Martin Fish has some simple tips to keep succulents healthy
Follow these few simple tips to keep your plants healthy all year s rou be Tu : re ek ca we nia xt go Ne be
Succulents are becoming increasingly popular these days and there are many interesting types with attractive foliage that can easily be grown in a greenhouse. I grow just three types – aeonium, echeveria and crassula – which I over-winter in my greenhouse. None of the succulents I grow are hardy, but if kept on the dry side through the winter months they’ll happily tick over at just a few degrees above freezing; in fact many will withstand a few days of frost when in dry conditions.
Through the summer months these succulents can be used outside to make a display on a patio, but as soon as the weather starts to cool down in autumn they need bringing back undercover. Because of their evergreen foliage they’re a great addition to the greenhouse in winter, or you can also grow them in a conservatory, where they look good in decorative pots.
At this time of year the plants don’t need a great deal of attention, other than watering to keep the compost moist. I also feed every couple of weeks through the growing season with a liquid fertiliser to maintain healthy growth and good leaf colour. Now’s a good time to pot up any plants that are getting pot-bound, especially taller growing types that can soon become top heavy and topple over. If you have plants that need re-potting, aim to get it done by the end of August so that the roots have time to grow and establish in the new compost before cooler weather sets in. You don’t want a plant sitting in wet compost over winter! When repotting, move the plant into a pot just large enough to get some fresh compost around the rootball and always use a good-draining compost such as John Innes with extra grit. This also adds weight to the pot and stops it falling over.