Dancing Lizard Gardens

Phones: 541-998-2875; 541-517-8535
Email: sales@dancinglizardgardens.com
Location: Junction City, OR 97448

Plant Care

Hardy Succulent Container Garden Care

Light: Hardy succulents thrive outdoors in full or partial daylight. Low light levels during the growing season cause the plants to etiolate, or become pale in color and have excessively elongated growth. Cloudy days during the winter or dormant season are to be expected and do not negatively effect succulent growth.

Fertilizer: Fertilize throughout spring, summer and fall with a low nitrogen, water-soluble fertilizer such as Miracle-Gro or Shultz (10-15-10) to maintain vibrant colors and healthy growth. Slow release fertilizers can also be used as long as they are low nitrogen. A sign of over fertilization is loss of characteristic color.

Soil: Container gardens require adequate drainage to prevent the roots of the succulents from sitting in too much moisture. If you are starting your own container garden, provide a porous soil with good drainage by mixing in pumice, chicken grit (from a farm feed store) or perlite. Too much peat in the soil can harbor pests so start with a loam-based potting soil when possible.

Water: When the soil is dry, water thoroughly and then allow the soil to dry before watering again. Over watering can cause the succulents to rot. The frequency of watering depends on light and temperature levels and the porosity of the container. Glazed or plastic containers hold moisture longer than clay containers. We have grown container gardens with full exposure to wet Oregon winters and they do well as long as the water can drain away from the roots.

Maintaining your miniature garden: Container gardens of hardy succulents will grow and reproduce indefinitely. Sedum will need to be trimmed back as it becomes semi-dormant in the winter or if it tries to over-take the neighboring plants. Sempervivum rosettes die after blooming and will need to be removed. As the plants grow and crowd each other, you can remove part of the plant material and replant it in other containers or use for landscaping along borders or in rock gardens. Be creative and plant your growing collection in unusual containers such as old watering cans, boots, shoes and crocks. Just make sure that all containers have holes for drainage.

Care of your Succulent Living Wreath

Light: Your living wreath is planted with hardy succulents. It is intended for an outdoor location and does best with at least a half-day of daylight. The amount of light that the succulents receive will effect how often the wreath needs watered. To encourage uniform growth, periodically rotate your wreath in one-quarter turn increments. Always turn in the same direction (clockwise or counter clockwise) for best results.

Water: The center of the wreath contains a soil filled tube into which the succulents have grown roots. The wreath will become very light in weight when it is dry. The best way to water your wreath is to soak the wreath in a water-filled tub or plastic garbage can lid until the growing medium is thoroughly wet. Allowing the soil to dry and then thoroughly soaking it will encourage deep roots and healthy plants.

Fertilizer: Hardy succulents require fertilizer periodically during the growing season, spring through fall. Fertilize your wreath occasionally while watering it by adding a low nitrogen water-soluble fertilizer to the water. A good choice is a 10-15-10 liquid fertilizer such as Miracle-Gro or Schultz. The succulents become dormant during the winter and do not require feeding at that time.

Maintaining the appearance of your wreath: The Sempervivums in your wreath reproduce by growing offsets or "chicks" on stems called stolons. These can be removed and planted elsewhere or left in place to fill in the wreath. Sempervivum rosettes die after they bloom, however it can take from one to three years for blossoms to form. The blossom stems can be very long and if you don’t want them on your wreath, the whole rosette must be removed. Cutting off the blossom stem will not stop nature's process.