What Grow Lights Do You Use?

If you grow succulents indoors, what lighting do you recommend? Kristen R in Philadelphia is asking how to keep her indoor succulents colorful, specifically what lighting works best. “I have a ton of grow lights keeping them alive, but I’m really looking for their bright colors to come back!” At present I don’t use grow…

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Succulent Plant Hacks

Fool-the-eye aeonium hack (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

I love a good succulent plant hack—a clever solution to a common problem—especially if the hack utilizes something unexpected. I offer a dozen here.  If you have a hack, tip, or workaround that has to do with succulents, would you kindly share it in the Comments? Thanks! Carry cacti with firewood tongs Eileen Haag of…

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Gap Fillers for New Succulent Gardens

Ice plant and agave (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

A subscriber asks: “What should I do to fill garden gaps while waiting for succulents to get big? I’ve put in a variety and left room for future growth. How can I make my new garden look finished?” I have several ideas, but first…

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How to Refresh a Succulent Garden

Ratty succulent garden (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Hi Debra, I’m in charge of getting my kids’ school succulent garden back to its beautiful self. The aeoniums are super leggy and the fire torches look terrible. When and what should we cut, replant or add? — Tiffany in San Marcos

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25 Succulent Mistakes and Solutions

Barrel cactus fell over (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

My what-not-to-do’s are simple to avoid, but not necessarily easy to remedy. A smart succulent owner learns what can be expensive to fix, might cause prized plants to look dreadful, and could even kill them.

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Should You Use Weed Barrier Fabric?

Weed fabric in cactus garden (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

No doubt you’ve seen black fabric laid over bare soil with holes cut out for plants. But how important is it to use weed barrier fabric, really? What are the do’s and don’ts?

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My Easy, Inexpensive In-Ground Compost Method

Horticulturist's compost pile (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

No bins needed! My inexpensive, in-ground compost pile is efficient, rewarding and more fun (and easier) than recycling dripping bags of garbage. The new CA law that requires recycling of kitchen scraps makes sense, but is messy and inconvenient. Here’s all you need for a method that’s worked for me for decades.

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Refresh Your Echeveria Garden

Echeveria garden in pots (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Eighteen months after I planted it, my multipot echeveria garden was looking ratty. Over time, as new leaves formed from the centers of echeverias, lower leaves dried and clung to ever-lengthening stems. Bloom spikes I’d left intact for hummingbirds were several feet long and untidy. Watch me rejuvenate it in my new video: Refresh Your Echeveria Garden (6:31).

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How to Repot a Stuck Spiny Succulent

Roots growing out bottom of pot (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

In a new YouTube video, I’d planned to show you how to repot a spiny succulent. For my overgrown corn-cob euphorbia, I picked an art pot in the perfect size, color and pattern. But (yikes!) the spiky succulent was firmly stuck in its old pot.

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