Planting succulents and herbs together
Whether you prefer growing herbs or succulents, mixing the variety you plant is considerably more gratifying than cultivating just one type of herb or succulent by itself. More than half the enjoyment comes from combining succulents with other plants while experimenting with the contrast and complement of colors, sizes, and textures.
Have you even thought about growing herbs and succulents together? If not, you ought to!
Once they are established, the majority of culinary herbs are quite drought resistant, love lots of sunshine, and thrive in containers with no maintenance or fertilizer. In other words, they have extremely comparable cultural and care requirements to the majority of succulents! Your creative side will have access to a variety of fresh hues and textures when you combine herbs and succulents. A container of mixed succulents might benefit from the savory aroma of herbs, which are frequently fairly fragrant. Additionally, even as you use the herbs, the succulents will keep your garden looking full and lush.
These two plant types go well together whether you’re growing them in a mixed container or adding succulents or herbs to your landscaping.
Rosemary’s prickly leaf contrasts beautifully with the diverse shapes of succulent plants. Additionally, the sage’s soft, fuzzy leaves contrast well with some succulents’ smooth leaves while also reflecting the furriness of others (think kalanchoe silver panda).
Although some established herbs can withstand droughts as well as the hardiest succulent, they are often planted in the ground and given a little more moisture as they become used to their new environment. Plan on giving your herbs a little bit more water than the succulents will require when you plant your pot of mixed succulents and herbs. There are a few techniques for achieving this that will make it simple for you.
You will require:
- 1 container will have a drain hole (s)
- a variety of succulents
- several types of herb plants
- potting soil for cacti
- ordinary potting soil
Specify a portion of the cactus mixture. Mix the leftover cactus mix and the potting mix 50/50. You will plant your herb plants in this soil.
Straight cactus mix should fill the entire bottom of the container. Set the herbs and succulents on the dirt and experiment with plant placement until you are satisfied with the design. The succulents should then come first. They should be planted using pure succulent mix, and the soil should be firmed up as if they were the only plants in the pot. the cactus mixture evenly.
Then take the cactus mixture out of the herb spaces. One plant at a time, please. Back-fill the herb plants with a mixture of potting soil and cacti.
Around each of your plants, compact the soil. Water it in well after you are satisfied with the planting.
Now that you’ve combined succulents and herbs, your container will hold a little bit more water around the herbs’ roots than it will for the succulents. Whenever you water your container, which should be done once a week, the soil of the herbs will hold onto a little bit more water for the plants to use, while the succulents won’t be overburdened with extra moisture, ensuring that both plants stay happy and healthy.
I adore how this came out. With time, it will only get fuller, lusher, and more lovely! On the biggest one, I used the bare minimum of pink blushes and enormous echeveria with a faint, silvery sheen. This combination is a natural fit for the prickly rosemary and the sage’s silvery, fuzzy leaf. I’ll admit that the purple basil is not the best addition to a planter with succulents and herbs combined because it requires a little bit more water than most herbs. However, take a look at that amazing rich, dark hue; it makes the echeveria stand out beautifully. How can you fight it?
Obviously, I couldn’t! So here’s another watering trick. The greater water requirements of the basil are skillfully met by placing a few ice cubes on the soil next to the purple basil several times per week. The basil roots can get a little more water there as the ice slowly melts, between weekly waterings of the entire container.
Stick to the herbs on this list of water-wise plants for your companion planting when using basil with succulents if adapting the basil seems like too much trouble:
The water requirements will be adequately supplied by introducing pockets of cactus mix blended with the potting soil as mentioned above if you stick to the herbs on this list for mixing with your succulents.
What do you think of this variation on planting companion herbs? Are you going to combine succulents and herbs in one container planting? If you could share any pictures, it would be great, and I would love to know.
Which plants complement succulents?
