How to plant succulents at home. How to properly grow succulents

Even the most unpretentious decorative indoor crops, unfortunately, require a lot of attention and need careful care. That is why many people do not dare to plant some beautiful flower at home, thereby making the interior more comfortable and lively. Meanwhile, there is a very simple way out of this situation. People with a lack of time and skills in growing indoor plants should simply plant a succulent on their windowsill.

A feature of such plants is that they do not require virtually any maintenance. Watering ornamental crops of this variety is very rare. At the same time, they practically do not require additional feeding. Further in the article, we will consider how to grow succulents from seeds correctly.

The sun

This is the first condition for success. If you don't have a southern windowsill at home, your succulents may not like it.

Succulents are very fond of bright light.

and is not able to develop normally without it. In Central Russia, they need to be placed in direct sunlight. In the summer, you can and should put it on a balcony with a cover from the rain (they do not need excessive watering at all, these are desert plants). Provide them with wilderness and they will reward you with growth and flowering.

How to accustom to indoor conditions

Thus, we have figured out how to germinate the seeds of succulents. After pecking such plants above the ground, care for them, of course, also needs to be carried out correctly. In no case should you immediately remove the greenhouse from a pot with succulents, for example. Due to the abrupt change in conditions, young plants can simply get sick and die. Within a few days, the bag is removed from the pot for just a couple of hours. This will allow the succulents to get used to the low humidity.

Further, the greenhouse on the pot is opened gradually for an increasingly longer period. Ultimately, the bag from the container with plants is removed completely. Over the next few months, the seedlings are sprayed with a spray bottle every day or at least every other day. Subsequently, as soon as the succulents grow large enough, they are seated in different containers.

Why do they die with you?

Do not plant succulents in purchased peat-based soil and water often.

The main enemies of succulents are dampness and darkness.

... They cannot grow on shady windows or away from windows and the sun. More precisely, they can, but they will be elongated, weak, frail plants.

Succulents die when they are planted in purchased land for cacti (unfortunately, the soil for cacti in the store is also based on peat, which succulents do not like), watered abundantly, put in the shade, watered regularly in winter when kept on cold windows (forgetting about wintering and decay of roots in damp cold soil). In such conditions, they do not survive.

The main methods of breeding

Such unpretentious plants can be propagated in many simple ways. Breeding of succulents is carried out:

1. By cuttings - separating the cutting from the mother plant and transplanting it into a separate container with soil.
2. Leaf propagation - when the succulent has leaves and they can be separated, they are placed in a container of water before the roots appear, and then they are planted.
3. Seed reproduction.If a succulent gives birth to seeds, planting them in a separate pot is the least stressful way to propagate it.

The third method of plant breeding is widely used by gardeners and simply exotic lovers. Succulents from seeds grow quickly and in large numbers, but for this they need to create the right conditions and do not forget about regular care.

Why will the soil have to be compiled by ourselves

Peat is an organic mass that is biodegradable by soil fungi, bacteria and blue-green algae. This does not suit succulents at all.

Succulents grow in the desert, and the best soil for them is dry dust, clay, stones and sand

... These are subtracts with a low organic content and no moisture. They do not contain peat or other rich sources of organic matter.

In no case should succulents be planted in purchased peat-based land, even if it is called “Special soil for desert cacti”. That is why, if you want not to ruin the next plant, you yourself will have to work with the soil. In fact, it is not difficult.

Constantly moist organic substrates (peat in a spacious pot and with good watering) are a natural habitat for soil microflora, fungi and bacteria.

Succulents in places of their natural growth do not encounter the presence of soil microflora in the substrate and therefore have absolutely no immunity to it

... Their roots in your home die from common soil microorganisms that are harmless to other plants.

To grow succulents, you need soil that dries very quickly

.

Peat and soils based on it dry out for a very long time due to the high water-holding capacity of peat. If such a soil is dry, it is extremely difficult to wet it back: water simply flows down the walls of the pot, without reaching the roots. Such soil must be watered regularly, without overdrying. And for succulents, regular drying of an earthen coma is the main measure for the prevention of decay.

Ordinary outdoor forest or garden land mixed with coarse sand is best suited for succulents.

Coarse sand is sold in the pet / aquarium supplies section. It is not necessary to ignite or steam the earth and sand. It is also not necessary to spill the earth with potassium permanganate, because potassium permanganate is a strong oxidizing agent that degrades the chemical properties of the soil.

Soil preparation

As soon as the seeds have arrived and you have prepared everything you need for planting, need to find clean sand... The sand that is sold in garden shops may contain fungicides or herbicides. That is why it is best to use construction sand, which is mixed with cement.

Small pieces of rock create small air pockets and ensure good root development.

The best advice we can give, is that you need to wet the sand well before sowing the seeds. Succulent seeds are tiny in size and therefore rinse off easily when watering. But if the soil is wet, they will stick to it and stay in place until they have roots.

No need to water

Compared to other indoor plants, succulents hardly need watering. They have long adapted to the lack of moisture, they know how to store it in their own leaves or stems, using it sparingly.

In the summer, you need to water as the top layer of soil in the pot dries out (sometimes it happens every other day in extreme heat, and sometimes it happens after a week or more). The earth must really dry

.

In winter, watering should be very rare, only as the leaves or stems of the plants become lethargic and soft

... This is 1-2 times a month or even less.Many do not water succulents at all in December and January (but then you need to keep them cool).

