Succulent plants
Garden care and tree surgery tips from Pollard Tree Care, Eastbourne, East Sussex
There are thousands of types of succulent plants, as many as 10,000 species worldwide. These plants are easily cross bread so new varieties can be created very easily. Any easy way to identify a succulent are the fleshy, thick leaves that retain water. This makes them suit their natural environment and are great for gardeners who want something a little less high maintenance. All cacti are succulents so if you are already familiar with growing these lovely plants then you will have no problem establishing a succulent patch. These plants are also very easy to propagate and there are 4 main types of doing so.
Columnar- this is done by cutting the stem.
Clump forming- offsets with naturally be produced and can be easily lifted and divided.
Branching- removing side shoots and stems to produce cuttings.
Fresh leaves- can be carefully removed and replanted as cuttings.
It’s best to do some research about the type of succulent you have in order to see what is the best propagation for your plants.
Gardening tip:
You can plant many different varieties of succulents together to create a beautiful, colourful display. They look great when they are tightly packed together and can really add an impact to your garden. Building a succulent box is the most efficient way to grow these plants and if you don’t have a garden then find a box that fits on your window sill. Use well draining soil and you don’t need to go overboard on watering, they store water reserves very well.