To increase height above succulent plants that cling to the ground, companion planting is frequently used. Plants that can withstand drought, like the osteospermum, make suitable choices. As with the perennial Santa Barbara daisy, the flowers on this daisy may stand upright or trail across your succulents. Allow them to trail among agave and aloe, two succulents that grow taller.
Succulents go well with ornamental grasses, which frequently have autumn blossoms and interest throughout the winter. There are numerous types with maintenance requirements comparable to many succulent plants. If they are placed properly, ornamental grasses can be cultivated to offer afternoon shade.
Even while many succulents require full-day sunlight, afternoon shade can occasionally prevent leaf burn. To find out if your succulents benefit from ornamentals that provide shade, check their information on type. Although shorter, blue fescue grass might make a lovely companion for your succulents.
In addition to your succulent beds, yarrow, lavender, salvia, and rosemary make excellent flowering herbs to cultivate. They require the same growing circumstances as the majority of succulents that are buried. Plant these herbs near the rear of the bed or all around it, depending on your design. Grow them in the center of the bed if it is open on all sides.
Growth needs
There are so many different kinds of succulents. A general rule of thumb is to select succulents with comparable requirements if you want to arrange them. They will coexist peacefully and preserve the ensemble’s aesthetic for a very long time.
For instance, Graptosedum California Sunset grows best in the summer, whilst Crassula (Jades) prefers the winter. So planting them together wouldn’t be a good idea. You should take into account the growing season, hydration requirements, lighting requirements, and soil requirements while choosing succulent combos.
Agave, Echeveria, and Sempervivum are several succulents that go dormant in the winter and look fantastic together. Aeonium, Aloe, Graptopetalum, and Kalanchoe may come to mind if you want to group the summer-dormant succulents.
Height
In addition to the succulents’ characteristics, height and color must also be taken into account in order to arrange them harmoniously. You should have a thriller, filler, and spiller in your layout.
Use tall succulents to provide height to the thriller and enhance the overall design. As filler around them, use shorter succulents. To finish the arrangement, add a few “spiller trailing succulents.” The recipe is straightforward, and you can always add your own spin to make it appear appealing to you.
Color
Choosing a theme for your succulent arrangement is simple. There are a variety of succulents that may make your succulent arrangements appear fantastic, whether you want them to be colorful or monochromatic.
Monochromatic, similar, and complementary color combinations are the three most common types.
You must group succulents with the same colors but various shades together for a monochromatic arrangement.
When using similar settings, you will group colors that are adjacent to one another on the color wheel (orange, yellow, and green).
Contrasting colors on the color wheel are required for complementary color schemes (red and green).
Can veggies be used to cultivate succulents?
The succulents, which are more long-lasting in this planting of mustard and succulents, serve as filler along the route. The mustard and cotyledon require different amounts of irrigation. I hand-water the mustard plants with a watering can filled with gray water, staying away from the succulent. They both seem to be thriving and are so content with one another. Additionally, local mushrooms can be found everywhere.
Can I replace rosemary with cactus mix?
soil blend If the roots of rosemary are kept excessively damp, root rot can develop. Give rosemary a cactus mix with perlite for container plants. This offers optimum aeration and drainage.
How should I arrange my garden’s succulents?
Succulent arrangements are one of my favorite things to do. I enjoy seeing the project come together and then finished. The plants are frequently grouped together by type in the arrangements you see in stores. Here’s where I like to mix things up by dispersing the various plant varieties across the design.
I begin by selecting every plant I intend to utilize. I occasionally just take a few from my yard or buy some fresh ones from the shop. Usually, I try to limit it to 4 or 5 of the same kind of plants, with a center larger beauty.
You should roughly 3/4 of the way up with succulent soil in the container you’ll be using. As you add more plants, you will need to keep extra soil on hand to keep the container filled. Put the largest succulent in the center. Create a hole with your fingers, insert the stem and roots of the plant, and cover everything with earth. If at all possible, try to leave the roots on all of the plants, since this will speed up their transition to their new environment. If you’re planting cuttings, make sure to wait a few days for the ends to callus before setting them in soil. A new cutting may absorb too much moisture and perish if you place it in soil.
