Adrienne shares our love for succulents and has some great tips and sources!
Suited for both modern and traditional decors, cacti and succulents are a great choice for Austin homeowners because they are already naturally occurring ingredients to the Texas countryside. Including them in your home will give your spaces a great local and regional boost. (But you don't have to live in an arid region to enjoy the look of cacti!)
Cacti and Succulents for Interiors!
Austin, Texas
Beyond just aesthetics, cacti (as well as other houseplants) can help absorb the interior toxins released by the off-gassing from common household building materials in your home, such as formaldehyde and benzene, making cacti an easy way to get your home "green" (pun intended).
Cacti and succulents are notoriously easy to take care of, if you keep a few tips in mind:
- The number one reason your cactus will fail to grow (or die) is incorrect watering. Add water to a cactus only until there is half an inch of dry soil on the surface and don't water again until the soil is completely dry. Over watering can cause root and stem rot, which once started, cannot be remedied.
- Cacti go through an active season (spring and summer) and a dormant season (winter and fall). They tend to grow more during the active season and will need more water than during the dormant season.
- Cacti and succulents need bright, direct light and placing them near southern facing windows is the best choice.
-The best kind of soil is cactus soil, made specifically for cacti, which you can find at home improvement centers or nurseries. If you'd rather not go the soil route, I've seen lovely arrangements where the cactus was set in pebbles and rocks, rather than in soil.
Popular choices for indoor cactus and succulent plants (my favorites) are:
< ahref="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloe">Aloe
Prickly Pear
Haworthia
Barrel Cactus
Jade Plant
Echeveria
House Leeks
Here is a quick list (only a few!) of some great local Austin nurseries:
Big Red Sun
The Great Outdoors
Barton Springs Nursery
Shoal Creek Nursery
Sledd Nursery
The Natural Gardener
-Adrienne
Related Reads:
10 Best Succulents
4 Tips for Growing Great Succulents and Cacti
Look! Really Small Succulent Garden
Add a Plant to your Desk, Feel Better
Good Online Sources for Succulents
Comments (4)
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I just succumbed to the lure of cactuses, and came home with a half-dozen little pots, some with soil and some with pebbles. Had hoped to repot them in a large, flat pot... but quickly realized I had no idea what to do. How do I mix the soil-grown ones and the pebble-grown ones? Can I repot in a single medium? If pebbles, how do I know how to water -- pebbles always seem dry. Any quick tips wouldbe much appreciated!
view ljbmonkey's profile
My friends think that maybe I am addicted to succulents. I must confess that I have been known to break some pieces off of "public" succulents and try to get them to root at home, so maybe they are right.
Please remember also that Aloe is toxic to dogs.....just a friendly reminder.
view rvrlvr's profile
I am totally addicted to succulents this year -- well, more like every summer -- but I am already dreading bringing ALL the little pots I bought this year indoors before frost... But I am still trying to hunt down rare echeverias and anoniums.
view spiffy's profile
I'm no cacti expert, but I've grown cacti since I was a kid (usually successfully). One of mine is almost two feet tall. I've had it for almost 20 years now. I think they are easy and fun to grow. Here's my amateur advice.
Generally, you have cacti (lots of spines) and you have succulents (few to no spines). Succulents generally need more water than cacti. So I wouldn't pot the two kinds together in one pot.
I usually put all my plants in some of that "cacti and succulent potting mix" you can get at your local garden store, Target, whatever. You can mix some of the pebbles they came with into the mix if you are worried about drainage.
Just be sure to let the planting medium dry out thoroughly in between each watering. It's always better to under-water than over-water these types of plants.
view jyw's profile