Watch How You Water! Amazing tips

OK, we all know that succulents are low-water plants. But they’re not “no-water” plants. Although they may survive without irrigation during the heat of summer, they’re unlikely to be lush and healthy. I suggest that you ~ — Check your automatic irrigation system. Trust me, it needs it, and maintaining it can mean life or death to prized plants. Watch for leafy growth blocking sprayers, clogged riser heads, and plugged drip lines. — Pay keen attention to soil moisture during heat waves and desiccating winds. — If the root zone goes dry, supplement auto irrigation with hose watering. (See my canary-in-the-mineshaft way to evaluate evaporation in my latest video, Succulents, Sun and Summer.) — Water early in the morning or late in the day. Note to desert gardeners: Watering in midday heat can literally cook roots. (Eek!) — HOWEVER, aeoniums, dudleyas and other succulents that have closed their rosettes should be watered minimally or not at all, lest dormant roots rot. The plants will revive when the rains return. (They may not make it until then, though, if in full sun. So, shade them.) — If the ground is concrete-hard, leave a hose dripping overnight to create an underground cone of moist soil. — Trees and shrubs want water where their canopies would naturally direct rainfall: around the perimeter of the plant. — Add gravel topdressing around succulents (or use organic mulch for woody plants) to help hold moisture in the soil. — Take the opportunity, when hose-watering, to blast pests, fallen leaves and dirt out of leaf axils and the centers of rosettes. — Use a hose-end sprayer—ideally one with multiple settings—to direct water where you want it. — A hose lying in summer sun may contain scalding water. You already know this, but your house-sitter may not, so be sure to mention it. — If you have a hose-full of hot water, aim a fine spray skyward. Droplets will cool by the time they hit leaves. What about potted succulents? From my website’s FAQ’s:  Aim to keep soil about as moist as a wrung-out sponge. About once a week should do it. Water thoroughly to soak the roots and flush salts. Let common sense prevail: Water more during hot, dry spells and less or not at all during periods of high humidity, cool temperatures and rain. ALSO SEE: Page 56 of Succulents Simplified, pp. 219-222 of Succulent Container Gardens, and pp. 134-135 of Designing with Succulents (second edition).

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Summer Care for Your Succulents Amazing tips

Don’t let midsummer heat, sun and dryness damage your succulents!

If you live in an arid climate and grow succulents in the open garden (as I do), I suggest you ~

— Move sun-sensitive potted succulents into the shade: haworthias, gasterias, euphorbias, faucarias, sansevierias, echeverias, and anything variegated.

— Give aloes and crassulas enough sun to turn bright colors but not so much that tips shrivel or burn.

— Shade horizontal stems of trailing aloes, senecios, othonna and the like. Sunburn will hinder stems’ ability to transmit moisture from roots to leaves.

— Watch my latest video: Succulents, Sun and Summer. On an 89-degree day in my garden, I check on succulents small and large and explain how I care for and protect them.

— Minimize evaporation by watering early in the morning or late in the day.

— Give in-ground succulents a weekly deep soaking rather than a frequent light spray.

— If soil goes dry to a depth of 6 inches despite auto irrigation, supplement with hose watering.

— Pay particular attention to your garden during heat waves and Santa Ana winds, when plants are most vulnerable.

— Aeoniums and other succulents that have closed their rosettes to protect their vital cores should be watered minimally or not at all, lest dormant roots rot. The plants will revive when the rains return.

— Evaluate garden areas in need of shade, and plant trees when the weather cools in the fall. (See my video: Twelve Low-Water Trees for Succulent Landscapes.)

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Why You Should Grow Aloe Vera Amazing tips

Aloe vera is arguably the most commercially grown succulent (followed by the tequila agave and supermarket kalanchoe). The medicinal and cosmetic value of the plant’s gel-filled leaves have been recognized for millennia, and it is reputed to have been part of Cleopatra’s beauty regimen. Google “Aloe vera” and you’ll get dozens of hits for products that use the gel in topical skin lotions or as a food ingredient.

Studies of the plant’s effectiveness for a wide range of ailments tend to be inconclusive, but no one questions the efficacy of Aloe vera at soothing minor burns. And because of its antimicrobial properties, it’s supposedly better than toothpaste at preventing cavities. But would you want to ingest the raw gel? It won’t hurt you (in small quantities) but it’s awfully bitter. Mixing it with honey and water is an option if you really want to take it internally, but don’t overdo it; it has laxative qualities.

Numerous other aloes also are considered “medicinal”—Aloe vera is simply one of the juiciest. In the garden, it serves as a nice (if not especially showy), midsized, low-water succulent. Instead of orange flowers typical of most aloes, those of Aloe vera are yellow. Its leaves are tapered, upright, gray-green, and grow to about waist-height. The plant is also colony-forming over time.

I grow Aloe vera mainly to have it on hand in case of sunburn. Slice a leaf lengthwise and rub the goo on your skin for soothing, instant relief. See my latest YouTube video: How to Harvest Aloe Vera Gel. 

Aloe vera plants are available at large nurseries and garden centers and will thrive outdoors if protected from frost and desert heat. Like most succulents, Aloe vera needs plenty of sun, weekly watering, and soil that drains well. It also makes a good windowsill plant, although it is unlikely to bloom indoors.

 

 

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Succulents, Shells and Summer: My Potting Demo at Roger’s Gardens Amazing tips