Reproduction of succulents at home

Reproduction of succulents occurs in two ways: by seeds and cuttings. If you notice that succulents are actively throwing out new cuttings, it's time to start propagating the plant. This is not difficult to do, since even a small shoot or leaf that has fallen into the nutrient soil has every chance of survival and shoots. Cuttings are very easy to root. Cut off the stems and leaves in the spring or summer. Let them dry for a while, if the cuttings are large, then let them dry in 1-2 weeks. Then plant them in succulent mix. They are watered infrequently, do not cover them with film or glass. Some varieties give side suckers, which must be placed in the water for a while, and then planted in the ground.

Seed propagation predominates in the natural growing environment. The seeds are spread in a variety of ways. Some seeds acquire flight attachments so that they can fly with the wind. Seeds that spread along with streams of water are characterized by waterproof shells and a lightweight fabric that allows them to float to the surface. Small hooks on the seeds allow them to cling to birds and animals. Some fruits (for example, in Cereus, Mammillaria and Opuntia) serve as animal food. Undigested seeds enter the soil with animal droppings. Euphorbia catapults their seeds when their fruits burst.

Articles for gardeners

Winter is storage

Keeping succulents in a city apartment in winter is storage

rather than growing, you should be able to keep the plant in the form in which it was in the fall until spring. In winter, they should not grow, they should rest, sleep. Let them
don't even try
you grow in winter, nothing good will come of it.

That is why watering is practically reduced to naught. It is also highly desirable to lower the temperature. The metabolic rate will slow down 2-4 times for every 10 degrees of temperature change. For plants, there is also zero active temperature

, which is slightly above zero Celsius, at this moment the metabolism in the plant stops almost completely. This is storage.

From November to March, you need to arrange a drought at a low temperature for succulents so that they slowed down the growth as much as possible

... Place on the coolest windows (you can remove them from the south ones if your north ones are colder), watering very rarely (once a month or less).

Wintering promotes better flowering. If you want to finally see your cactus bloom, provide wintering for it.

Nolina, or bottle tree. This houseplant can be planted with seeds. This unusual plant belongs to the Agave family.

Winter technique

Of course, many indoor plant lovers would like to know how to grow succulents from seeds in the cold season. In winter, for planting such ornamental crops, about the same is used as in summer, but a simpler technology.

Before sowing succulent seeds at this time of the year, it is allowed not to ignite the soil, but simply spill it with hot water. In this case, it is supposed to carry out such a procedure several days before planting the plants. When using the "winter" technology, garden soil is usually mixed with sand in a 1: 1 ratio.

When planting, soil for succulents is poured into a pot and watered moderately with rain or melted snow water. The seeds, as in the first case, are simply spread over the soil surface. After sowing, the pot is covered with glass. Next, the container with the planting material is placed in a well-lit place, not in direct sunlight. It is believed that it is best to set up succulent pots in winter in such a way as to provide bottom heating.For example, you can place containers with seedlings closer to the ledge of the windowsill above the heating radiator.

Subsequently, the glass is supposed to be removed from the pot every day for ventilation for a few minutes. The first watering of seedlings when growing succulents from seeds at home is done about 2-3 weeks after planting. Subsequently, the soil under the plants is moistened as needed, taking into account the technology of growing a particular variety of succulents.

They are not afraid of temperature changes

Succulents can easily tolerate temperature fluctuations in a range much wider than what happens in living quarters. There is only one thing to keep in mind: most of the home-grown succulent species. do not withstand frost.

They are not afraid of the summer heat, even the most severe, if you open the vents. If you need to leave and the vents will be closed, and according to forecasts there is a lot of heat ahead, it is better to remove the plants from the direct sun so that they do not "cook".

If you are reading this article, you are probably already in love with this beautiful group of plants - succulents. Not surprising, because they perfectly decorate any room, and are famous for a variety of colors and shapes. Many had Aloe in their home since childhood, and now we have the opportunity to replenish our home collections with more rare and interesting specimens.

How to germinate and sow cactus seeds

Before planting a cactus from seeds, you should make sure that this variety or genus does not give rise to genetic mutations. If it retains all varietal characteristics, then the process will be fun. The only thing, before sowing cacti with seeds, you must follow a few basic rules. So the seeds of cacti germinate, in accordance with the nature of the growth of these plants in general, slowly; seedlings also develop slowly. In addition, although the seeds need moisture and warmth, on the other hand, cactus seedlings are very susceptible to fungal diseases. Therefore, when sowing seeds, it is necessary to maintain the required humidity and at the same time strive to prevent the appearance of fungal diseases. How to germinate cactus seeds is described in detail in this article later on the page.

Sowing cactus seeds on a larger scale or propagating particularly difficult, slow-growing cacti, which often have very small seeds, should be carried out only by experienced amateur cactus growers. The information required for this can be found in the specialized literature. However, even novice hobbyists can try to propagate by seeds suitable types of cacti - for example, fast-growing columnar cacti - with simple means. Seed is an interesting sight to observe, besides, a special attitude always remains to a plant grown by one's own hands from seeds. Therefore, some recommendations are given below for sowing cactus seeds.

Growing from seeds

Sowing by seeds is the most common type of plant cultivation for many years. Fans of succulents, for sure, want to buy something new in their collection, something special, rare, unusual, at an affordable price.

For this, sowing of seeds is often used, which can now be easily purchased in online stores, such as "Kaktusenok" or Aliexpress (review on seeds from Aliexpress), having received new friends by mail. Having learned the basic principles of sowing and care, it is quite possible to grow many healthy, strong plants on your own at home.

