75
SPRING
2015
|
Succulentshaveevolved in someof the toughestgrowingconditions
on earth, andare actually at their best when grown in hot sun and
poor soil and lend themselves toall sorts of garden uses— in stone
walls, betweenpatiopavers, in rockgardens, andeven for creating
green roofs. Theyareoftenhappiest in full sun,whichbringsout the
colours in their foliage,buthonestly, they’llgenerally thriveanywhere
you stick them. Some can tolerate direct sunlight better than others
so, youmight need toexperimentwithyourplants to seewhatworks
bestwhereyou live.
For agreat new look in container gardens, think succulents! These
fleshy-leavedplants thrive in the simplest of potsand their distinctive
shapesandcoloursprovideendlessopportunities for creativity.
Succulent propagation is easy, fun, and free! Even though aplant
might still lookgorgeous from the top, the lower leaveswill begin to
wither and fall off resulting ina rosette sittinghighabove the soil on
a longbare stem. So, before the leaves start todie, simplypull them
offandpropagate them tomakemoreplants.Hold the leaf firmlyand
wiggle it from side to sideuntil you feel a little snap—be sureyouget
theentire leaf—if you rip it, leaving thebase still attached to the stem,
itwill notbeable togrow rootsoranewplant.Youwillbe leftwitha
small rosetteona longbare stemandbasicallyyoudecapitate it by
cutting its headoff. Let theends of each leaf and the rosettedryout
andcallousover, thenplace themon topof somewell-drainingcactus
or succulent soil.Aftera fewweeksyouwill see littlepink rootssprout-
ing from the ends of the leaves and then itsy, bitsy baby plantswill
begin togrow.Water the leavesvery rarelyuntilyoustart tosee roots
or babies appearing. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, even the left
behind stump itself will begin to sprout newplants from eachplace
wherea leafwas removed. If onlyeverythingwas thiseasy.
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