P. Allen Smith uses agaves to great dramatic effect. Potted in large, dark containers, they punctuate the landscape and add a modern, sculptural sensibility as well as vertical interest. As when planting any succulent, use either a potting soil made specifically for succulents and cacti, or make your own by taking a good quality potting mix and adding either pumice or perlite. Make sure to use a container that either has drainage holes one that you can punch or drill holes in. Drainage is key to keeping your succulents healthy. To care for these miniature container gardens, give them full sun, or if you are in a very hot climate, keep them in partial shade. Do not over-water. During the growing season, keep the soil moist, but not wet. During the winter, when succulents go into dormancy, let the soil dry out between waterings. Hens and chicks are incredibly forgiving plants. They are extremely hardy—most of them can survive in zone 3 and can tolerate poor soil. Because the metal is pretty thin, make sure to punch the holes with the metal sitting directly on the ground, so you don’t bend the box. After punching the holes, line the box with plastic (also with holes), so it won’t rust as quickly. Then fill it with a potting mix specifically designed for cacti and succulents. Pack the box full of plants, putting the ones that you know will drape, near the edges, and the larger plants near the back. The box can sit in full sun. Water it enough to keep the soil moist, but not wet. Bring it inside in the late fall and keep it in bright, indirect light. In the winter, let the soil dry out completely between waterings. For succulent plants, good drainage is essential. If you let them sit in water, succulents will quickly rot, so using a fast draining potting mix, and putting holes in your containers is the easiest way to keep your plants healthy. To drill holes in ceramics, you need a special drill bit and some patience. It takes a while to get through ceramics, and you have to let the bit cool down so that the heat doesn’t build up from the friction and shatter your cup. Make sure to put your cup on a firm surface. You can place a rag or flat, thin sponge on a counter, or drill outside, on the ground so you don’t have to clean up the dust. It’s a good idea to wear safety goggles when doing any drilling, but particularly with ceramics which can shatter. After the holes are drilled, cut a small piece of plastic window screening and put it over the holes to keep the soil in and let the water out. You can also use a paper towel or a coffee filter. Then fill the cup, almost to the top, with a cactus and succulent potting mix, plant the succulents and gently water, giving enough moisture so that the soil is damp. Then let the soil in the cup settle and the succulent plants take root. When planting a succulent garden, use a potting mix designed specifically for cactus and succulents, which you can buy at a nursery. The strong color of the pot which sets off the interesting colors of the succulent plants. If you over-water, some of the original plants may die. Simply pull them out and replace them with new plants. What makes this tiny succulent pot really work is the topdressing of gravel—it gives it a finished look and marries the plants to the pot. The plants used in this pot are ghost plant and calico Kitten. Ghost plant is also known as mother of pearl plant or Graptoptalum paraguayense, ‘Ghosty’. Calico kitten is also known as Crassula marginalis, rubra, ‘Veriegata’ Like all succulents, echeverias need fast draining potting soil and will rot if kept too wet. However, they don’t like to be too dry either. They prefer bright light, though full sun can scorch them.
Planting a Strawberry Pot With Succulent Plants
Use these steps to make this container garden: Most plants in this container were provided by Costa Farms. Once the basket is filled with soil, take the hens and chicks out of the nursery pot and break them up. Planting hens and chicks is incredibly easy, you just need to push them slightly into the soil. Hens and chicks will thrive in full sun to partial sun and like to be protected from the wind. Water them when the soil dries and fertilize occasionally with a diluted liquid fertilizer or use a fish emulsion, seaweed combination. One of the great things about hens and chicks is that the hens, the larger rosettes, multiply rapidly, sending out chicks, smaller rosettes. You can either leave the chicks or break them off and easily transplant them.