It will be very interesting for you to watch the germination and development of the seeds of these wonderful plants. You will be able to select for yourself the most interesting specimens of seedlings, thereby replenishing the collection.

How to plant and grow a succulent plant from seeds at home? Our recommendations and photos will help you in this exciting activity.It is necessary to take into account a number of features such as:

Selecting a container for sowing

You will need shallow (about 50mm high) plastic containers with holes at the bottom and transparent lids. You can make one greenhouse out of a large box with a lid, or cover it with plastic wrap by placing several small boxes of substrate and seeds there. The stores sell suitable greenhouses, but you can use a regular plastic container, the main thing is not to forget about the holes in the bottom of the container.

The soil

• Conventional mixtures containing a coarse mineral base are suitable, such as sand, agroperlite, fine gravel, you can also add a little crushed or granular coal.
• You can purchase a universal peat filler - slightly acidic humus and add sand, crushed coal, and perlite to it in equal proportions.
• For the preparation of the sown land, it is better to use quality ingredients purchased from specialized stores. If you want to take sand, gravel or coal from a garden or forest, you need to thoroughly treat everything with a disinfectant solution, steam it or fry it.

If the seeds are large, they can be sown into granite chips or gravel and sand. Sowing seeds in purely mineral substrates reduces the likelihood of seedlings dying from decay in the first couple of months of their life. But in this case, you need to water the seedlings almost every day, applying special fertilizers.

Succulents such as Aloe, Haworthia and Gasteria are great for sowing on pure perlite. Perlite has a high moisture capacity and breathability. But don't forget that there are no nutrients in such a substrate. Before sowing, perlite should be well moistened with water.

Sowing seeds

For even distribution of seeds, it is recommended to take a thick sheet of paper, bend it in half, and pour the seeds into it, then tap it with a thin stick or needle and scatter it into the substrate. Change is sown on top of the substrate, covered from above with a mixture of earth or a small layer of coarse sand, about 2 mm. The sprinkled layer should not be thicker than the size of the seed itself, therefore, if the seeds are very small, for example, like a ficus, then it is better not to sprinkle them at all.

Do not forget to make plastic tags indicating the type of your plants, thanks to which you can always find out the name of your friend, and clarify recommendations for his care.

From above we water with a small amount of filtered water at room temperature (you need to water it with a spray bottle), by spraying, so as not to erode the soil with seeds, and prevent seeds from penetrating into the depths of the earth. Next, cover with a lid or foil. You need to cover the greenhouse before the seeds germinate and after, as long as the plants get a little stronger and reach a size of 1-2 cm.Then we gradually stop covering.

Seed germination varies over time for different species. So the seeds of the families Agavaceae and Liliaceae germinate faster, while Apocynaceae and Asclepiadacea have a long germination time, sometimes up to three months.

All this time, the seeds should be in moist soil, and only after 60-90 days they will begin to hatch. Therefore, you should not stop watering, thinking that the seeds were bad. Higher germination is observed in freshly harvested seeds.

Sowing care

To get maximum germination, you need to consider factors such as temperature, lighting and watering:

• Optimal temperature for seeds in the daytime +20 - 26 degrees, the greenhouse should not be in the open sun. In summer, the temperature is up to + 30 degrees during the day, and + 18-20 degrees at night. At night, the seeds should rest from daytime temperatures. Drafts should also be avoided.

Seeds of Havortia and Dioscorea need a temperature of + 18-20 degrees for germination. It is better to sow them in winter or early spring, so that the seeds germinate in optimal conditions, and in the summer they can gain strength and grow stronger.

If you want to plant seeds all year round, you will need to install a greenhouse and special lighting.

• Lighting good is required, but direct sunlight should be avoided, which can harm delicate, immature plants. If during the summer young shoots do not have time to get stronger, and to reach the size suitable for a comfortable winter life (2-5 cm), it is recommended to use phytolamps to extend the growing season.
• Watering the substrate should be regular, the soil should not be allowed to dry out completely, but the water should not stagnate either. It is best to water a little as the top layer dries and sometimes leave it on for a couple of days to dry the bottom soil. Special attention to watering is required in the first year of life. The first couple of months, the soil should not be allowed to dry out for a day or more. Then you can gradually teach the young plant to dry out the soil. In summer we water more often, in winter a little less often.

As you grow, you can plant seedlings in pots. A plant with a height of 2-5 cm, which has several strengthened leaves, is ready for transplanting (Read about how to transplant a succulent in this article). The amount of water for watering one independent plant is about 3-4 ml. It is convenient to use a syringe for these purposes.

Fertilization and disease prevention

For medicinal purposes, and in order to prevent seedling diseases, fungicides can be used (Vitaros, Maxim). It is necessary to breed them following the instructions. Insecticides are also used, but only liquid, low concentration. If you use nutritious soils, then additional fertilization is not needed in the first six months. If the soil is completely organic, special fertilizers for cacti and succulents are suitable, clearly according to the instructions.

What techniques should be used for planting

Adult succulents can do without moisture for a very long time. However, the seeds of such plants cannot germinate without water, unfortunately. On a hot day in dry air, such planting material can die in a few hours. Therefore, in the warm season, the seeds of succulents are usually planted in the soil using a special technique.

