Deans Ultimate Guide to Succulents
Here at Magnolia the Florist, we love sharing our passion and knowledge with our local Kettering clients and green fingered friends around the globe. This month, Magnolia the Florist founder Dean shares his ultimate guide to succulents answering some of the most popular questions.
2018 has seen a magnificent growth in the trend for succulents. These amazing plants come in a wide variety of shapes, colours and sizes, bringing a touch of individuality and flair to any home or office. And succulents aren’t just restricted to your desk – we have seen them used in everything from wedding bridal bouquets to hanging planters.
My in-house team of florists’ love working with succulents so much they begged me to create a succulent range. Which is where our newly launched succulent collection idea came from; and they are going down a storm with our regular customers and corporate clients!
What are succulents?
Succulents is the name given to a group of different plants, who have a trademark of thick, fleshy leaves. These leaves allow them to hold and retain as much water as possible. This is what defines a plant as a succulent – its capacity to store water within its leaves.
How to identify succulents
Succulents are very distinctive plants and can most commonly be identified because of their telltale, thick leaves. These leaves can often look waxy or rubbery – in some cases they can often even look fake they are that luscious!
Succulents covers a range of plants; Aloe, Cacti and even Orchids can be classed under the succulent umbrella.
Where are succulents originally from?
Succulents where originally found in dry, very low rainfall areas such as deserts. Many succulents originate from Africa, or other countries that have long dry seasons.
Why are succulents popular?
Succulents have been in the floristry world for as long as we can remember – and have always been popular with corporate and office clients. The trend for succulents has gathered momentum the last few years, and they are now seen as trendy.
- Low maintenance. Less watering and little pruning.
- Huge variety of sizes, shapes and colours. From miniature ones perfect for office desks to windowsill beauties, there is nooks and crannies to fit a succulent into everyday life.
- Slow growers. They won’t need repotting or suddenly turn into a forest.
How do I care for succulents?
Succulents are well known for being low maintenance and easy to care for – making them the perfect green gift for even the most novice of gardeners! Each variety does have its own personal requirements for care; however, the general advice is don’t over water them and avoid direct sunlight. Succulents prefer drier soil and don’t want to be sitting in puddles of water, which can cause them to rot!
So, our advice is to hold back on the daily watering, instead once every few weeks if the soil is completely dry, give it a good sprinkle of water.
Do succulents like direct sunlight?
It seems to go against where most succulents originally grow (deserts and very hot dry locations), but your house succulent will love you for displaying it in a bright, but indirect sunlight spot. It is always worth checking from variety to variety what sunlight conditions each plant prefers, just to make sure!
Are cacti classed as succulents?
In an easy answer – yes! Cacti fall under the succulent group. This is because cacti can retain water, which is the definition of a succulent plant.
Are succulents edible?
There aren’t many succulents that are edible – and we think there are many other things we would chose to eat over a succulent!
However, many cacti (part of the succulent group) are edible and some supermarkets stock these too if you fancy trying them. Interestingly, due to its capacity to store water, pineapples are classed as a succulent …. Pineapple turnover cake anyone?
What succulents flower?
Yes, many do. As succulent covers such a broad variety of plants, there are actually FAR too many flowering succulents to name. Here are just a couple of our favourite blooming succulents; Aloe Vera, Jade plant, Pincushion cactus, Crown of Thorns and my personal favourite – the Christmas Cactus which blooms beautiful rich red flowers in the cold winter months.
Why are leaves falling off my succulent?
If your succulent leaves are looking sorry for themselves (turning yellow or brown) then they will need some urgent TLC. Yellow or browning leaves is normally a sign your succulent needs some more water.
Do succulents need to be pruned?
Succulents are a popular choice as they are low maintenance to look after long term. But occasionally they may need some minimal pruning to keep them looking their best, or if you want to encourage growth.
Here are our top pruning tips to keep your succulent happy
- Spring is often a great time to look at doing some pruning TLC for your succulents.
- Check over the plant, some of the lower leaves may dry up and turn brown over time. This is normal and part of the natural lifecycle, but best to remove these. Use your fingers to gently pull away the dead leaves (we suggest wearing gardening gloves, as some succulents produce an irritating to skin sap)
- Using a sharp pruning tool, you can prune the top of the plant, which will allow other buds to grow.
How do you grow succulents from cuttings?
With a few easy steps, propagating succulents from leaves should be a fun project!
- Select a leaf/leaves from the bottom of the plant.
- Choose healthy leaves; look for no discoloration, tears or rips on the leaf.
- Twist the leaf off the stem. This is the best way to gently remove healthy leaves without causing damage
- Leave the leaf for a few days, so the wound has a chance to heal over
- Then place the leaves on some soil, sprinkling them with a little water every now and then.
- Over the next few weeks, little pink roots will begin to sprout!
- Once the roots are starting to really establish, carefully place in a new pot of soil
Where to buy succulents?
The best place is your local florist! Full to the brim with passion and knowledge, florists can guide you through your succulent options. Whether you want a contemporary gift bouquet with a hint of succulent or a living room full of feature plants we can help you make the right choice.
Magnolia the Florist are based in Kettering, so if you would like to order online, in store or over the phone just contact our team and we will be happy to help. Same day delivery of succulents is available for Kettering and other local areas including Corby, Rothwell, Thrapston and Market Harborough.
