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Kory Alexander
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2 Why bother bringing your succulents indoors for the winter? Well, a couple of reasons; one is that sometimes you can never find the same ones again, so if you find a few that really appeal to you, make sure you keep those at least. The second reason is that in my experience, the plants that I produce from my own cuttings are healthier, happier and perfectly adapted to my conditions. This is especially important if you re gardening in challenging situations such as a scarcity of water, hot and dry winds, or temperature swings from day to night highs and lows. I usually keep the same plants year to year, and each season they just get better. If I find that a particular plant gets too overgrown, I simply take cuttings off the plant, and let nature take its course with the old mature plant. In many cases, the older part is prone to insects and diseases, so replacing it with fresh new plants from your own propagation gives you many more to choose from, and they will also be more vigorous. Learning how to successfully overwinter your succulents allows you to figure out which particular plants are the easiest to keep through the colder season, and also the best method. Some plants do fine if you take the soil off the roots completely, and store them in a cool but frost free garage or basement. This method doesn t work for all succulents, but there are a few that don t mind this cavalier treatment. Many Pelargonium species are routinely stored for the winter in this way. Other methods include repotting the plants close together in a shallow tray, with some sandy or fast draining soil (pasteurized of course) where they get the occasional sprinkling with water, but are otherwise pretty much allowed to go dormant. A cool back room, with fluorescent tube grow lights is adequate for these. The third method that I sometimes use is to take cuttings off the old plants which are discarded, or even behead them to eliminate any pests or root diseases, and root those in fresh soil under lights. By the time spring comes you ll have some nicely shaped compact little plants, ready to pop in your containers and get going. The forth method is to treat the succulents as houseplants, giving them bright light and lots of warmth and moisture, and in the spring take cuttings off them to plug directly into your planters. Using this system, it s absolutely crucial that you don t bring pests like aphids or mealy bugs in, and also that you maintain good pest control during the winter. Pests love warmth and moisture, and will thrive along with the growing plants. Which system will work best for you? If you have the room, put in some grow lights (shop lighting fixtures with a cool white and a warm white tube in each will provide the right spectrum of light use a timer set to 12 hours on, 12 off for best results). For those of us with long cold winters, growing your plants where you can enjoy them in your living

3 area to brighten those interminable months of cold and dark can be the difference between losing your sanity and staying on track and content with an intriguing hobby. If room is at a premium, by all means try storing the plants thoroughly dried out. In a cool dark room like a basement, they ll slow their metabolism down to a slow crawl. As spring arrives, bring them out into the light, and watch them recover. Shriveled stems and leaves plump up with the application of a sprinkling of tepid water over a week or two. As they start to sprout, you ll be able to cut them into sections. Remember to let them callous without any water for a day or so, then plant them in small pots to get established. Light - the biggest factor for success Light is the factor most often overlooked when overwintering succulents. Intensity is important, and so is length. The photoperiod or length of the day light that succulent plants require varies, but in most cases is close to 12 hours of day light, and 12 hours of darkness. Close to the equator where many of these plants originate, this is the schedule. Emulating that in northern (or southern) climates is somewhat tricky; using a timer to turn your lights on an off is the best solution. The type of light is important too; these plants originate in bright areas, with high ultraviolet light due to rare cloud cover, and clear air. The spectrum of light that you have to provide these plants can be managed easily; in a fluorescent light fixture, a cool white tube and a warm white tube will give the plants the right kind of light. Don t pay exorbitant amounts of money for special grow tubes; the run of the mill shop tubes are perfectly adequate. Make sure that you have an electrician set these up for you if you need to. The combination of electricity and the inevitable water is a deadly combination. The plants need to be really close to the lights, within an inch or two, for the best results. Keep in mind that the outer ends of the tubes don t produce as much light as the center put the plants on the end closer to the tube, and the ones in the middle can be a bit lower. In time, the tubes will start to emit less and less light. Allow some money in the budget for this, and replace them when they start to go dim. I usually replace them after two seasons, when the plants seem to have more of a struggle. With many fixtures this could get expensive, so generally I replace two sets each year. Other types of lights are metal halide and mercury vapor lights. These are more geared to specialists and are much more expensive to purchase and operate. The other disadvantage of these types of lights is the high amount of heat they generate. If you re trying to slow the plants down so they stay dormant, this is not the option you want.

