Original and unpretentious, and sometimes very healing plants succulents are ideal for room keeping. They are also notable for the fact that this group includes representatives of the most diverse families of plants, and this opens up ample opportunities for phyto-design of the interior. Different in appearance, these flowers are similar in terms of content, as all types of plants of succulents are combined according to one feature - the way of adaptation to the conditions of drought. And having understood the natural features of this group of plants, even an inexperienced newcomer will be able to provide proper care for domestic succulents.
Types of succulents
Succulent plants number about 70 genera and more than 800 species. The main plant families, among which are succulents are cacti, asphodel, agave, flaky, aisic, thick-flecked, moloic, peppery, and composite. Among the most famous and common succulents are cacti. Indoor flowers succulents are popular in folk medicine, for example, aloe, agave, spurge, calanchoe, purgatory, sansevieria.
Depending on the mechanism of fluid accumulation, two types of succulents are conventionally distinguished:
- leaf succulents. They have thickened leaves, in which they accumulate liquid. To retain moisture, the leaves are covered with a waxy membrane, they have fewer respiratory stomata;
- stem succulents. Preserve moisture in the stem, leaves can be reduced to thorns, the root system allows you to accumulate moisture from groundwater and from the surface. Stems can be ribbed, which prevents the formation of cracks in excess moisture.
Care for succulents
Flowers succulents require, though simple, but the right care. The following conditions are similar for all types of succulents:
- good lighting;
- moderate watering. In a warm period once a week, in winter every 3-4 weeks;
- the wintering temperature is 13-15 ° C;
- good drainage;
- soil with a moderate level of humidity. It should be noted that ready-made mixtures for succulents often contain peat, which is absolutely not suitable for these plants. It is recommended to use mixtures of coarse sand, sheet and turf.
Depending on the native land of the plant, as well as protective mechanisms, some care rules may vary:
- succulents from South America, such as peperomies, require maintenance of low humidity in winter;
- care for succulents from Mexico and Central America is characterized by hibernation at a low temperature of about 12 ° C, as well as the need for watering restrictions. The main representatives - agave, echeveria, sedum, graptopetalum, pahifitum;
- for tropical succulents, such as sansevieria, hoya and cissus, higher humidity, good soil fertilization and wintering at a temperature of 15 ° C will be required;
- plants from Africa and the Canary Islands, eoniums and euphorbia, also hibernate at a temperature of 15 ° C, but require more moderate watering and in the summer;
- more intensive fertilization of the soil requires succulents, growing in Madagascar, Kalanchoe, bryophyllum and pachypodium. In winter, watering 2 times a month, the temperature of wintering - from 15 ° C;
- plants having a light or reddish-brown color, a thick layer of the epidermis, are adapted to the effects of sunlight and
require more bright lighting; - succulents with a rich color of leaves and a thin epidermis should be protected from direct sunlight;
- species of succulents, requiring less intensive irrigation, have more fleshy leaves or stems;
- For fast-growing succulents, fertilized soil will be required. For slow growing species, an overabundance of fertilizers is dangerous;
- care for flowering succulents should correspond to the type of plant. Violation of the requirements for content can lead to the fact that the flower does not bloom.