected by location.

In many states, the high temperatures, combined with time in the sun, can negatively affect the plant. If you start to notice dark spots on the plant, that could mean it’s getting too much time in the sun.

Choose the hardiest of succulents if you’ve never grown these types of plants before. Many of these varieties are easier to grow, even if the conditions aren’t the best. But you also want to choose ones that are native to your area.

Succulents can be placed in containers or planted outside in the ground. If you choose to grow them inside, put the containers near a window where they can get sunlight.

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For a successful succulent garden that’s planted outside, do a soil water test first. If you pour water in the area where you want to plant the succulent and the water remains pooled, then the area’s drainage isn’t sufficient for the plant to grow well.

When planting, it can be tempting to plant your biggest succulents in the back row. You’ll want to plant them in the middle instead. Then, place the ones that are ground cover plants on the sides.

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Find more Indoor Gardening Ideas:
* Indoor Herb Growing Kit – Kitchen Windowsill Starter Kit
* Nature’s Blossom Herb Garden Seed Starter Kit

JOIN THE CONVERSATION!
Show us your indoor garden and plants! Email us at lawnandgardeningideas@gmail.com or join the conversation on our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/529039281374820/

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Disclosure: Per FTC guidelines, this website may be compensated by companies mentioned through advertising, affiliate programs or otherwise. Please note that LawnAndGardeningIdeas.com has financial relationships with some of the merchants mentioned on the website. LawnAndGardeningIdeas.com may be compensated if consumers choose to utilize paid links and advertisements located throughout the content on this site and sales may be generated for the said merchant. You are not obligated to click on any link or buy any products that are advertised. Any references to third party products, rates or websites are subject to change without notice. Please do the appropriate research before participating in any third party offers.

Garden Everywhere

By Nicole Wines

This page contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure below for more information.

Note: This is the first in a series of guest posts intending to help our community in their home gardening endeavors. If you have a specific topic you would like us to explore or have a question or need advice, please email us with your requests at lawnandgardeningideas@gmail.com

As states and countries continue to go on lockdown and issue stay-at-home orders in this time of the coronavirus crisis, there has a been a surge of news about the momentary breath our society is giving to Mother Earth.

Emissions from cars, factories, boats and planes have gone down, with satellite images and photographs showing both clearing skies and waters. With many people working from home, or even out of work, in their daily practice of our newest vocabulary word, “social distancing”, many have turned to nature.

People are spending time outdoors, heading out for hikes, walks, and even yard work. New gardeners are popping up all over the place, and those who garden regularly are getting serious about growing their own food.

There is a potential for shortages of fresh produce as a ripple effect of the crisis, especially as more than 200,000 migrant workers who work in the fields of America’s farms will not be able to apply for their seasonal visas this season, as U.S. consulates in Mexico are closed indefinitely.

There are many personal actions we can take to address this aspect of the crisis, so that we can continue to have access to fresh produce.

Reaching out to your local farmers to join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and frequenting farmer’s markets (while practicing social distancing), while adjusting to seasonal eating is one way to ensure you will have nutritious, fresh produce throughout the growing season.

But if ever there was a time to turn to gardening, it is now.

The benefits of gardening are endless. Fresh air, clean homegrown food, a direct connection to the soil, the earth, and the cycles of nature. From homestead subsistence plots to a tomato plant and a few culinary herbs in containers, the value of growing your own food is priceless.

This is a call to garden everywhere.

Break ground and set up a plot in your backyard, build raised beds, or grab a couple of pots, buckets, and containers and fill them up with soil.

Even if you don’t have access to a yard or land, you can even grow a few culinary herbs and edible flowers on your balconies, porches, or even on your windowsill.

There are some incredibly creative gardeners out there who grow their food and herbs in the most unusual places, like in old shoes, cinder blocks, sewer tiles, or even the back of a pickup truck!

If you aren’t sure where to start, there are many resources, guides, and inspirational sites available on the web.

Here are just a few:

Container Gardening Resources

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Backyard Gardening Resources

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More Resources & Ideas for Getting Started

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One last resource I would like to share has been invaluable to me as a gardener is a planting chart or planting schedule, to guide you in knowing when to plant which varieties in your growing zone.

Here is one that contains planting schedules both by zone and by state for you to utilize and bookmark: https://www.ufseeds.com/learning/planting-schedules/

Happy growing!

Nicole Wines is the Eco-Culture Coordinator at Raíces Cultural Center  http://www.raicesculturalcenter.org/ . She can be reached at nicole@raicesuclturalcenter.org

BUY SEEDS, HELP RAISE FUNDS :
Check out Raíces Cultural Center’s online seed shop: https://www.seedsnow.com/?rfsn=533738.a6a4a

Raíces Cultural Center is a local NJ non-profit organization and an affiliate of SeedsNOW. Any order, no matter the size will help keep funds coming in to the organization through this difficult time of canceled programming. The online shop has hundreds of varieties of veggies, herbs, fruits, and flowers, and offer low-cost sampler packs for $0.99 – $1.99 so you can try planting a diversity of varieties. Please share to help us spread the word, every bit helps!

Would you like to be a guest blogger? Email: lawnandgardeningideas@gmail.com

Disclosure: Please note that LawnAndGardeningIdeas.com has financial relationships with some of the merchants mentioned on the website. LawnAndGardeningIdeas.com may be compensated if consumers choose to utilize the links located throughout the content on this site and generate sales for the said merchant. LawnAndGardeningIdeas.com is compensated for certain paid links and advertisements. You are not obligated to click on any link or buy any products that are advertised. Per FTC guidelines, this website may be compensated by companies mentioned through advertising, affiliate programs, or otherwise. Any references to third party products, rates, or websites are subject to change without notice. Please do the appropriate research before participating in any third party offers.