Cacti and Succulents

My new impulse purchase has arrived.

I’ve been online shopping again. The last time I did this I ended up with 600 terracotta plant pots couriered to the door.  This time I have been bulk buying cacti and succulents from Poland. I did have a slight feeling of “why did I do that” but it was nowhere near the same intensity as the pots.  The plants in question were only about 2 cm in width and height so take up very little space. Unlike the pots which take up the garage.

Well Packaged

I ordered 35 small cacti and 25 succulents. They came very well packed in a box half the size of a shoebox. The cacti are about 2 to 3 years old and all have roots, not the largest but enough to secure them firmly into multi cell modules trays that I have. In a way I feel as though I have gone back to my “roots” so to speak as cacti and succulents were the first plants I grew as a youngster. They are pretty robust and can stand the neglect of not watering them every week. In fact from November to March you really don’t have to water them at all unless they are close to a radiator. Succulents have to be attended to a little more often though but as long as the soil dries out in between watering and the roots are not constantly in water, they usually give trouble free displays all year round.  

Soil Mix

I’ve been playing with the soil mixture. Most books and the web all say different percentages of grit, compost, sand and feed. I’m just using what I have around me to come up with what I feel is the best for my plants (cheapest option). This consists of sieved sand to get 2-5mm grit, coir compost, but any will do, and some horticultural grit mixed together, peat is good as it keeps the soil slightly acid which the plants enjoy as it releases nutrients easier for them. I’m not adding any plant food just yet as I think the lack of nutrients will entice the roots to grow faster as they look for food. I can be so cruel sometimes! Some other alternatives would be pumice and perlite to aid soil aeration.

For those of you with an interest in spiky plants (not for the feng shui lovers) here are a few simple tips to get the best out of the plants.

Light

Succulents and Cacti enjoy being kept in a light, airy position all the year round. A south-facing window is ideal for most types, although plants like Aloe will be quite happy in more shaded areas.

In general, to keep looking healthy, a succulent plant should have sunlight falling on it for at least part of the day. Many would be quite happy with either morning or afternoon sun in an East or West window. I have taken to putting my large Mother in Laws Tongue outside this summer and it has really benefitted by a bit of fresh air and rain. I think most succulents would be the same as long as they are taken in when it gets cold and stay well drained.

Water

Rain water is always better than tap water if you have a choice.

Flowers

Once flowering size is reached, they will flower every year and some even twice in one year. Many cacti reach flowering size at two years old, while some take ten years to mature.

To produce flowers, some cacti need a cool, dry, rest period in the winter. A cool bedroom is ideal for this. Given this rest each season, and plenty of sunshine, many varieties will flower on a windowsill, although there are some that produce better results in the greenhouse or conservatory. 

Temperatures

Most of the plants can withstand full sun but leave airflow or they will cook. In the winter, most plants are happy if kept at above 40 deg.F (5 deg.C) if dry.

When to re-pot?

The plants are not too demanding and can be kept in very little soil. But like all plants that will grow better (and happier) if there is a bit of spare compost for them to grow into. Unless you want bonsai plants, repot them every year into a slightly bigger pot.

Propagation

Take cuttings during the active growth period - that is in spring and summer.

Take the cuttings (Stem or leaf cuttings) on a dry, sunny day (So the cut surface forms a callus quickly) Succulents will grow better if the leaves are not put into soil, leave them on a plate. When you see roots appearing on the base (In about 3 weeks), pot them carefully into slightly moist soil. Cacti can have offshoots that can be placed into sandy compost. I have a packet of free seeds from the Polish suppliers. They are called Astrophytum mix. I’m not sure what to do with them so I will have to go online to look. Hopefully I won’t have to go on any sites that are trying to sell me things. 

I have enough to be getting on with!

Things that made me Happy in the Garden This Week

Gardening as a hobby, what could be better?

Having a Hobby

Having a hobby of any kind is beneficial to health. There are probably a few exceptions, like smoking a pipe, but these are generally few and far between and classed as “Bad habits” more than hobbies.  Having a hobby is perfect for reducing stress and allowing yourself to have time to pursue your own interests; some people actually turn them into money making ventures. 

We’re all different and have a multitude of ideas when it comes to passing the time constructively. Thankfully I found a hobby that I love, gets me out into the fresh air, exercise and on a yearly basis doesn’t really cost a lot of money, in fact it saves me money. Gardening.

Not having a hobby can actually lower your happiness levels. Research from the Gardener’s World magazine found that more than 90 per cent of gardeners think it improves their mood. It also found that gardeners are less likely to display signs associated with unhappiness or depression.

Recent Survey

The poll of 1,500 adults found that 80 per cent of gardeners feel satisfied with their lives compared with 67 per cent of non-gardeners. Gardeners’ World editor Lucy Hall said: ‘We have long suspected it, but our research means we can definitely say gardening makes you happy.’

‘Part of it comes from nurturing something but also a natural optimism that no matter how bad the weather, there’s always next year. It’s also about passing the seed of knowledge and the pleasure that gives.’

Overall, outdoor pursuits appear to bring the most happiness – 78 per cent of walkers are satisfied with their lives, as are 75 per cent of those who fish, according to the survey.

Keeping busy with any pastime, though, is important – of those with no hobbies, only 55 per cent were satisfied with their lives.

Green Exercise.

