How to take care of succulents

Succulents come in many shapes and sizes and they'll provide a stylish display with lots of impact when they're grouped together. They are often used for enhancing any areas within the home and outside.

The period of time when an individual plant is in active growth. This will depend on the local climate and light levels, and can vary between different plants, although it is broadly from spring to autumn.

Growing season starts in March and continues through to September. Most succulents need as much light as you can provide – it's the light that keeps them compact and healthy and allows them to develop deep, lasting colours, as well as promoting flowering. The best light levels are outside and plants will live happily outdoors during the summer months in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Growing:

All succulents prefer gritty soil. At Glenavy Garden Centre, we recommend to use John Innes No. 2 Soil and mix through with with horticultural grit or Perlite in a 60:40 mix.

Watering:

As a general rule of a green-fingered thumb, succulents do not appreciate too much water. Succulents will fail if kept in soggy ground. If succulents have been overwatered, ensure they are fully dried out before watering again.

Pots are plastic, metal, ceramic (incl. terracotta) or biodegradable containers with drainage holes in their base. They range in diameter typically from 5-90cm (2in-3ft), but 7.5-15cm (3-5in) are most commonly used for growing on plants and sowing seeds (although seed trays and seed pans (short pots) are also used for seed).