CHAPTER 2

Cultivation

PROVIDING A SATISFACTORY ENVIRONMENT

Before plants are acquired, it is advisable to give attention to the conditions in which they will be grown. Although it might appear desirable to simulate the conditions occurring in the habitat, there is no way that this can be achieved. Even a small collection is likely to include plants from different parts of the world. Some may come from low altitudes where the seasonal variation in temperature is only a few degrees and rain falls in the winter. Others may come from high altitudes where temperatures range from high during the day to below freezing point at night and rain falls during the summer. Some plants may receive all their annual water supply during a period of a few weeks, followed by many months of drought when the plants shrink and wzithdraw into the soil. Others may be perpetually shrouded in mist and absorb most of their water intake through the skin rather than the roots.

Clearly it is not possible to provide conditions on a windowsill or in a greenhouse which parallel the conditions found in any one of these habitats. Instead, the collector should aim to provide conditions acceptable to the majority of the plants that will be grown, even though this will represent a compromise rather than an ideal state for any of them.

it is likely that the newcomer will start by growing plants in the home. It is possible to grow excellent specimens there, provided that due attention is paid to satisfying the basic requirements. The most important consideration must be the provision of adequate light. Apart from a handful of types, in particular the epiphytic plants, succulents are exposed to strong sunlight in the wild. In the home they must be positioned where they will receive the maximum amount of natural light. The ideal situation is a broad windowsill on the south side of the house, where they should be positioned not too close to the glass in order to avoid the possibility of scorching. Under no circumstances should plants be placed in dark corners or on top of the television set: though they may look very attractive initially, within a short time they will lose their colour, become etiolated and not flower.

The majority of succulent plants do not require high temperatures: all that is necessary is to maintain a temperature just above freezing point during the winter. A living-room windowsill, particularly if a radiator is positioned beneath it, may be too warm. The problem arises during the winter months. If the plants are kept dry, the high temperatures may cause them to shrivel excessively. If they are watered to maintain turgidity, they will continue to grow but the lower level of natural lighting will cause the plants to become misshapen. It would be better to move the plants to a cooler position, still with good lighting, for the winter.

The subject of composts is one which can be guaranteed to generate discussion among gardeners of all types. There is, however, nothing 'magic' about composts for succulents. All that is necessary is to provide a compost which drains freely, since stagnant moisture will kill succulents more rapidly than drought. The incorporation of coarse grit into proprietary loam-based or soilless compost will provide the required drainage characteristics.

The final essential is to provide a suitable watering regime. The popular view of cacti as denizens of the desert sometimes leads to the plants being treated as inanimate objects and given no water at all. The net result is either that the plant slowly dies, or that the owner is enlightened, overwaters the plant in an excess of contrition and kills it more quickly. Ideally the plant should have water available to its roots all the time it is growing. For most this means that the compost should be just moist during the summer months and dry during the winter resting period. Care must be taken, though, as some succulents grow during the winter and rest during the summer. The best rule of thumb is to withhold water if the compost remains wet for any length of time after watering.

Fig 12 A range of useful implements for cultivating cacti and other succulents.

The conditions described above can be achieved on a windowsill and excellent free-flowering specimens can be grown there. A conservatory provides the possibility of growing larger plants and has the advantage that it is easier there to avoid extremes of temperature and to maintain a more buoyant atmosphere than in a living-room. A greenhouse is the zenith of desirable residences for domesticated succulent plants. There they receive the maximum amount of light, the temperature can be controlled by heating in the winter and ventilation in the summer, and the plants can be provided with water and if necessary sprayed with chemicals without precipitating domestic disputes. It is important that the greenhouse should be positioned in an open situation where it will not be overshadowed by buildings or trees. It is simple to reduce the intensity of lighting by shading, but impossible to increase the intensity if it is insufficient.

Owners of small gardens which cannot accommodate a greenhouse should not overlook the possibilities afforded by a frame. These offer many of the benefits of a greenhouse and even have the advantage that the smaller volume is less expensive to heat. The range of plants that can be grown in a frame is limited to the shorter-growing types by the lack of headroom, though this can be increased by raising the frame on low walls.

Fig 13 A healthy collection of cacti and succulents on a windowsill.

PLANNING A COLLECTION

In the early stages of building a collection, it is desirable that a wide range of types is grown. This will provide invaluable experience in cultivation, and will also point the collector towards the plants which attract him or her most. If the environment in which the plants are grown is less than ideal, some kinds will grow more successfully than others. For example, if the only windowsill available for the plants faces north, it may be found that types which naturally occur in exposed positions where they are subjected to intense light will become etiolated. Others, occurring in shaded situations in the natural habitat, may grow and flower very well on the windowsill. This experience may encourage the collector to discard the former types and acquire more of the latter.

It is a fairly common experience, when stewarding an exhibition, to be approached by someone clutching a 'wants list' of plants who wishes to know where they may be obtained. Usually the names have been noted from illustrations in books, and unfortunately the illustrated plants, though appealing, are often quite unsuitable for a novice. They may be difficult to find, expensive to purchase, demanding to cultivate and quick to die. A few experiences of this kind may deter the novice who would have been equally happy and much more successful with different plants. The newcomer to the hobby is strongly advised to gain experience with easily obtained, inexpensive and undemanding plants.

Fig 14 There is an enormous range of succulent plants for the new collector to choose from.

As experience is gained, it may be found that interest in one group grows to the point where the collector begins to specialise. This specialisation may take various forms. Some growers concentrate on a single genus and attempt to 'collect the set'. This may lead to the collector contacting other growers with a similar enthusiasm, studying the literature, making observations and eventually becoming something of an expert on that group of plants. Other growers may collect plants from a number of genera which grow in a particular area. This can be very interesting, as it reveals something of the relationships between plants responding to the same environmental conditions.

There are many other possibilities for specialised collecting. Cacti and succulents occasionally produce malformations in which the growing point ceases to produce symmetrical radial growth and instead develops into a growing line. The resultant growth, in the form of a convoluted fan or crest, is often very attractive. Other freak forms include variegated plants, which are also attractive enough to be brought together in a specialised collection.

It is advisable to build such thematic collections alongside a general collection, otherwise the scope for collecting is restricted. As collectors come into contact with other enthusiasts, they should not be seduced into following the latest fashion which could lead them to turn from the plants that really interest them to others of less appeal that happen, for the moment, to be in the limelight.

WHERE TO OBTAIN PLANTS

In order to build a collection, it is necessary to acquire plants. So where are they to be obtained? Plants may be acquired from a variety of sources, some more reliable than others.

First in line, in terms of both quantity and quality, are the specialist...