Ten Tips for Establishing a Succulent Garden

These ten tips for establishing a succulent garden are from "Celebrating the Joy of Succulents" newsletter subscriber George Tabora of Riverside, CA (between Los Angeles and Palm Springs). His tips are hard-won, based on trial and error. Happily, after three years, George's garden is humming along.

Riverside's climate is similar to my own in the foothills NE of San Diego: dry, hot summers in the high-90s, and light frosts in winter. Rainfall averages 10-15 inches annually. Soil is shallow---3 to 4 inches deep---with granite underneath.

George, a former CPA who responded to my invitation to newsletter subscribers to share their succulent gardens, says his is "about 70 percent done," and covers a third of an acre. "The nice thing about being retired," George adds, "is there are no deadlines. You work until you get tired."

George Tabora's succulent garden, west slope

Want to see more of George's succulent garden? He created this video of his "Birch Hill Gardens" as a 2019 holiday greeting for family and friends. He (and I) would be glad to respond to comments you'd like to leave at the end of this post, and answer any questions you may have. Enjoy!

George's Ten Tips for Establishing a Succulent Garden

Having contended with less-than-ideal conditions while establishing his garden, George offers these tips:

1. He installed an irrigation system but doesn't use it, preferring to hose-water. "I water infrequently, and drench the plants, then go back and drench them again," George says. He waits "seven to ten days, even in summer" before watering them again.
2. Rain isn't a problem if soil drains well. "People worry their succulents will be overwatered after days of rain, but the plants love it."
3. Gravel is a good topdressing, but---as George learned the hard way---"dark rocks get too hot in summer and can burn the plants."
4. Start with small succulents. "They grow fast and they're easier to plant."
5. Plan to buy plants at first, then use cuttings to fill in. You should have plenty after a year or two.
6. It's better to root cuttings before planting them. Start them in 4-inch nursery pots you keep in bright shade.
7. Design your garden with mounded planting areas supported by rocks you gather on-site.
8. In summer, he gardens in the early morning and late afternoon to avoid the midday heat.
9. Plant in 60% bagged soil and 40% pumice. "I used to buy Miracle Gro brand soil, but Ace Hardware's is cheaper and just as good," George says. And if you're in the area, "Orange County Farm Supply in Orange has 50-lb. bags of pumice for $10/bag."
10. If you've put something in the wrong spot, "dig it out and replant it rather than waiting until it's too big and too late."

George Tabora's succulent garden, north