Green Exercise, or enjoying the benefits for the big outdoors is said to help mental health, this could be gardening but it also includes walking, sailing, tennis or anything else that’s done out of doors. Gardening especially provides a dose of nature as it can be done at any time of the year.

Professor of environment and society at the University of Essex, Jules Pretty, said: ‘Active living is more likely to be effective if physical activity becomes an inevitable part of life rather than a matter of daily choice. This could have significant long term impacts both on individual health and costs of health services.’ 

According to the research, gardening is known to have therapeutic effects on our stressed nerves. It helps us wind down. And that particular feeling, of having created something, is a powerful elixir that can take us a long way towards feeling happy, relaxed and totally de-stressed. 

Things in the garden that made me happy this week

Getting physical. I have enjoyed being out in the garden and being physical. There’s no need for me to go to a gym or do anything too strenuous. It helps keep me in a good mood and helps me sleep a lot better.

The Hounds of Love. I enjoy having the dogs with me when I am working. They cause more jobs of course as they rummage around for the ball in the vegetable patch but it’s so much fun to watch them I don’t mind.

Just taking time out. The garden is ever changing and being able to take time out just to enjoy the smells, sounds and colours is something that I am always grateful for.

New crops. Planting up new salad crops this week has given me the satisfaction to know that we will be eating fresh lettuce until well into the autumn.

Continual Harvesting. Harvesting the runner beans and tomatoes has been really enjoyable this week. Being able to pluck fresh vegetables and fruits from your garden is liberating. And of course, all the organic food will prove to be extremely beneficial, healthier and also tastier.

Added Vitamins. I’ve not been short of vitamin D this year and this week was no exception. The sunlight feels great on my bald patch (one of the advantages of hair loss)

Sweeping up.  Even mundane jobs like getting the brush out to sweep up some early autumn leaves is a joy!  And let’s not forget just sitting and drinking tea in the garden. I am easily pleased.

Forgetting the Baskets

Checking the dry baskets for damage after neglecting them.

Admit it, who has forgotten to water the hanging baskets?  I know I have.  There are tell tale signs when you compare the plants growing in the confined area of a basket to the plants growing in the ground. The most noticeable of these is the fact that the container ones are nearly dead. Geraniums are very drought hardy so apart from the discolouring of the bottom leaves they are practically untouched, and even seem to flourish in the harsh environment. Creeping Jenny, nasturtiums (surprisingly) and sweet peas are really looking sorry for themselves and I’m not sure where a few less tolerant plants have gone, they must have just upped and left in disgust.  The funny thing about this is that when it’s sunny I’d go out every evening and soak the soil. When it’s cloudy and not summery I just forget. It’s just as dry and the plants still need water, but I just don’t think.

I don’t think I am cut out for this constant attention lark and again am questioning just why I bother with growing in containers at all. It’s just that when they are healthy they are just so “pretty”.

I’ve had better luck in the tunnel, I have only watered about three times since the beginning of August. I’m not sure where the plants are getting their water from, it’s not through me I can tell you. They must be tapping into the groundwater with some very long roots. This is the type of gardening that suits me. 

Maybe a Butt

I’ve been pricing water butts up this week. I am putting a length of guttering at the edge of the the garage roof so rainwater can go straight into the barrel. I’ve found there’s a big variation in price, anything from €30 euro to €90 euro and if I were to set up a professional watering system I could (but won’t) spend over €3000! I have narrowed it down to a blue 56 gallon barrel made from plastic with the residue of an undisclosed substance lining the sides, or a genuine oak barrel straight from the Bushmills distillery still reeking of 10 year old whiskey. It’s a hard decision but I am going to go for an old leaky wooden barrel that will just need to be licked clean.  A snip at just €35.

Getting ready for winter

It’s time for us to be looking at things to do in autumn. apple and pear tree leaves seem to be leading the leaf drop and other trees are following closely. The weather has not only been really dry this summer, but I can’t remember the last time we had a good gust of wind to toughen up the branches of trees and leaves. The poor plants won’t know what’s hit them come the first storm.

Early autumn- Jobs to do list:

Plant or move evergreens and conifers, whilst the soil is still warm.

Plant spring bedding, such as wallflowers and polyanthus.

Remove annual plants that have finished flowering and pick off any damaged or diseased leaves.

Rake leaves, trim shrubs and divide the perennials ready for next year.

Check if any perennials want cutting back (I like to leave them if I can o for overwintering insects)Grassy perennials also look good over the winter.

During the winter months there are plenty of cuttings and leaves. So add them to your compost bin and give them a good chance to break down and produce nutrient-rich compost for next year.

Early autumn is the time to plant snowdrops, crocuses, hyacinths and daffodils for an early array of colour in spring.

Protect autumn crocuses, amaryllis and cyclamen which will last through to winter.

Plant for winter colour. Try Skimmia Japonica, a colourful evergreen leaf plant with compact buds which change colour from white to pink/red. Also try Viburnum Tinus. It produces large, fragrant clusters of white flowers from mid winter, followed by small metallic blue berries.

Hang bird boxes to offer shelter from the elements.

Berry-bearing plants provide an extra food-source for birds and other wildlife and add a lovely wintery look to colour-deprived winter gardens. Try firethorn, rowan, holly or berberis.

Provide extra winter food for nature's visitors. Hang fat balls or put bird mix in a food holder. Be sure to place the feeders near a tall shrub, fence or mature tree to provide protection from predators. I’m planting some of my beautiful handmade terracotta pots up with melted fat and seeds this year.