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Il fiore tra le spine

Where to keep succulents in winter? Outside, on a landing or in the house? A practical handbook

A practical handbook and an in-depth analysis on a much debated topic among those who grow succulent and/or cactus plants. Here’s what you’ll find by reading this article, designed specifically to help those who, with the first drops in temperatures, are starting to wonder where to place their succulents when the real cold arrives. Unless you have a greenhouse, perhaps equipped with a burner regulated by a thermostat, the question is in fact more than pertinent: during the winter it is better to keep the succulent plants outside (sheltered from the rain), or in a cool environment such as a landing, an internal staircase or even a garage? Or should we bring all the plants indoors? It is good to clarify immediately that the answer to these questions cannot be tranchant or “absolute”: obviously the correct winter location depends on many factors, starting from the area in which the plants are grown (North or South Italy? North or South Europe? Sea or high mountains?) to arrive at the type of plant (Cactaceae, succulent native to Africa or Madagascar? Sempervivum, Crassula, Euphorbia?). In short, the range of cases is very broad and as always there are no absolute rules. Luckily there are many fixed points and many precautions that should be respected to ensure that our succulents pass the winter securely and take advantage of the vegetative stasis to be able to flower again the following year.

The following article answers these questions, and you will also find an indication of the correct measures to be taken to ensure that cacti and succulents overwinter in the best possible way, have abundant blooms and, above all, you’ll find a practical handbook with an indication of the best location for cacti and succulents organized in alphabetical order, so as to facilitate the identification of the plant, understand in which minimum temperature range it can stay and where it can be placed (for example outside, on a landing, or directly inside the house). (…)

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From above, from below, only the soil: how cacti and succulents get wet and how long we can do it

Let’s go against the trend, since the period is more suitable for talking about suspending watering than about how, how much, when a cactus or succulent plant is watered. The topic, however, is of primary importance and although already covered in a specific article published in the “early days” of this site, it deserves further study. And it deserves it, perhaps even more so, now that we are approaching the moment when (at least in Northern Italy and in Europe) it is appropriate to suspend irrigation. Knowing when to say stop wetting cacti and succulent plants in general is essential to avoid rot during the winter. Knowing in which ways it is possible to water our plants (from above, like rain, or from below, or wetting only the soil, etc.), knowing how many times to water them during the growing season, how to adjust with the various genres, how to relate watering to the substrates used and much more is equally fundamental.

This is therefore the reason for this article, which also answers the many questions on this topic – how are succulent watered, how often are they watered, in which way? etc. – placed at any time of the year by novice growers (and not only novice). Not to mention that, if we want to go into detail, there are cacti and succulents that really appreciate some winter watering. Didn’t you know? More and more this article will be for you.

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Repotting a succulent plant: what to do afterwards and how long to wait before wetting the soil

Anyone who has been cultivating succulent plants for a long time – whether they are cacti or other succulents such as Crassula, Euphorbia, etc. – knows well what should be done after transplanting, and he certainly knows that these plants should not be watered immediately at the end of this operation. However, there is repotting and repotting: there is the “invasive” one and the one that involves simply moving a plant from one pot to another. There is repotting which involves total cleaning of the roots and that which involves only a superficial cleaning of the old soil. In short, there are many situations and one can proceed in various ways. However, there are some fixed points and they must be respected if we want to avoid the risk that following this operation the plant will go into stress or, in the worst case, die following a rot that started right from the roots.

This is why this article, certainly useful to the novice, can prove equally useful to the long-term grower. In fact, here we will see the various types of possible repotting, the precautions to use and, above all, what to do (not only from the point of view of watering) once the repotting of a succulent is finished. (…)

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Expanded clay and peat: are they really two materials to avoid when growing succulents?

Hated, mistreated, seen with contempt, often carefully avoided. Expanded clay and peat are two highly contested and criticized elements among growers of succulent plants and cacti in particular. Net of the chatter from the Internet, are these really two materials that should be forgotten with the cultivation of this type of plant? The question remains open and every grower has his reasons, but there is a fact: on the Net, as far as expanded clay and peat are concerned, everything is said. Above all, it is said that they retain humidity excessively and for this reason they should be banned from the cultivation of cacti and succulents in general. It is said that they favor the onset of rot, that they do not let the roots breathe and much more. Why then do many serious nurserymen (and expert growers with them) still make extensive use of those elements? Simply because, as in many factors of cultivation, the point is not so much the material itself, but the type of use that is made of it.

In this article, let’s try to understand if expanded clay and peat are really such “dangerous” materials for cacti and succulents, if and how they can be used and what their real pros and cons are. (…)

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We take you with us on an exceptional “photo tour” in the Cactus Garden of Lanzarote

Characterized by its “lunar” landscape, the island of Lanzarote is an integral part of the Canary Islands, located off the coast of West Africa. The Canaries are under the dominion of Spain and are renowned for their always mild climate, splendid beaches and volcanic landscapes, especially on Lanzarote. Just the ideal climate has favored the creation, on this small island that extends over less than 900 square meters, the creation of a “Cactus Garden” famous all over the world, a real paradise for lovers of succulent plants.

Follow us on a “photo tour” through these botanical wonders. (…)

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