Start putting plants on either side of the central plant after that. The same plants are added on both sides with the idea of a mirror in mind. Remember to dig a small hole, place the plant, and surround it with more soil each time you add a new plant. This can be a little difficult than it sounds with succulents. To prevent unattractive scratches and markings, make every effort to handle the plant by the stem rather than the leaves. Additionally, be careful not to get soil on the plants when adding it. Use tweezers to remove soil that has mistakenly been placed on top of a plant or gently blow it off to avoid damaging it.
To ensure that no soil is visible, try to completely fill in the container’s empty spaces. You can use tiny plants, which are usually lovely, to fill in the narrow places. It can be challenging to drill holes for smaller plants at times. In that instance, try making tiny holes using a pencil.
Are succulents tolerant of crowds?
Speaking with individuals about succulent care or watching succulent care “in the wild” has made me aware of some of the misconceptions around succulent plants in the horticultural community. Just stroll through the nurseries in garden centers, where staff members are highly qualified. There are numerous excellently kept ornamental plants, fruit trees, and beautifully managed bedding plants, all of which have been nourished, watered, and maintained. then go for the section with succulents. You’ll find plants that have been improperly labeled, overwatered, underwatered, and generally neglected. In response to requests for assistance from merchants and landscaping contractors, I pondered this for a long time.
Successful succulent care is a synthesis of numerous elements, just like taking care of other plants. soil, water, fertilizer, exposure, control of pests and diseases, upkeep, and most importantly, observing and asking questions about the health of the plants.
Observing the plants and wondering what is going on with them. Yes, I believe that this is the most crucial element in keeping succulent plants healthy and beautiful. Applying what you have learnt to this group of plants will go a long way toward success with them if you are a gardener with prior success cultivating other types of plants. A plant is most likely not healthy if it does not appear to be so. Like any other plant that does not appear to be healthy, a plant that is unhealthy is likely dealing with challenges relating to soil, water, fertilizer, pest and disease control, upkeep, or a combination of these issues.
Due to their adaptation to places where water is scarce for extended periods of time, succulent plants differ somewhat from normal herbaceous perennial plants. As a result, their relationship with water plays a significant role in what makes them special. When it comes to gathering and preserving water, succulent plants are particularly effective. Additionally, they are more vulnerable to issues if exposed to excessive water. One of the most important determining aspects in maintaining the health of succulents is water management.
Here are some general care instructions for succulents, including everything from water to soil to sunlight.
Soil
The secret to soil mix in containers and in the landscape is good drainage and aeration. The majority of commercial soil mixtures are a little too dense and hold a lot of water for succulents. Adding coarse perlite, crushed lava, or pumice to conventional potting mixtures will usually be sufficient to transform them into effective succulent potting mixtures. Normally, I advise mixing 1 part amendment with 4 parts potting mix. For succulents like cactus that require even more drainage and aeration, the proportion of amendment can be increased.
There are a number of high-quality choices available on the market if you want to purchase pre-mixed soil, including the E.B. Stone Cactus mix that we carry at the nursery.
Water
Thick stems and leaves that effectively gather and store water are characteristics of succulent plants. Traditional plant varieties have thin leaves and require more frequent hydration and watering. Even though the soil is damp, a plant like a coleus may wilt on a hot day. For the coleus to have more humidity and water availability, more regular watering is required. The succulent is less prone to wilt since it has water stored in its leaves and stem. Before being watered, succulent plants prefer to get close to being dry. The plant’s root ball stores the rest of the remaining moisture when the earth dries out. It’s time to water when this area is almost completely dry. Water the plant thoroughly so that the soil is completely saturated and some water runs out the bottom of the plant. Watering a succulent is very much the same as watering any other plant, only not as frequently.
