Low-Maintenance Plants Are Among the Top Gardening Trends in 2017
Succulents are a popular choice for gardeners because they require little care and attention, and they often come in cute, pint-size varieties that make fun accents to your garden or windowsill. While succulents are one of the more popular gardening trends, they still need some specific care to thrive.
Here are a few guidelines for getting in on the fun of one of the easiest gardening trends:
Don’t assume that your succulents need full sun. Succulents are varied in their need for sun. Most will require two or three hours of full sun, but many need filtered light or just partial sun throughout the day. Check the growing conditions for your particular variety, and if you’re working with several types of succulents, be sure you’re planting them according to their need for light.
Most succulents prefer moderate temperatures. If you live in a climate that has freezing temperatures, you’ll need to bring your succulents inside for the winter. Many are also unable to weather severe heat, too. Make it convenient to care for your succulents by planting them in pots so that they can be easily transported to a windowsill when the weather outside gets extreme.
Don’t be afraid to water. While succulents prefer to be mostly left alone, you should still give them water. You’ll want to water somewhere between every few days and every few weeks. Some succulents will survive intervals longer than a few weeks, but you’ll need to monitor soil conditions to determine the right times for watering.
When planting, resist the urge to pat. For a seasoned gardener, it’s an automatic response to pat the soil around a new planting. When it comes to succulents, you should dig a hole for the root ball, place the succulent in the hole and walk away. It may feel strange, but you need to give the soil time to naturally fill in around the plant. Too much compacting of the soil will have your succulent sitting in moisture. If you mulch, use similar sensitivity to your succulents. Don’t mound mulch around the base of your succulents.
Incorporate some fun gardening trends into your succulent plantings. Try a pincushion garden, where succulents are used in a creative circle design to emulate a pincushion. Choose colors and types according to the “embroidery” that you’d like to create. You can also use succulents in a living wall in your home, where your family and friends will be delighted to view your plants in an unexpected display. An outdoor option is to grow succulents in the crevices of a rock garden, if you live in a climate that is friendly year-round to succulents.
No matter where you choose to grow succulents, your garden won’t be complete without Kincaid Plant Markers. Give each variety of succulent the care they need by clearly identifying each plant. Take a look at our selection, ideal for beautifying your garden.
