Succulent Preemies In The Garden

I'm joining A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday

and also

Faded Charm for White Wednesday

This old German beer crate ( that is the White Wednesday feature!)

 has served as an NICU for baby, tattered, abused and torn succulents for

about the last six years in my garden.  It works extremely well in protecting

"fallen angels" (the little pieces and bits that get broken off during the winter

months) from their more robust counterparts and from other dangers in the
garden.  I also dig these little guys from places they shouldn't be,
 like between the pavers on the patios.  If you don't have a garden
that is over run with these guys, check your local Home Depot for 
succulents in tiny pots to accomplish the same "look."

They quickly put out new roots in their protected environment and

within a few months will be ready to be transplanted back into the

garden beds.  Over the summer months other orphans and new

offsets are added as space opens up in the nursery.

My garden tea cart ( which has been freshly painted for the season )

was at a tea party just yesterday, but has now been put into service

as the mobile part of the succulent nursery.  It allows me to move

the babies in and out of the sun until they toughen up a bit and I'm

also able to bring them in under cover should the nights turn frosty

again.  Our official frost date is April 20th here in Zone 10B.

It's important, if you are planting these little guys in this kind of situation, to
make sure they are not sitting on concrete or other hard surfaces that 
prevent air flow and will cook all the little roots that you are trying to grow.
You can see in the image below that this cart will allow good airflow 
from underneath the crate.

I've employed several different planting methods over the years, all

of which worked equally as well in promoting fast growth for the kids.

1. pack sphagnum moss in the base of each opening, drop in some

potting soil appropriate for succulents, which need good drainage.

Add your plant and fill around the top surface with more moss.

2.  Use the tiny little plastic pots that many succulents are sold in,

again packing the bottom of each opening with moss.  The roots

will search out the openings in the bottom of the pot and fill the

moss with a mass of roots.  When ready to plant, just cut away

the pot, retaining the new root mass with the plant.

3.  The method I used this year was to line the interior of the

crate with a lightweight screening material (you could even

use newspaper or cardboard) to keep the soil from washing

through the bottom slats of the crate. The screen can also

be stapled to the bottom of the crate, if you want the down 

and dirty quick way!  Again fill the base of each opening with

moss, add potting mix, your plant and tidy up around the top

surface adding moss if you want to, I left it off this year.

Give the whole thing a quick shower with the hose and then

watch your babies grow!  Remember that succulents don't

need a lot of water and can not take up water until they

have roots to do so.  Don't over water these kids or they

will rot and die off over just a few weeks.


Give it a try, succulents are the easiest things to grow!