nixpix5 Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 We ended up with ten 2 inch tall succulents of various types. My daughter has lovingly named them all and is thrilled to repot them and take care of them. The issue is, we live in the PNW and I know next to nothing about plants in general and even less about these little fat plants. I have had them 3 days and they already look like they are on their last legs. I read they should be misted but I am not sure how much. We are going to repot them but can they use any soil or does it have to be succulent specific? I know it is probably a long shot but I thought I might ask to see if anyone had any hacks for these cute little things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 Don't mist them. Here's an easy primer: https://www.succulentsandsunshine.com/guide-growing-succulents-indoor-house-plants/ Are they staying warm? Are they getting 6 hours of sunshine? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 I usually buy cactus potting soil for succulents, or at least mix a good amount of it in with regular potting soil. It drains fast, which is what you want. They don’t like their roots to be wet for long. You may have a problem getting enough sunlight to keep them happy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 I love houseplants and have 15 succulents in my kitchen. They've been growing like crazy and have all had to be repotted recently. I use this cactus and succulent soil mix: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006MY5KJO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Mine get watered about twice a week on average - no misting. I water them and then wait until the soil dries out to give them another drink. This watering can is handy for succulents because the spout is long and slender enough to reach in beneath the base leaves. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0042IUEQG/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 I keep killing mine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 (edited) DD19 has probably 30 of them. Last Christmas, we converted her old 20 gallon aquarium into a terrarium and bought a full spectrum LED light for the plants. It was $$ but worth it for how much of a difference it makes. Her bedroom only gets indirect light and we are in the PNW too, so the natural light is already low to begin with. Edited November 25, 2017 by Tap 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nixpix5 Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 Oh you all are the best! Thank you! This is so helpful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 depends upon the succulent. some will grow outside here. and are you talking succulent - or cactus? and I agree - dont' mist. I heard this story a long time ago. a guy in nyc had fabulous cactus. someone wanted to know what he did. "I subscribe to a west texas newspaper. when it rains, I water them." 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 depends upon the succulent. some will grow outside here. and are you talking succulent - or cactus? and I agree - dont' mist. I heard this story a long time ago. a guy in nyc had fabulous cactus. someone wanted to know what he did. "I subscribe to a west texas newspaper. when it rains, I water them." Yep. I leave my pots of hens-and-chicks outside all year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 One other thing I forgot to mention - some succulent plants are toxic to cats and dogs. If you have pets, there are lists online that help you identify your plants and whether they are poisonous or not. My cats have their own pot of grass but they still love to nibble on my houseplants, so I have to be careful about what plants I bring into the house. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 My only succulents are aloe. They seem to thrive on shade and neglect. They reproduce constantly. When its warm I them outside. When I bring them in I try to remember to water them occasionally so they don’t die before they can go back out. I can only have foolproof plants that don’t need a lot of sun. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 I know that I almost completely ignore mine (I think DD is actively trying to kill hers) and they just keep growing. We water when the soil is dry (soaking it all the way through but don't drown it.... otherwise you have to pour off excess which depletes soil of nutrients). I turn then every couple days so they don't grow lop-sided and that's it. Re-pot when they start to look sickly (once a year, maybe). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nixpix5 Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 (edited) DD19 has probably 30 of them. Last Christmas, we converted her old 20 gallon aquarium into a terrarium and bought a full spectrum LED light for the plants. It was $$ but worth it for how much of a difference it makes. Her bedroom only gets indirect light and we are in the PNW too, so the natural light is already low to begin with.Does the light elevate your electric bill significantly or no? I was looking at a grow light last night on Amazon but wondered if it would annihilate our bill. Thank you again everyone would all of this great info. Thanks Selkie for the pet reminder. I hadn't thought of that. Edited November 25, 2017 by nixpix5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 Some will go kind of dormant in the winter if you want them too--my outdoor succulents that won't quite survive winter seem to thrive on benign neglect in the winter. I put them in a cooler room with a window, but not a room that will freeze. A light-filled garage with a seedling heat mat underneath might work too. Don't overwater. I tried this last year with some that I knew were not hardy in our zone, and they just sort of stayed in suspended animation all winter. I put them back outside in the spring/summer, and they went bananas. They are huge and hardy. Crossing my fingers to try it again, but I need a heat mat this time--last year, they were on top of a chest freezer and got some warmth from it. I will not have quite the same setup this time. How much water any plant needs is also based on