First, the seed of such plants is distributed over the surface of the soil, without dropping it. The seed pot is then placed in a clear plastic bag. Next, twist the top of the bag to create greenhouse conditions for the seedlings. This technology is called "in a bag" and its use often allows you to grow beautiful succulents even from Chinese seeds, which, as you know, are not always of high quality.

In winter, succulents are usually planted a little differently. In this case, the pot of plants is simply covered with glass or placed in an old aquarium. Both of these technologies - both "in a bag" and "winter" - are a very good answer to the question, including how to grow succulents from seeds from China.

Propagation by cuttings and leaves

Not all succulent lovers know that these beautiful plants reproduce not only by seeds, but also by leaves, stem cuttings, children, which, subject to the necessary requirements and care rules, germinate well and quickly form into an independent plant. Do you want to expand your collection, or donate a succulent plant, saving money? You have a great opportunity to gain experience in this matter.

Where to start breeding succulents

So, a leaf or a stalk of a succulent, how to get it and germinate it. Where do we start:

It must be remembered that succulents with thick fleshy leaves (for example, Sedum, sedum, Echeveria, Crassula) reproduce in a leaf way, and only species with thin leaves (Adenium, Pachypodium, Euphorbia) are propagated by cuttings.

Sheet preparation

• You will need an adult healthy plant, the leaf or stalk should not have damage, or external signs of the disease (dryness, spots, rot).
• You need to take a very sharp knife or blade and be sure to disinfect.
• Carefully cut off the leaf or stalk at the base of the stem.
• It is impossible immediately plant leaves and cuttings in the ground or put in water. The leaf cut must be dried within two days under normal room conditions.

Leaf with dried cut ready for rooting

Preparing and planting the cuttings

• Stalk at the cut site, it is recommended to treat it with crushed coal, and if milky juice is released, rinse it off with clean water and then process it, and then dry it in the same way under normal room conditions. And then, germinate in boiled or filtered water at room temperature (it is important that the cut does not touch the bottom of the germination vessel), or in fine-grained disinfected sand, setting the stalk 1.5-2 cm and fixing it on top with fine expanded clay. After planting in the sand, it is necessary to water the cutting well with filtered (settled) water at room temperature.
• The room temperature for successful germination and rooting should be maintained around 23-25 ​​degrees. Tolstnyanka and Euphorbia are well suited for water rooting, but Sansevieria root better in sand. For cuttings, you can use rooting stimulants (Kornevit, Epinom) following the instructions.

The soil

• Preparing the soil for rooting a leaf: you need to take a ready-made substrate from the store, for cacti and succulents, and mix a small amount of sand, fine expanded clay or crushed coal into it. Can be rooted in clean sand. All planting materials must be decontaminated. You can also add coconut substrate.
• After drying, the leaf should be placed on the prepared dry soil, at a slight angle to facilitate rooting.

Correct rooting leaf position

Planting and caring for leaves and cuttings

• Care... For rooting a dried leaf not needed watering, but occasionally it must be sprayed.
• We leave our new plant in a bright place, without direct sunlight, avoiding drafts.
• When the foxes take root (after 2-3 weeks), you need to water it periodically as the top layer dries up, 3-5 ml per watering, with filtered water at room temperature.
• After germination, the cutting should be transplanted into succulent nutrient soil (described above).

As a new small plant germinates, your mother leaf will dry out, but, on the contrary, new shoots will appear from the cuttings, and it will continue to grow.

Rooted leaf of Echeveria Pulidonis

Sedum red-colored with a young shoot

Video: propagation of succulents by cuttings

I have been passionate about indoor flowers since my youth. Succulents have been and remain a special passion. In this material I will tell you how to find a common language with these strange, funny, and sometimes even at first glance not very attractive plants, so that they please with an attractive appearance and grow well.

Choosing soil and pot for succulents

The main requirement for the substrate is that it should be perfectly and evenly wetted, but dry quickly and not retain moisture. So, peat does not suit them, as it can stick together, and when it dries very much, it is difficult to wet it. The store sells mixtures for succulents, they consist of peat, expanded clay, sand. Succulents, which have small roots located almost on the surface, require land that has a large amount of rubble and sand, very loose. Succulents with thick roots require heavy clay soil.

The substrate for succulents must necessarily include gravel, expanded clay, sand. You can pour vermiculite, perlite there, they absorb moisture and slowly evaporate it. Activated carbon is also added there, it makes the earth looser, absorbs water and removes impurities. Coal is added in a ratio of 1:10 to the total volume of the earth. Also, the substrate includes leafy land, sod, heather.

The pot is selected according to the size of the succulent.Large fat women, milkweed are suitable for wide clay pots. And small haworthia, aloe are best planted in small plastic pots. If the flower grows, then in the spring, transfer it to a larger pot.

What are succulents

This term hides a wide variety of plants that have one thing in common - special tissues for the storage of fluid. The group of succulents includes many species that are sometimes not close biological relatives of each other. They all store water in leaves or stems and have mechanisms to protect against moisture loss.

The similarity of the structure of their organisms is explained by the same type of growth conditions. This usually refers to an arid climate, often with high temperatures and plenty of sunlight. The term "succulents" itself is a combination of the Latin words succus - "juice" and lentus - "thick".