4 You can also get single plant grow lights in compact fluorescent form. These allow you to have one or a small grouping on display; they re not meant for large quantities of plants. If you don t have any interest in providing lights for your plants, a window which gets a few hours of sun a day or even bright reflected light can be adequate for some succulents. Many succulent growers use only natural light for their plants through the winter, with no ill effects. A couple of things to keep in mind: if you close the curtains at night, and it gets cold out, your plants will get cold too if they are on a window sill. Succulent plants must be kept really dry if they aren t getting their full requirement of light. They won t grow at all, and may shrivel, but it s better than rotting. You can keep succulents in almost complete darkness, such as in a basement or garage. These absolutely must not get watered, and may need some coddling to recover from this treatment in the spring. The tops might completely die back, but many plants have the ability to resprout from the base of the crown, or even below soil level. If this is your only option, it s worth considering simply discarding them and starting again in springtime. Having said that, if you have a lot of plants, definitely try as many different methods as you can to see which is the most successful. Some people routinely use this type of overwintering method for Pelargonium, the geranium plant - if it works for those, it's worth trying other succulent plants too. Soil - or Soilless Mix? The best soil for most succulents is lean and well drained; if I m planting a lush planter with lots of plants crowded in, I ll add a little steer manure just to keep them happy longer, and the odd watering with compost tea keeps the colors vibrant. For overwintering succulents, in most cases, leaner soil is better. They generally won t be doing much growing, so fertilizer is unnecessary. Good drainage, however, is essential. I usually use Sunshine Mix #4, which has added aggregate for drainage, and in some cases I ll even mix this half and half with some kind of sharp small gravel. Options include turkey grit, pumice or scoria, depending on what you have available. It s a good idea to sieve this through a small screen to get rid of dust, which can clog the pores of the soil and cause a lot of problems. A coarse soil is more beneficial for the type of roots that most succulents have. As the root encounters a rough surface such as the side of an unglazed pot, or a piece of pumice, it will split and create more feeder roots. This allows the plant to assimilate the tiny amount of nutrients it needs, as well as preventing the strangling of roots if they are allowed to go around and around the bottom of the pot. For growing your succulents indoors, use only pasteurized or sterilized soil. Bringing in fungus

5 gnats once will cure you of trying to reuse potting soil, or buying cheap manure based soil from the hardware store. It s false economy to spend the winter battling some pest or other, or worse, a fungal disease which will thrive in warm conditions in your house. Don t be cheap! Having said that, there are ways of sterilizing soil that can be a good emergency remedy for those times when you just absolutely have to have some soil. Pour boiling water over the soil in a shallow tray. Let it cool and drain before use. Put some soil in a plastic Ziploc bag, seal and microwave for a few minutes. Handle carefully it will get hot. I wouldn t use this in any microwave oven that I liked; you ll never get rid of the smell of cooking soil. Look for used microwave ovens in the recycle center or thrift store if you want to try this method. Succulents have very shallow root systems, so depth of soil is not essential. For overwintering them in a tray they only need a half an inch (1-2cm) or so. This also prevents that ugly issue of overwatering them, for those who feel that they absolutely must water their plants. Fortunately, if these plants are in only a shallow bit of soil, it won t hold enough water to rot the roots, an ever present danger of these types of plants. The myth exists of using crockery shards or pebbles in the bottom of plant pots for added drainage. This actually doesn t help and in some cases can actually be a place for fine silt to accumulate, completely clogging the drain holes. I sometimes put one pebble over the drain hole of terracotta clay pots, simply to keep the soil from sifting out. Avoid re-using soil for subsequent plantings; there are several schools of thought on this. One is that it contributes to sick plant syndrome due to an excessive build up of pathogens in the soil, which somehow will make a plant more and more susceptible to fungal infections, and fail to thrive. It s also thought that fertilizer salts will accumulate, although with most succulents preferring a lean soil, this shouldn t be a problem unless you re overfeeding them. Leaching the soil will help with the build up of salts by diluting them and flushing them out. It s absolutely imperative that you let the soil dry out almost completely after this treatment to allow the plant roots to seek out the lower levels of soil and the moisture there. Continuing to water after a complete soaking will just cause root rot. Hint to remember: epiphytes originate high in the canopy of trees in a jungle these are plants like Christmas Cactus, Orchid Cactus and Queen of the Night. These are the only succulents that actually prefer a soil high in organic matter. All others like Echeveria, Sedum and most others that you ll find in succulent planters and in your local garden center are native to areas with sandy or gravely soil. They resent tight soils, or manure based soil. Make sure you know what kind of plant you have, and you can keep it happy with the right kind of soil.

