I think succulents are a house-decorating trend right now. I see pics of them all over social media and there are sites purely dedicated to planting succulents... the wrong way. Like juicykits.com. I just had to repot some succulents I bought that were in a glass terrarium with regular potting soil. I wasn't experienced so I didn't know better, and the lady got money off me for plants that wouldn't have lasted a month if I hadn't done anything. I think it is a money grab like you said. Another case of this that I experienced was a string of peas that I bought at a hardware store. It was in regular potting soil as well and just the next day they got wrinkly and sad looking.

At stores I think it's a combination of inexperience of the gardeners, as they're used to taking care of plants that aren't succulents, and the nurseries that are pumping them out the cheapest way they can. It's sad. ): Not to mention lots of people can't give beginners any info on their plant other than "well draining soil" (which honestly is very vague if you're just starting out) and "water less than regular plants."

After learning more on how to take care of s&c, it's honestly kind of sad walking into the gardening section of hardware stores... I do know that some places offer to replace your plant if it dies, so it might be more on the nurseries taking advantage of the trends.

In truth, it is very sad and frustrating. When the more-difficult-to-care-for succulents start disappearing, it's almost certain that they all died. But at least the succulents look fantastic when they are new arrivals to the store!

There is just one greenhouse and one nursery I trust to keep their succulents alive. The greenhouse grows their own for sale, which is pretty cool! The nursery is able to keep most plants in reasonably healthy condition for at least one month to often several months depending on the species.

This is a very low number, considering I've visited 20-30 greenhouses, nurseries, garden centers, and big box stores (specifically for succulents) across the metropolitan area.

Of all the plants I've bought, I would guess this is the distribution:

• 30% in a good mix with suitable water retention.
• 50% in a mediocre mix that allows survival in a well-lit greenhouse (if plants weren't overwatered).
• 20% in horrible mix of death.

It is frustrating to see them being mishandled and grown so poorly. Succulents are on 'trend' right now, and are being utilized as part of artistic expression (glass octagon of death). I've seen them just about everywhere grown improperly. Sure they look great for the first few days/weeks, people buy them, they obviously etiolate, drown, whatever and then come back to buy more. It might be part of their strategy to keep people coming back.

Besides the trend of it all, there are growers who are spray painting their cacti/succulents like somehow that's a selling point.

The whole thing is very frustrating, but I think its best to walk away and that sales or lack thereof make the decisions in the long term.

Oooh, that is frustrating all right. I sometimes have pointed out to garden centre staff that plants are drowning or have mealies, but they never seem very concerned...

Another thing that bugs me is the selling of "cactus and succulent" soil, which is mostly just peat with sand in it......hardly suitable to a new succulent grower who is trying to do the right thing for their plants.

Oh how I wish I knew some succulent collectors in my area! Thank goodness for this forum at least, so I can chat with like-minded people!

Thanks all, I feel better knowing I'm not alone in my frustration.

Minty, is spray pain how they do that to the cacti? How about when they glue the fake flowers to them? Slightly better than the paint because it could be seen as "this is what it's flower may look like" but still annoying.

There is one nursery here that would, at best, fall in the mediocre mix category that ewwmayo mentioned, but 1. it's too far and 2. it's way over priced.

Brenton2, yes they seem to never care. One actually told me "we get a discount from suppliers for the ones that die". Haha bugs me after mentioning mealybugs

:) totally annoying, sad and frustrating ....all my indoor succulents are rescues...I do think it's a money maker and maybe they're supposed to be treated in the same way as a cut flower arrangement ... if it lives a few weeks then it's a bonus. To be fair it does depend on the store ...big box ..usually appalling but smaller nurseries are better ...at least with outdoor succulents ...

I was looking at succulents at a BBS one day a couple months ago and as I was standing there checking them out one of the workers started to hose them down! It seemed as if this was something they did every evening before closing. She absolutely could not wait for me to move. I quick grabbed one I had been considering before she soaked it. I really wanted to tell her that was she was doing was so wrong but then I figured it was best not to bother. Not only do I not think it is her fault for watering them (she's just doing what someone told her to do), but I don't think anyone who works there, management included, would care enough to change anything.

I never understood why over the spring and summer when all the plants get to go outside in the sun and be happy, the succulents remain on a dark shelf in a dark corner. They are marketed as house plants and "great for dorm rooms." Drives me crazy...

Thanks for letting me rant about this for a bit.

-Erica

A few years ago, after a lot of posts railing about glufers (glued on flowers), a rep from Altman's plants posted here saying that the company heard us, and was going to discontinue selling plants with those horrible straw flowers. That lasted a few months, and then the glufers returned. I guess the sales they generate outweighed the annoyance of a few of us. We are not the targeted buyers. Glued on flowers and soil help sell plants. Sad but true.