When the environment is unfavorable, there is an exception to how you water a succulent. Poor air circulation, cloudy, dark days, and inadequate lighting may be examples of this. The plant will dry out extremely slowly in these conditions, so it will require controlled watering—giving it tiny doses of water—to prevent being overly wet for an extended period of time. Again, keeping plants healthy requires paying attention to what they need.
Fertilizer
Like most plants, succulents like being fed. Succulents vary from other plants in that they require less fertilizer less frequently since they are so effective. I do not suggest giving succulents any particular fertilizer. As you develop your plant-growing skills, experimenting with various fertilizers may improve the quality of your plants and/or blooms. Use a balanced fertilizer in the interim, such as 10-10-10 or 20-20-20. To maintain a healthy, growing plant, a fertilizer that is well-balanced is essential. There are a variety of all-purpose fertilizers that will work; at the nursery, we carry and advise Maxsea All-Purpose Plant Food.
An overabundance of fertilizer will promote excessive growth, which gives the plant a weedy appearance. Insufficient water will cause the plant to go into suspended animation and appear to be motionless. I advise halving the stated dosage rate and fertilizing no more frequently than once per month. Since most succulents become dormant throughout the winter, it’s usually not required to fertilize them.
Exposure
Succulent plants, like the majority of plants, prefer a climate with plenty of sunlight and clean air. Many people have misconceptions about succulents. One of the topics that people misinterpret is sunlight. When the topic of succulents is brought up, many people immediately think “desert.” In actuality, succulent plants grow most attractively when given a little sun protection. Succulent plants can develop good color and form without being dried out by the heat of the midday sun if they are grown in a few hours of early sun throughout the warmer months of the year. Shade fabric, lattice, or even the partial shadowing offered by a tree will help break up the heat of the sun in a southern exposure when the sun is shining on the area all day. More light exposure will aid the plant in preserving its good shape and color as winter draws closer. The plant will seem parched and burnt out if it receives too much sunlight. Too little sunshine causes the plant to extend out in search of more light, losing its beautiful compact structure.
Cold Tolerance
Information on the cold tolerance of several succulent plants was lacking until recently. If you don’t know a plant’s resistance to cold, I advise thinking it will freeze or suffer harm if the temperature falls below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, or freezing. Plants can be protected from light frost using inexpensive materials like frost cloth. These materials work well to increase your level of protection by 4 to 6 degrees.
Pest and Disease Control
Aphids are always going to be aphids. Like other plants, succulents will be attacked by insects. The idea is to observe your plants, look more closely, and explore anything that seems abnormal. Like any other plant, succulents require the ideal exposure or location, as well as decent soil, appropriate watering, and fertilizer. You are less likely to encounter bugs if these factors are properly balanced.
Succulent plants are susceptible to the same bugs and diseases that affect other plants, which is a fact of life. Succulents require the same level of pest and disease monitoring as other plants. As with other plants, aphids typically target the blossoms and new growth on succulents. Like other plants, measly bugs live on the roots of the plant and lodge between the leaves near new development. They can also infest the soil. Earwigs and snails both eat on the leaves. Succulent leaves may get powdery mildew, especially after extended periods of bad weather. Not to mention the ants, of course. Farmers are ants. Ants use plants like succulents to develop bugs that will help feed all of their ant companions, just as you may rototill the dirt and plant carrot seeds for your habit of drinking carrot juice. Any ants you see on your plants, get rid of them.
Therefore, these so-called succulent plants are not bug-proof. Although they are hardy and can endure an infection for a long time, healthy, attractive plants must be watched over, and when an infestation does arise, it must be treated with.
You decide how to handle an infestation. To help identify the bug or disease, you may speak with someone at your neighborhood nursery or your acquaintance who is an avid gardener. You decide whether to utilize organic materials or nuclear weapons, water, soap, q-tips, or chemicals. The most important thing is to address the issue as soon as you become aware of it.