6 Life Giving Water - even for succulents Watering is often the most important cultivation skill of all - in overwintering succulents, the less water, the better. It's hard for many indoor gardeners to resist the urge to water succulent plants, but in most cases, it's the wrong thing to do, for several reasons. Watering succulents is the one place where most problems occur. This is generally because well meaning indoor gardeners are absolutely resistant to the idea that these plants don t need any water at all during their dormant period. If you re one of these, you ve most likely lost plants that gradually (or suddenly, in some cases) dwindle away, or rot off at the base. I ve seen plants that actually looked okay, but due to excessive moisture around the roots, had virtually no roots left they had completely rotted. Luckily for us, these plants have ways to compartmentalize the damage, and seal it off. If caught in time, you can propagate the undamaged part to form a new plant, with almost instant gratification. I can t stress enough that if you have a water softening unit on your household water, this will kill your plants, so don t ever use it. This list itemizes water for your succulents from the best to the least desirable option; The best water is rainwater. Hands down, no down side, unless you live in a place with lots of industry, in which case, it might be on the acid side. Use a test kit similar to the one you can get for testing pond water for fish, and that will give you the best recommendation for plant water as well. Capture it straight off the roof, if possible. It may or may not be possible to store it in lidded containers if there is any contaminant such as bird droppings, leaf detritus or pine needles, you may find that these can make the water smell off after a long time. Water out of a dehumidifying unit if you live in a warm humid area, such as Florida or in tropical areas is almost as good. Basically, it s distilled water, which has no chemicals or minerals present. Snow is in the same league as rainwater after all, it comes from the sky. The downside to this is that collecting it can be a little high maintenance; you have to get it in a bucket, and then allow it to melt (and warm up!) before using. The downside? It takes a lot of snow to make a bucket of water it s amazing how much space that white stuff takes up! Fortunately, succulents on the whole don t take much water. Tap water quality depends on the source; chlorinated water is not good for plants; it will dissipate from an open container, so you can leave a bucket open to the air overnight to get rid of it. Bottled spring water or treated tap water can be a good option; price is an issue here, but for just a few plants this will provide clean and mostly chemical free water. Some spring water has minerals in it, as it comes straight from the earth, depending on the source. Distilled water from a pharmacy is a highly priced option, and contains no minerals at all. Watering cans and spray bottles are two must have tools for your overwintering success. I have several sizes of each, depending on the use. A larger 5 liter (5 quart) watering can with a rose is a good way to give your plants a good drink. Make sure your collection is housed in waterproof

7 surroundings, or on plastic film, as there is little to no control over the amount of overspray and no way to avoid getting it on leaves. A smaller watering can with a long spout is handy for getting the moisture where you want it, at the base of the plant only. Using a spray bottle for watering only the soil of small cuttings or leaves that are rooting gives you good control and you can aim it where the plant needs it most not on the leaves. If you re in a dry area, this also allows you to mist the air a bit. Some succulents do well with a small amount of mist on the base of the stem. Many will grow aerial roots which in the spring allow you to cut that part off the plant and it s already rooted and growing. Epiphytes such as Christmas Cactus and Orchid Cactus like to have a shower now and again to wash the dust off, and as their native habitat is in jungle tree tops where they get the occasional misty rain, this won t cause any problem. Bugs, Pests & Insects It's easy for hitch hikers to come indoors with your plants in the fall. Double checking each and every plant, and the pots as well will eliminate some of them, but what happens in the warm and bright conditions of your overwintering room? The bugs that do make it past the rigorous inspection process will thrive in the cozy conditions. One thing that is absolutely crucial is that bugs stay where they belong - outside in the garden. Hitch hikers have to be dealt with on a daily basis, and even better, be eliminated right at the start. First of all, accumulate your plants in a convenient spot, up off the ground. This will get rid of slugs, beetles and other creepy crawlies. Inspect the plants carefully, underneath the leaves and at the crown of the plant. If there are spider mites (webbing, tiny little creatures scuttling around) then fill a spray bottle with water and add a bit of dish soap (not detergent) and add a few teaspoons of isopropyl alcohol. Shake well, and spray all surfaces of the plants. Do this for aphids, mealy bugs, white fly and any other types of pests. Once you're certain that you don't have any pests left on the plants, bring them indoors. Don't get too complacent yet! Sometimes, the eggs of aphids or other bugs are left on the plants, and will hatch out in the lovely warm conditions of your house. If you have other plants inside, make sure you quarantine all your outdoor plants until you're absolutely sure that they aren't carrying infection or pests. Without the predators that will prey on the pests, your house plants will be sitting ducks. Here are a few options if the worst happens, and insects emerge and start eating your plants close inspection every week or two will help you catch them before they spread, or do too much damage. Aphids, Mealy Bugs, Scale and Spider Mites are the most common pests; all of these will lay eggs on your plants outside, and hatch out once you turn your back. All of them have distinctive features, but in all cases my favorite non-toxic spray will deal with them.

8 In a liter (quart) of tepid water in a spray bottle, put a few drops of Safer s Insecticidal Soap, or dish soap (must be soap, not detergent, so find Ivory liquid soap or other brand). Mix well, and add a few table spoons of isopropyl alcohol. Spray all surfaces of the plants, and the top of the soil. Repeat several times to get all newly hatched insects. Do this at intervals through the winter, and you won t have any issues with these insects. Other non-toxic methods of dealing with insects are dusting occasionally with diatomaceous earth, which scrapes their shells or body coverings, and they desiccate and die. For fungus gnats, annoying little grey flying insects that hatch out of the soil, use yellow sticky traps, or vacuum often to suck them up. Dispose of the vacuum bag outside (let it freeze, put in the trash, or burn so you don t release them back into your house). So that's it; now you have the background for successfully overwintering your succulents, to get them ready early in the spring for your next seasons sales.

ORCHID. Orchids are beautiful, delicate looking plants that can brighten up anyone s day. Fear not, though!

ORCHID. Orchids are beautiful, delicate looking plants that can brighten up anyone s day. Fear not, though! ORCHID 911 Orchids are beautiful, delicate looking plants that can brighten up anyone s day. And incorporating them in your house is an inexpensive way to add color and elegance to your living or work