How-To’s & Tips
Don’t Let a Heat Wave Ruin Your Succulents
You have two options for protecting your succulents from heat waves that follow cool weather:
1. Move them. Of course this is only possible if they’re in pots. But don’t forget to do it! When sudden heat and sun hit, succulents that haven’t had time to acclimate may sunburn. There’s no reversing the resulting brown or beige patches.
Succulent Plant Hacks
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…
Read MoreGap Fillers for New Succulent Gardens
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…
Read MoreAre Your Succulents Well Stressed? 50 Before-and-Afters
Are your succulents well stressed? Given the right conditions, certain varieties turn from green or blue to brilliant reds, oranges and yellows. See 50 before-and-afters. How much a succulent “colors up” depends on…
Read MoreHow to Refresh a Succulent Garden
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
Read More25 Succulent Mistakes and Solutions
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.
Read MoreShould You Use Weed Barrier Fabric?
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?
Read MoreMy Easy, Inexpensive In-Ground Compost Method
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.
Read MoreYour Agave’s Blooming–Now What?
Your agave is blooming! Now what? In my new video, Q&A and photo gallery you’ll find expert advice, agave IDs and how to start the plants from seeds and bulbils.
Read MoreHow to Prune and Handle Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Sticks on Fire’
In both English and Spanish, landscaper José Arias explains and shows how to prune and handle Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Sticks on Fire’, a beautiful succulent with toxic, milky sap.
Read MoreRefresh Your Echeveria Garden
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).
Read MoreHow to Repot a Stuck Spiny Succulent
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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