Last year on the lower deck, I used many succulent plants in decorative containers ( wait until what you see \nwhat I am going to plant in this giant strawberry planter this year!).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\nSucculents are addictive, and relatively easy-to-grow, as long as you don’t allow them to stay too wet while in pots. Each year I add more and more to my collection of decorative forms, often even forgetting their names, as I really dont’ care since remember, I really don’t like them.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Sedum nussbaumerianum<\/i> (the golden green form) can turn brilliant yellow gold in the hot sun of summer. Along with other \nSedums and Graptoveria, these will grow on for much of the winter until March, when I again take cuttings for \ndecorative containers that will spend the summer outdoors.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
I recycle most of my succulents each spring and autumn with cuttings, at least with my sedum and graptoveria species, as they root easily. These are succulents that can take much abuse, and when I take cuttings, I place them close together in pots, almost touching. This allows me to make geometric patterns or decorative displays. Last year I planted my most colorful succulents in concentric rings in one of our tall urns. This year, I am using some trendy green wall planters that Joe bought last year on sale. These will allow be to plant colorful blocks of color with various species and selections.<\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Sedums, including three cultivars of Sedum rubrotinctum <\/i>(often called the jelly bean plant) root easily from cuttings. I \ntake a set of cuttings every autumn from my planters, and then grow them on in the greenhouse all winter long. By spring, \nthe plants are long in the tooth, so I take another set of cuttings which I use for spring containers.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
A cleaned cutting of Sedum rubrotinctum ‘aurora’ ready for placing into another container. No need for \nrooting hormone, these are cuttings anyone can root.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
In October, newly potted cuttings from summer containers are placed on a high bench in the greenhouse where \nthey will spend the winter in full sun.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
These wall planters are like giant tiles with angles compartments, that will keep the soil from falling out. \nI am planting many succulents close together, by color and species. These unrooted cuttings will root in a few weeks, just about the time when I will be taking these containers outside to hang on a wall.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Sedum rubrotinctum, the Jelly Bean plant also drops it’s fragile “jelly beans”, each can root in the stem end is placed in damp sand or vermiculite.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
I really have no idea what these will look like once they start growing, but for now, they remain flat and horizontal \nin the greenhouse. I am trying some more interesting succulents in these containers, including Aloes.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Other ideas I might try this year include this one which I saw on a garden tour in Rhode Island. It’s an upside-down hanging \nbasket form on a stone wall column. Lined with sphagnum and filled with soil, it was planted with hens and chicks.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
In my more decorative plantings, last year I tried using more unusual colors of succulents. Red, gold and yellow, for \nexample, or, if you can remember, my collection of those that are grey or galvanized metal in color.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Concrete, galvanized metal and steel became a color theme in my outdoor gym.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
I also like to display many species on the steps of the deck, in Guy Wolff pots. These include gasteria species, \nhaworthia ( like these) and other collectible species where I can grow many within a single genus.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
Many species and selections of succulents are available from most any nursery. Don’t worry about the Latin names, just buy ones that you like….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5886,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
Recycling Succulents - Growing With Plants<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n