There is a wide variety of succulents that can be used as a houseplant, I will mention the most popular ones:

• Scarlet (vera, tree-like, short-leaved, brindle) A plant from the Asphodel family, usually distinguished by pointed long leaves.
• Cacti. Stem succulents, usually categorized in their own right. The most popular homemade succulents. The main organ is a special "kidney" - areola - with spines or hairs. They are flat, round, flowering, elongated - more than 2 thousand varieties in total.
• Spurge. A plant that looks like a cactus. Sometimes it has small leaves. Feature - the presence of poisonous juice in the stem.
• Kalanchoe. It is famous for its bright and colorful flowering. It has thick and fleshy leaves. Often used for medical purposes.
• Living stones. Also known as lithops. Easy to confuse with real stones. They do not have a stem, but are located on two fused leaves.

Landing features

Seeds are planted into the prepared soil from the envelope, as if in a thin stream. When you have covered them with a protective earth layer, the soil should be watered. After the first disembarkation, it is easier to do this with a spray bottle, in which there is clean warm water. Do not overuse water - it is only needed to create a greenhouse effect. The home greenhouse can then be closed.

What makes growing in a greenhouse convenient is that it saves more seeds than growing outdoors. It is only necessary to remove the greenhouse cover if the sprouts are clearly visible from the ground. Do not remove the lid until they grow to 1–2 cm.

Seed germination will happen only after a few months of abundant watering. Therefore, be patient - it deserves it: exotic plants look good on the windowsill, and on the shelves, and on the coffee table, etc.

Landing rules:

• in the greenhouse, try to maintain the optimum temperature - 20-30 plus degrees during the day and at least 18 at night;
• protect the seeds from drafts - they can be destructive;
• some external factors, including the sun's rays, are bad for young sprouts, so they should not fall on them;
• it is not worth keeping the greenhouse on the windowsill, but on the table in a room with good lighting it really belongs;
• watering succulents involves regularity in order to avoid drying out the soil;
• stagnation of moisture is also not good for plants.

How to plant succulents

This group of plants reproduces well in a vegetative way - by shoots from stems, babies and the like. When they hit the ground, they quickly and easily root themselves, and do not require any special care in comparison with adult plants.

When propagated by seeds, they are evenly distributed over the ground, lightly sprinkled with earth and sprayed from a spray bottle 1-2 times a week.Seedlings appear in a couple of weeks or months, provided that the air temperature is around + 25⁰C.

Regardless of the breeding method, low pots with large drainage holes are chosen for young plants. A layer of expanded clay is placed on the bottom, and then the soil is covered. As they grow, succulents require periodic transplanting. In this case, pots are selected 2-3 centimeters wider and higher than the previous ones.

Care of young plants

How to plant succulent seeds is thus clear. But how to make sure that they do not die in the future and germinate in time. The seeds of such ornamental crops hatch, depending on the variety, within a few days or weeks. Young plants can be kept inside the bag for up to several months. They usually remove such a greenhouse from the pot when the succulents are already large enough.

At the first time after germination, it is necessary to monitor the roots of young plants. A feature of succulents is, among other things, the fact that at the early stages of development, their roots begin to creep along the surface of the soil, without going deep into it. If you find such a problem, a small plant should definitely be helped. Next to it, you need to dig a hole with a toothpick, select a little sprout on the surface and tuck the root into the ground.

When using a plastic bag to grow succulents from seeds, among other things, it is worth making sure that fungi and mold do not appear on the seedlings. If you find them, you must definitely use fungicides. If the infestation area is large, in order to save young plants, the bag from the pot may need to be removed prematurely if mold develops.

The soil

Most of the ornamental and fruit crops that we grow at home or on the site need fertile soil. Peat-rich soil is often the best option for them. With succulents, everything is different.

The soil for them should be light and relatively poor in nutrients. Best of all, cacti and other plants of this group will feel on a mixture of turf soil with coarse river sand. Also, other mineral bases may be present in the soil mixture - perlite, fine gravel, crushed coal.

Seed pretreatment

The most troublesome stage is the preparation of succulent seeds directly. All small seeds are similar to each other, so it is not difficult to confuse them. Be careful.

The seeds should be collected first. Spread the available seeds on a white sheet of paper. Those that are not viable must be discarded. This applies to dried and rotten seeds. Then the selected composition is divided into groups. And each group should be allocated a tag that will be attached to the flowerpot after sowing.

You cannot disinfect seeds! This negatively affects their protective layer, which aggravates the further growth of the plant.

The next stage is sowing seeds into the ground. For this, a regular white A4 sheet is also used. Fold it into an envelope with a free edge, from this edge the seed perfectly falls into the prepared moist soil. From above, the seeds are covered with sand or a mixture of sand and earth - a thin protective layer.

Watering

Under natural conditions, succulents can live without water for months - they have enough reserves accumulated in themselves. From this follows the main rule that determines the mode of watering such plants: it is better to underfill than overflow.

• During the warmer months, for most succulents, it is sufficient to moisten the soil once a week.
• In winter, when the temperature is lower, watering should be reduced to 2-3 times a month.

Water must be used soft, the excess content of mineral components is harmful to plants.

The emergence of sprouts

Depending on the type of plant, germination time can vary from a few days to a couple of weeks.As you can see below, the sprouts are as small as the seeds, so it will take another week or so of stable moisture before you can let the substrate dry.

Do not forget to remove the plastic that you covered the tray with after the sprouts have emerged. Too much moisture will cause them to rot.

Disease prevention

The main enemy of succulents is rot, which occurs most often from waterlogging of the soil. To prevent it, follow the watering regime and provide the plants with good drainage. From an already diseased specimen, it is necessary to remove the damaged parts of the stems and leaves, and treat the cut site with Topaz or a similar fungicide.

Of the pests, succulents are affected by the scale insect, mealy worm, mites, millipedes and nematodes. Their prevention is maintaining the health of the plant with proper care. Treatment - insecticide treatment and manual removal of large pests.

Preparatory activities

One of the features of growing such plants from seeds using the "bag" technology is the need to maintain complete sterility. In order for the planting material of succulents to be guaranteed to germinate, you must:

• before sowing, thoroughly wash the pot chosen for the plant with soap;
• use a new plastic bag or rinse the old one thoroughly.

The very soil for succulents must be calcined for at least 2 hours at a temperature of 112 ° C. First, it should be sieved to remove pebbles and debris from it.

Use a watering can, not a spray bottle

You might think that spraying water on a succulent plant is a great idea because it looks beautiful. But this will not fill the roots with water. This will force the plant to release new small roots in order to absorb the maximum amount of water. Your succulent won't last long. Water the soil around the succulent; do not water the leaves. They can become soft and ugly because of this.

Plant characteristics

Before proceeding with questions regarding the care of flowers, you need to understand how they differ from other representatives of the flora. The main difference between succulents is the ability to accumulate moisture in tissues. The natural habitat of these flora representatives are hot countries with an arid climate, which determines their natural ability to accumulate water.

Vivid representatives of succulents are different types of cacti, euphorbia, varieties of aloe, echeveria, haworthia, lithops. Conventionally, succulents are divided into two groups: stem, leaf. Regardless of the group belonging, a feature of these representatives is the night period of gas exchange, a significantly reduced number of respiratory stomata, the presence of thorns or other protective elements (for example, poisonous sap) from a hostile environment, a developed root system that allows the plant to accumulate moisture to overcome long periods of drought.

Freeing the roots

Try to separate the roots

from compacted soil. When cleaning the roots of old soil, be careful not to pull too hard so as not to break the fragile roots of the Succulent. It is best to use a small wooden stick.

Fill the gaps between the roots with fresh substrate

You need to break the root ball shape before planting the flower in a new pot. It will help him grow better.

and make the most of the increased space.

Pay attention to dead and damaged roots: they should be cut

.

Germination of cactus seeds after planting

During germination after the substrate should not dry out. Temperature is best controlled with a minimum-maximum thermometer.

Many cactus seeds germinate within two weeks. It is interesting to observe how small green balls begin to appear on the surface of the soil and two well-marked cotyledons develop, between which a cactus stalk is later formed.

When most of the seeds have germinated, the lid of the mini-greenhouse is lifted slightly from time to time to reduce the humidity in the air, and with it the risk of fungal infection. After three to four months, bowls with seedlings can be removed from the greenhouse. Now they need to be placed in a bright and slightly sunny - however, not in bright sun - place; since under natural conditions, cactus seedlings grow in the light shade of adult cacti or under the protection of higher surrounding vegetation.

Seedlings are best pressed for several months to develop in the bowl where they germinated. Now, between the next waterings, the soil in the pot should dry out slightly, however, despite this, the seedlings need to be watered more often than adult cacti, since a relatively looser soil mixture is used for sowing seeds, and the roots of the seedlings are not yet very well developed. Watering should continue from the bottom. In order for the seedlings to grow healthy, and the substrate does not alkalize, potassium phosphate (1 g per 2 L of water) can be added to the irrigation water.

Picking.

When the seedlings begin to form a dense pillow (curtain) in the bowl, they must be cut into fresh soil.

In this case, the substrate in the planting bowl or pot must be dry, then it easily disintegrates and allows you to remove the seedlings without damage. Young plants, which by this time have a diameter of about 0.5 cm, are not planted in separate small pots, but are planted in large quantities in larger pots or bowls.

The juvenile planting dish is filled with relatively dry conventional cactus potting mix. Then, with a pencil or a pointed stick, make a depression, place a seedling in it and carefully pour soil from all sides.

Seedlings are planted from each other at a distance equal to approximately three times the diameter of young plants.

After the seedlings are kept in a warm, shaded place; they are carefully watered not immediately after transplanting, but only after a few days, when the possibly damaged roots are overgrown. When the seedlings take root in fresh soil - after about a week - they are again transferred to a bright, slightly shaded place from direct sunlight. Plants now grow and develop relatively quickly and without any problems.

Choose green

Shades of succulents and cacti provide very important information! We learned that if you want to grow a plant at home, best buy in store green succulent

... Beautiful purple, orange and yellow succulents will die if they don't get enough warmth, sun and some care.

Green flowers are less demanding

So if your home is cool or air conditioned, the easiest way is to opt for green succulents. After purchase, you can transplant the plant if you notice one of the signs described below.

Sowing cacti with seeds

When sowing, cactus seeds must be evenly distributed over the surface of the substrate.

For this, a sheet of paper is folded in half, the seeds are poured into the formed groove, after which, by lightly tapping on paper slightly inclined to the bowl, the seeds are evenly poured one at a time onto the soil surface.

Since cacti develop slowly and grow better in the community, seeds are sown relatively densely. As a guideline, it can be indicated that about 20 cactus seeds are sown on the soil surface in a 2 x 2 cm bowl.

After sowing cacti with seeds, they are lightly pressed into the soil using any object with a smooth surface, such as a matchbox. Since the seeds of cacti need light for germination, they are not sprinkled with soil on top.

After that, the seeds and substrate must be moistened. Of course, this cannot be done from a watering can, since in this case the seeds will be washed off the soil surface with a stream of water.Therefore, bowls with sown seeds are placed in a container filled with settled water and kept there until the substrate is well saturated with moisture to the uppermost layer. For the prevention of fungal diseases, you can use a 0.05% solution of quinosol (1 tablet per 2 liters of water). Quinosol is a mild disinfectant. Finally, the sowing bowls or pots are placed in a mini-greenhouse, where, thanks to the transparent plastic lid, the required substrate moisture will be maintained.

How to detach a sheet

Everything will depend on the type and type of your Succulent.... For example, most Sedum, as well as some Echeveria, can be propagated either by leaf or by shoots. On the other hand, Aeoniums are propagated only by apical cuttings. That is why you cannot breed them with leaflets.

In other words, all varieties of succulents are different, so if you don't know what works for you, just experiment! And in order to separate the leaf, simply twist it from the stem. Most importantly, make sure there is nothing left on the stem. Actually, it's best to pull the leaf a little.

If you damage the leaf and some of it stays on the stem, it will most likely fail. Once done correctly, you should be able to see a clear outline at the base of the detached leaf.

Difficulties in leaving

• "Living stones" are succulents that prefer to grow in families of three or more. One plant usually does not survive.
• If the plant has shrunk, this is a sure sign that it needs to be watered, but water sparingly and it is better around it, it is better not to pour water directly on it.
• If it has small dents, it means that it has been poured, it is necessary to reduce watering.
• Due to the fact that "live stones" are watered, the appearance of a mealybug is very rare. This is a pest that appears in arid land. How, then, to care for the plant? For prevention, you need to mix a decoction of garlic with pieces of soap, and pour the plant with this solution.
• In low light, the succulent is stretched out. Sometimes in the summer a new pair of leaves grows, but the old one does not dry out. In this case, the flower grows in height and weakens. This will not happen if you keep the succulent in direct sunlight. Due to low light, it may also not bloom.

"Living stones" are very unpretentious plants and with proper care they will delight you for many years.

Succulents are plants that prefer bright sun, they grow in places with a shortage of water and therefore store it in their succulent leaves or stems. They have special growing requirements. If you understand how to grow them, new horizons will open up for you. Because these are not only cacti, it's much more

.

Today, succulent cuttings can also be purchased on the Internet (this also allows you to get rare varieties that you cannot find in your horticultural centers). In the fall, cuttings are usually sent to enough sluggish

condition, the way it should be: they are overwintering, and sluggish succulents are less susceptible to damage from low temperatures during shipment.

How to plant cacti with seeds in a closed plastic bag (with video)

Some cacti growers achieve good results using a simple method of sowing cactus seeds. Before planting cacti with seeds, the pots or bowls are filled, as described above, with a well-steamed potting soil mixture, and covered with a layer of sterile material such as sand, perlite, crushed basalt or pumice stone. Then, cactus seeds are sown on the surface of the substrate and the crops are thoroughly watered from below, adding any fungicidal preparation, such as quinosol, to the water.

After the excess water drains from the pot, it is placed inside an airtight (no holes) plastic bag, tied and placed or suspended in a bright, but not sunny place.

Since moisture in a closed plastic bag cannot evaporate, crops do not need constant monitoring and can be left to themselves for a quarter of a year. The decisive factor for the successful production of seedlings with this method of sowing is the elimination of fungal infections.

After three to four months, the bags are opened, the substrate is slightly dried in the bowls and the seedlings are dived, as described above. This simple method of sowing cacti is definitely worth trying, first of all, in the case when you have received - for example, from a friend, an amateur cactus grower - a lot of seeds of some particularly hardy species.

See how to properly propagate a cactus with seeds - the video demonstrates all the complex technical coins of sowing, picking and organizing the care of seedlings:

Succulents are those plants that can store water for a long time, as a result of which they do not require frequent watering, which cannot be said for other flowers grown at home. Taking care of such plants is quite simple, the only thing they love is the abundance of sunlight. If you decide to plant beautiful flowers and your windows face south, then you will not find a better option, like a succulent.

The best way to land

If you are using leaves, place them on the surface of the soilmaking sure their ends do not touch the ground. Water whenever the soil dries out. You can use a sprayer (spray bottle) to maintain moisture in the topsoil.

Some growers recommend placing the cut end of the leaf in the soil, but this can cause rotting.

Unlike leaves, cuttings must be planted in soil. Since they are practically adult succulents, all they need is plant and water them... They will start to grow! Like leaves, cuttings should be watered every time the soil is dry. This is how the leaves spread out on the substrate look like:

If some of them die - don't worry - more than half will sprout! Some of them will grow very slowly, while others will have a large number of roots and no leaves at all. Each stalk grows differently, and it is perfectly normal if it fails to germinate!

What cactus seeds look like (with photo)

Specialty stores offer a wide variety of cactus seeds. Usually, for their first attempt, beginners choose either a mixture of seeds of different varieties, or the seeds of fast-growing columnar cacti, or the seeds of species that bloom several years after planting, such as rebutia. You need to know about how the seeds of cacti of the species and variety you are interested in look like, otherwise you cannot avoid disappointment in the future.

Of course, you can also sow seeds from another cactus lover. For sowing, seeds should be used that have been stored for no more than one to two years. To prevent possible damage to seedlings by fungal infections, the seeds must be cleaned from possible residues of fruit pulp before sowing.

To do this, the larger seeds are poured into a tea strainer, and the smaller ones are put into a linen bag and thoroughly washed in warm water, after which they are sprinkled on paper and dried.

See how cactus seeds look like - the photo shows the planting material of different groups of these plants:

Sunlight will help

Your green succulents and cacti will be happy as long as they get enough sun. Don't keep them in a shaded room

it is best to place them on a windowsill or table where they will receive plenty of natural light.

In conclusion, we suggest watching a video about transplanting a giant succulent plant Eonium:

1. Successful sowing depends on many factors. These include lighting, temperature, moisture, soil composition, seed age, etc. A number of succulent species have only their inherent features and when sowing it is important to group the seeds so that the conditions for their germination are similar.

2. Requirement for light Light is the most important factor for germinating seeds. The light controls the direction of the seedlings' growth: the roots move away from the light into the substrate, and the delicate stems stretch towards the light.For most cacti and other succulents, the light level of the seedlings should be high enough. The seedlings will tell you their own light requirements. If they are stretched, then they need to increase the illumination. If they turn bright red and stop growing, it means that they are receiving too much light. Many types of seedlings acquire the color given to them by nature, and, in this case, there is no need to worry.

3. Temperature is a very important factor for seed germination and many species only germinate if the temperature is within certain limits. These limits depend to a large extent on the conditions under which the seeds of one or another cactus species germinate in nature. It was also found that daily temperature drops are very useful for crops. This creates conditions close to natural conditions, where daytime temperatures are much higher than nighttime. If you achieve this, you will create optimal conditions for successful germination of seeds. (Average t = 20-28C)

4. Humidity is also an important factor because moisture is absorbed by the seeds and begins the process of their growth. During germination, the water should be clean, preferably thawed; it is not recommended to use chemicals until the seedlings are strong. Fertilizers only slow down the germination process. Many hobbyists use fungicides both for prophylaxis and for protecting seeds and seedlings from fungal diseases. This should be done with great care, strictly following the dosage indicated on the labels.

5. The substrate is equally important for several reasons. The soil supplies the water, nitrates and gases needed for seed germination and seedling growth. There cannot be a single recipe for an earthen mixture that would suit all succulents, but the main earthen mixture (OZS) is: 50% - coarse sand, 30% - humus-clay soil and 20% - crumb (perlite, expanded clay, gravel, etc.) The sowing bowls fill the OZS almost to the top and lightly compact the top layer with flat objects. Gently distribute the seeds over the surface. By lightly tapping on the edges of the bowl, let the seeds sink a little into the sowing substrate. Large seeds can be pressed lightly with the same flat object. Large fragile seeds (for example Aloe) can even be sprinkled on top with an additional amount of OZS. Very small seeds (eg Dinteranthus) can be sown directly on the surface of the sand, and when sprayed, they will burrow into it. Seeds sown on the surface layer of OZS require a high level of moisture for germination. For moistening, melt or distilled water is best suited for the germination of seeds. After the sowing is finished, the dish is placed in a place where it can be illuminated by the sun. It is best to place the seeding bowls in an "aquarium" glued from plexiglass and covered with a white nylon cape on top. This coating provides partial moisture retention and free air access to crops. It is necessary to spray so often, depending on the size of the bowl, so that the surface of the sand does not dry out before the seeds germinate. In the first days after sowing, it is necessary to spray more often in order to stimulate the absorption of water by the seeds. After the appearance of the first shoots, the frequency of spraying and its volume are gradually reduced, allowing the surface layer to dry out from time to time. When the seedlings got to their feet, started to grow, the moisture content of the substrate in the sowing bowl should be sharply reduced so that the tender sucking roots do not rot. When the expected number of seeds has risen in the sowing bowl and the further addition of seedlings has ceased, the bowl should be removed from the humid environment, let the substrate dry and place it in conditions close to the content of adult plants. This is very important for the formation of seedlings.

6. It is not recommended to dive seedlings at an early age until they begin to press against each other.While the seedlings have enough space and they feel good, do not disturb them with transplants. It is useful not to dive the seedlings for 1-2 years, so avoid sowing a large number of seeds in small bowls. If you do not have a greenhouse, then place a bowl with seedlings where they are illuminated by the sun at least part of the day, or under fluorescent lamps. It is very important that the level of illumination is sufficient for the seedlings to develop normally. aside, increase the amount of light. The use of nutrients during this period is also beneficial. The sowing bowl should not be allowed to dry out, since the presence of even a small amount of moisture in the substrate contributes to the continuous process of the formation of the root system and makes the growth of seedlings more intense. Gradually, the cover glass on the dish is shifted more and more, the crops are more and more often aired, hardening the seedlings.

Only 4 types of "living stones" survive at home:

• Hybeums;
• Lithops;

When growing succulents, it is necessary to approximate all the conditions to which they have adapted in the desert:

Planter for succulents

The choice of pots for succulents is an absolutely individual matter and is considered by each gardener in terms of his own tastes and preferences. Someone chooses natural materials like clay, but it is worth remembering that clay pots promote faster evaporation of moisture, since water also evaporates through the porous walls.

Others prefer plastic, wood, stone, woven from vines, and many other varieties.

The main task of the gardener is to replace as quickly as possible the small pot in which succulents are usually sold with a more capacious one, because not a single plant will actively develop in such small-sized conditions. Therefore, space and comfort for the plant will become the main requirements for pots. And the shape, material, color and decor will remain a matter of your tastes.