Why Landscape With Succulents?
Succulents are great for so many reasons! Not only do they provide an aesthetic burst to your landscapes, hardscapes, outdoor structures or home, but they also require far less water and soil than most traditional plants, allowing them to thrive in places that other plants would never even be able to sprout.
Landscaping
Succulents add flare to any landscape project. With hundreds of uniquely shaped, colorful varieties, your new plants will add an incredible aesthetically pleasing appeal to your home or business.
Hardscape
Succulents are a great way to add a living element to your hardscapes. Add soil and succulent into the cracks of your rock walls or walkway and create a beautiful, unique addition to the landscaping of your space.
Watering
Succulents are plants endemic to desert climates. This means that they need minimal water. Succulents are great plants for those with a not-so-green thumb. Plus, save time and money by landscaping your home or business with plants that need minimal water! You'll want to make sure not to over water your succulents. Try to line the bottom of your beds or pots with rocks for sufficient drainage. Water a healthy amount 1-2 times per week if there is no rainfall. If you are in a rainy climate or season, keep an eye on your succulents and be aware that you may need to transfer to a dry place.
Outdoor Structures
Like hardscaping, succulents are a great addition to your outdoor structures. With hundreds of varieties in almost every color, you're sure to find some succulents to make your structures pop!
Irrigation
Because succulents need such minimal water, irrigation systems can be less extensive and be set to go off less frequently, or may not even need to be installed depending on rainfall in your area. This means big savings on your monthly water bill!
Succulents in the home
Succulents naturally love lots of light, so in order to survive in a home, they need to be in a place with as much of it as they can get. Windowsills are great, as long as they are sun facing. A place where there is little or no natural light wont make the best place for your succulents. Something else to be aware of is that even if you give your succulent a good amount of light inside, it still may change shape. "Stretching" is a term used to describe succulents that get long and lanky when they are looking for sunlight. This will vary for each plant. Stretching and color change is not necessarily a bad thing. Plants that undergo this transition may look very unique. What once looked like a rose may now look like a palm tree with a rose on top! What once looked like bubbles may stretch into an underwater-looking plant! Some succulents do better than others indoors; cacti and jade do particularly well. Either way, with a lot of light and a little love, your succulents will be beautiful!
Lighting
Succulents love full sun. The more sun they get, the more colorful and healthy they'll stay. Lighting is a great thing to keep in mind when deciding on the right plants for your project. This being said succulents are not the best indoor plants unless they will get ample amounts of light. You can research which succulents do better in low light environments for more information, or stop in to the nursery and our staff will be happy to show you the plant varieties that will still thrive indoors. We also carry tropical plants for low light environments.
Soil
Because succulents are desert plants, they need aerated, porous soil that drains well. Soils with perlite and peat moss tend to work best. Minimal compost will ensure a light, less dense mix. Be sure to line the the bottom of your garden beds or pots with rocks to ensure proper drainage. Hawaii Grower's Product and Del's located in Kahului are both great places to get soil.