Brad

Brad, I think this is a classic case of Capitalism vs Sustainability, not just for plants but for everything else we purchase in this country.

The benefits of business profits outweighs the well-being of plants, in fact, the more plants die, the better; consumers just spend more money buying more plants to kill - and I thank Nicholas for bringing this up, but that's just how big corporation work. Sad but true.

Bernard

I agree, nobody at the BBS has the knowledge or the thoughtfulness to care for their plants, I see it all the time. It is a combination of ignorance and apathy, combined with a mentality of just doing what you are told. Drowned plants, indoor plants not taken in before the cold weather, so they all freeze... I told my son how many thousands of dollars must be thrown away in dead plants at these stores, but still they do not care. Maybe if the stores took a good look at just how much profit is being tossed in dead plants, they would take notice.

Christopher

I was really happy to see that the Lowe's by me moved the succulents outside for more light and fresh air--after all the veggies were gone. :-(

I don't have any small nurseries near me that carry succulents anymore.

The thing that bothers me most at the BBs is the way the plants are sold as hardy, but they will not live through a winter up here. I get nosy when I see someone looking at the supposedly hardy plants and tell them that those cacti are not really hardy at all. Some people are grateful for the info; others just look at me with the "who asked you" look.

My nearest Lowes usually takes good care of their succulents, they keep them inside though. But when I went there about two weeks ago the succulents have all vanished, I went to other nearby Lowes stores and Walmarts and they were gone as well.

Home Depot always has succulents, but their selection is fairly limited compared to Lowes and Walmart.

Retail is a different breed. They probably get a truckload for next to nothing. If they sell a few at full price they have made their expected profit. A 400.00 dress at the department store only cost them 1.99. All they need to do is sell a few dresses to make a profit. I would not be surprised that each plant only cost them ten cent.

Every year Lowes clear out their succulents at the end of Aug. It is a good time to get good deals. They put them all on sale for 1.00 unless they are in a ceramic pot. Those are 3.00-5.00. I hit Lowes in August every year and get a buggy full of sucs for 1.00.

I like my Lowes because they do not water them they die from no water and sitting inside all summer. If they are alive all I have to do is bring them home put them in some good soil and give them a drink and put them in the shade for a week then move them to full sun Aug and Sept and they are good as new.

When and if I do purchase succulents at a BBS, I consider it a rescue!

Thank you Bernard for the demonstration. It's always hard to hear but it's the truth that corporations just don't care. Not to open another bag of worms but there isn't a single large corporation that cares about their customers, merchandise or their employees. Not something I want to get into but it's the truth and the poorly cared for plants are just the tip.

I made this post intending to just vent a bit of my frustration and I'm glad others have joined in to let their voice be heard (even if no one actually reads it). Neil is 100% correct that every plant from a BBS is a plant rescued but at the same time it sucks to contribute and support this behavior.

Isn't it great to be free?

Bernard, I do not mind correction but it was not saw.

I worked at Joseph Horne's as an accountant for 15 years. Back in the 70s. I worked at Gimbels for 10 yrs in the 80s. Every Christmas the Buyer's offered the office staff one item at cost. So if you say it is different now I can only say it is what you see. Trust me it was not a made up off the top of my head figure i had to pay the bills.

Mark up was extremely high in clothing. The only low mark up was electronics. The clothing on the more expensive floor of Joseph Horne cost was 1.99, 2.99, 3.99 and sold for hundreds of dollars. I was in accounting I saw what they paid. I would imagine with the China crap they are buying now it would be that big of a difference.

Granted you have to take in account of shipping, and the normal cost of doing business but the cost of the item it self is much lower than I think you realize.

I think you gave a good example of how they order the plants that are purchased at cost of .50 that they sell for3.99 to 25.99. Large department stores are doing the same with clothing on a larger scale.

Marquest Gimbels in Pittsburgh..? or in Manhattan? Those are the only 2 Gimbels i'm familiar with.

Neil I worked at Gimbels in Pittsburgh, PA.

Thta's great I hope it was a good exp : )

Yes it was great experience that prepared me for the great government job and a comfortable early retirement

Tax man cometh

Did a few "rescues" from a Reno Lowes yesterday.

I found a lovely Notocactus herteri that had spent flowers under the fakes. I don't think I ever saw one in the BBS. It was outside so it's in great condition. My main reason for checking out the cacti at the BBS is for Echinopsis 'Rainbow bursts' and I found one and I what I think is a Lobivia hybrid.

One of the HDs in Reno usually has a big selection of succulents; I was there last week and they were in abysmal condition, but I did find a small 'Rainbow burst' that was healthy.

So I have mixed feelings about the BB: For the most part the treatment is horrible, but if it's the only source other than Ebay/mail order buys, then I'm always going to be drawn to the garden section just in case there is a hidden treasure there.

A 'Rainbow burst' purchased a few years ago, bloomed today: