The term succulent refers to all plants that have a fleshy tissue where they accumulate water in their leaves and trunks.
In addition to sharing these characteristics, the cactus subgroup is distinguished by having thorns and never having leaves. So if the plant has thorns and pricks it is a cactus, if the texture of the plant is soft and fleshy it is a succulent .
Succulents are a group of plants that are very easy to care for and offer a great variety of colors, textures and shapes , so they have conquered those who want to get closer to botany.
They are very versatile since they can be planted in groups to make a striking arrangement or individually with the same effect, and have them both inside and outside the house.
Several plant species can share the same space, either in pots or in the ground, and their growth will depend on the space in which they live .
Succulents care:
-Water: as they come from deserted areas they have adapted to survive with little water. This means that you don’t need to water them very often. Water when the first inch of soil is dry. They are able to absorb moisture from the environment and retain it in their leaves, stems and roots. During the cold months they will not need more than one irrigation every fifteen days, while in the hot months we can increase the pattern to one irrigation per week.
-Fertilizer: they grow quite fast and do not require fertilizer like other plants. The fact that they can grow almost anywhere (either indoors or outdoors) makes succulents a great bet to have a piece of nature in almost any space.
-Light: although they need a lot of light, we will never subject the succulents to direct sun and much less in summer. Especially because in order to maintain proper hydration, they need to be able to save water reserves and direct exposure to the sun dehydrates them.
-Drainage: Forget the plate underneath! That they keep the water well does not mean that they take well to be flooded. For this reason, it is important that the succulents have a good drainage that allows to eliminate excess water.
-Soil: a simple soil for a simple plant. They do not need a substrate rich in minerals, but rather poor soil. So, to give our succulents what they need, nothing like considering mixing the substrate with sand or with substrate for cacti.
