Easy answers!
Gynelle Leon, owner of London’s first cactus and succulent boutique store PRICK LDN, answers your plant-care questions
Gynelle Leon, owner of London’s cactus and succulent store PRICK LDN, helps with some of your plant-care problems
Staying alive
Q I’m a new plant parent looking for something low-maintenance to begin with. What’s the easiest plant to grow indoors? I need one that I can’t kill!
A I’ll always recommend cacti and succulents as great starter plants. They’re naturally hardy, and therefore forgiving to first-timers. My top tips on caring for your cacti would be:
1 Create a freedraining compost – cacti and succulents like an open, gritty compost that will allow surplus water to drain through easily. There are some succulents that require specific compost, and this should be researched before potting.
2 Water well. I’m often asked how much I water our plants, and I say ‘thoroughly’, so that you see the water drain out of the pot (don’t let plants sit in a pool of water). Water again only when the soil has dried out completely.
3 Prepare for winter. From early autumn, start to reduce the amount of watering to prepare the plant for winter – it’s not good to stop suddenly. This allows plants to harden their tissues and become less active ahead of the dormant period. It’s important because, if plants are kept active, they’ll be in no condition to withstand low temperatures and winter humidity.