Nigel hemburys succulent blog: January 2018

Succulents are easy!!! Ha really.

Something you hear a lot is people telling you that succulents are easy!!!

Ha really.

Well i would say well maybe if you live in California or Spain then yes but here in Devon succulents require people who understand gardening to grow them healthily and well ,we have cold nights. the odd suddenly hot hour or two, low light and a constant wet atmosphere bad for foliage as well as the root system..

perfect conditions for mould, mealy bugs, die off ,frost/cold damage and lanky straggly growth due to the low light and cold protection, they need constant vigilance especially with mould as it can spread really quickly almost overnight and its very hard to cure . we almost always throw them away as except for the really rare ones sprays are slow to work and it can keep spreading,

one thing i do though on rare plants is to use silver sand moulds hate it

in the glasshouse aphids are often around but are easily dealt with but the cold is a really big problem yesterday it was 1 degree below freezing at night then during the day the temperature was ridiculously high very stressful for the plants .

so are succulents easy ? well yes some are really easy given the right conditions but others need specialised soil mixes and temperature and that to me is what makes them so interesting to grow.

Silver Sand

Is something we use a lot
Lime-free horticultural grade sand it primarily consists of quartz particles which are not coated in iron oxides, making it perfect for adding to growing media. and comes from Cornwall unlike other grits and sands, Silver Sand is not usually used for mortar or concrete when paving or laying slabs and its particle size is not all one size like builders sand
Thats the difference between sharp sand (which is crushed rock; In fact, it is fine grade grit) and natural sand, such as beach sand, which has rounded grains. Beach sand should generally be avoided for horticultural purposes.

Silver Sand is a favourite amongst all gardeners as it provides countless options for use in and around the garden..
Washed and dried, Silver Sand is available as a horticultural grade quality which is perfect for seed sowing, setting cuttings and for use in compost mixes.
silver sand improves aeration [always a point of argument but true ] and it also holds a small amount of water around the particles that helps cool the soil in pots in greenhouses in strong summer sun .It is not simply a matter of improving drainage, but of improving the actual structure of the soil, (for example, so that it is better aerated, or to allow roots to penetrate more easily.) The surfaces of the grains also help with certain kinds of ion exchange which enables plant roots to take in some nutrients more easily and it seems to help prevent some soil pests and stops surface mould quickly .