the humidity in the air--as we change seasons here, I sweat it until the plants adjust to the new normal. If you put them outside during warm seasons, they also have to adjust to that change back and forth also. Wind, temp, sunlight, conditioned air, dry air, moist air, proximity to a heat source, etc. I lost a couple of plants unexpectedly this year, but we've had a very long drawn out transition from summer to fall to winter--it still can't make up it's mind, and the plants are a bit stressed as a result. Oh, pot temperature makes a difference too--plastic pots don't get super warm or cold, unless you have a dark one in direct sunlight or something. Clay pots can get really cold from the air around them. Pots placed on marble windowsills (fairly common where we live) will also be colder. I have accidentally killed plants not thinking about this. I now prefer plastic pots for all but a few of my plants so that I don't have to factor in cooking or chilling them in the pot by accident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nixpix5 Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 depends upon the succulent. some will grow outside here. and are you talking succulent - or cactus? and I agree - dont' mist. I heard this story a long time ago. a guy in nyc had fabulous cactus. someone wanted to know what he did. "I subscribe to a west texas newspaper. when it rains, I water them." They are succulents. I grew up in my young years in Carson City and my mom always had cacti and aloe but these are quite different. They are neat but I have a purple thumb, my reference to my ability to kill every plant that I get. I am determined to figure out how to do this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 Does the light elevate your electric bill significantly or no? I was looking at a grow light last night on Amazon but wondered if it would annihilate our bill. Thank you again everyone would all of this great info. Thanks Selkie for the pet reminder. I hadn't thought of that. We have this one from Amazon Fluval LED 24-Inch Daylight/Plant Lamp, 25-watt Sorry can't link right now. It doesn't seem to make difference because it is LED and only 25 watts. She uses it for about 8 hours a day but doesn't always remember to flip it on. We bought a timer for it recently, but need to adjust it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 Yep. I leave my pots of hens-and-chicks outside all year. and many sedems and echeverias. and the trusty sempervivum - hens and chicks. They are succulents. I grew up in my young years in Carson City and my mom always had cacti and aloe but these are quite different. They are neat but I have a purple thumb, my reference to my ability to kill every plant that I get. I am determined to figure out how to do this! succulants are generally easy - don't try to baby it. someone gave me a christmas cactus a few years ago. I dont' have a good place for houseplants. (I've given away african violets my mother was gifted.) it gets moved around and ignored. it will look sad, and I will water it and it will perk up. it would bloom if it had more light. do you know the botanical name at all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nixpix5 Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 and many sedems and echeverias. and the trusty sempervivum - hens and chicks. succulants are generally easy - don't try to baby it. someone gave me a christmas cactus a few years ago. I dont' have a good place for houseplants. (I've given away african violets my mother was gifted.) it gets moved around and ignored. it will look sad, and I will water it and it will perk up. it would bloom if it had more light. do you know the botanical name at all? I am clueless as to what they are. There are 10 and all different. Two are definitely from the Jade family and one is an Aloe strain. I think one is Agave. Another is super neat, he is a blueish green and super fuzzy with some brown tips. One is tall and slender and its leaves look like green beans. One is a Golem, whatever that is. There are some that are the short, close to the dirt ones that look like flowers. One that has leaves that go straight up in oval plates from the dirt. Wish I could attach a pic but I am on my android. For those of you in Washington, I just made a run to Sky Nursery in Shoreline. I had no idea that place existed! They were amazing and got me set up with a reasonably priced lamp, cactus soil and repeated all the advice that you wise plant gurus have given me :) I feel so much better now! We couldn't resist buying a Venus Fly Trap to the mix while we were there so now we have "Snappy" :) 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 (edited) On 11/24/2017 at 5:10 PM, prairiewindmomma said: Don't mist them. Here's an easy primer: https://www.succulentsandsunshine.com/guide-growing-succulents-indoor-house-plants/ Are they staying warm? Are they getting 6 hours of sunshine? This could be an issue in the PNW. Mine are thriving on neglect and very occasional watering but I live in sunny territory. Seems like you got some advice and equipment that will help take care of these little guys. Sure wish you could post a pic. The description sounds intriguing. Edited July 1, 2019 by Liz CA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 Oh Lord, just realized it's a Zombie thread - and here I thought nixpix was back on the board. 😞 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 7 hours ago, Liz CA said: Oh Lord, just realized it's a Zombie thread - and here I thought nixpix was back on the board. 😞 I know! I thought the same thing, then checked her profile and saw that it has been since April. 😕 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 On 11/25/2017 at 12:52 PM, nixpix5 said: We couldn't resist buying a Venus Fly Trap to the mix while we were there so now we have "Snappy" 🙂 My daughter named hers Vicious! Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 2017 thread 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted November 6, 2019 Share Posted November 6, 2019 Reported. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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