General Care for Succulents
Light
Bright light is best; most succulents will need as much light as possible.
Soil & Mulch
You can purchase special cactus and succulent mixtures or use 50% sand with any inexpensive packaged soil mix. The soil must be able to drain well. Cacti and succulents are able to withstand drought better than wet soil. Let the soil dry out completely between waterings, because drenching already damp soil may result in rot. Always keep cacti mulched with gravel to a depth of 2 inches. Remember to replenish gravel mulch annually if needed.
Fertilizers
Diseases & Pests
Prevention is the best cure. Examine your plants closely every now and then in order to spot any fungi or insects before major damage is done.
Usually fungi do not adversely affect cactus and succulent plants because of the relatively dry conditions used by most gardeners. Damp conditions are a general requirement for activation of fungal spores, and many of the problems with fungal infections of succulent plants arise from excessive watering. Make sure to let the soil dry out before watering cacti or succulents and provide good air circulation around plants by properly spacing them apart.
Fungal diseases can be difficult to control and, once they infect a plant, are often hard to get rid of. You can use a commercial fungicide or make your own fungicide/insecticide from garlic. To make your own garlic treatment, mix 10 cloves of garlic with one pint of water in a blender. Strain the mixture. Use this garlic mixture as a spray. It destroys both pests and fungi.
Some common pests that can attack succulents are mealy bugs, red spider mites, snail/slugs, ants, and aphids. You can choose to treat insect infestations with commercial insecticides, or with the homemade garlic mixture fungicide/insecticide.
For further information, see:
Propagation
Succulents are relatively easy to propagate. Because of the inhospitable environments that they grow in, they have developed survival systems that allow them to take root quickly. You can produce a number of offspring from a single plant. Propagation of cacti through cuttings provides larger plants much more quickly than propagation from seed.
Take cuttings from healthy plants. Use a clean knife or shears. Let the cuttings dry (10 - 45 days depending on weather conditions and thickness of cutting). The wound should be healed and a callous should be formed before the cutting is planted, otherwise they may rot instead of forming roots.
Potting mix method
- Buy a bag of inexpensive potting mix. Take a screwdriver and make approximately 20 holes in the back of the potting mix bag for drainage.
- Turn the bag over and cut out a square in the front exposing the potting mixture.
- Water the mix first and let it drain and compact before starting to plant.
- Make a long trench one to two inches deep; put in a row of cuttings and backfill the trench. Continue making trenches until the bag is full of new cuttings.
- Place the bag in a bright, but not sunny position for 8-12 weeks. Water regularly (sprinkle carefully) but do not keep sopping wet.
- Start transplanting cuttings into your garden as soon as they show new growth, usually around 10 weeks.