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nancyjane_gardener

Greenhouse? Succulents

7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago

I've had succulents for several years and enjoy making planters for gifts etc..

We have recently moved into town from the country and want to turn our lawn and boxwood into more of a drought tolerant garden with succulents, grasses and Ca natives.

We will get some help from a master gardener and also a former neighbor who designs the Sonoma County Fair Flower show.

I've been collecting starts of all types from frecycle, nextdoor, neighbors etc.. I have a pretty good mix of succulents. I do NOT know the names of most of them!

Should I move all of these starts into the greenhouse now, while we still have 80s or wait til the winter when it cools off? We didn't get any freezes last winter, and being in town, don't expect any.

I want to get as many starts going as possible.

Sorry, don't know how to post pics.. Nancy

Comments (16)

  • 7 years ago

    Sonoma County has a pretty good Master Gardener group and could be a great source of information about what grows well outdoors there. In southern California, November is prime planting time for natives and other drought tolerant plants. They are not instantly drought tolerant, and the winter rain (we can hope) helps get them off to a good start. We are celebrating 3/4 of an inch of rain on Oct.12/13 here in OC. The photo below is a neighbor's home.


  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    You are fine to do so. I take it they are cutting so no roots? As long as they don't get wet before they roots show up. You can place them directly in or on the soil. Especially in lower zones never water until you see new roots on the bottom.

  • 7 years ago

    If they are large enough you could plant them in the ground. My succulents stay out all year. It just seems to me like they do better in the ground. If they are tiny I mark the spot so I will not forget and step on it. I do have some in pots but they stay outdoors too.

  • 7 years ago

    i

    The issue is the wet ground and small root systems. I have had success keeping my succulents in the greenhouse all winter, keeping them fairly dry, and then planting out in March-April. They then have the summer to develop a root system. I plant them up high, on mounds, in a very gravely mix.

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    I’m a little confused, are you asking if you can put your starts in a greenhouse during the winter or actually putting them in the ground now? If they’re small rooted cuttings it’s best to keep them warm during the winter. I’m guessing you live in Sonoma County which is close to me.

    Now if they’re big rooted plants you could plant in the ground now, but if this were me I would keep everything in the greenhouse till about late February early March. When spring is on the horizon:). Then you won’t have to worry about your newly planted succulents during the cooler months. The day temps aren’t the temps you have to worry about because we live in an environment where the lowest day temps ever reach are around 60F. The night temps are what you have to pay attention to because there are nights that get pretty frosty. The reason why I would wait till late winter early spring to plant all your succulents in ground is they will have a good six months to get established before they have to deal with the cold damp winter. I know our climate isn’t freezing, but we get chilly winter rains that like to do things like this;).



    Hail damage:(



    Too dramatic;)?! It sucks when this kind of stuff happens, but when plants are well establishment they have a better chance of survival:).

    There are some succulents where now would be great time to plant in the ground. Aeoniums are winter growers and are beginning to wake from their summer nap. Aloes too.





    A little tip:). This may sound stupid, but it really helps to know what type of plants you have. I have killed a few succulents because I just lumped all succulents together thinking they all like tons of sun and no water. All succulents are not the same;).

  • 7 years ago

    Agree completely. Good summary!

  • 7 years ago

    Also, sorry. Most of the starts I get are from freecycle, nextdoor or the fleamart where people don't know the names of what they are selling/giving away.

    It would take hours to ID all the plants I have!

  • 7 years ago

    Well then the way that you'll learn what is tender and what is not is by trial and error. For me sometimes the best way as it helps me to understand the plants better.

  • 7 years ago

    Just start putting up pics every day to one of the plant indentification pages on Facebook. You'll have them ID'd in no time.

  • 7 years ago

    Don't know how to post pics since I changed phones.

  • 7 years ago

    Let me help you post a pic here:).

    Take pics of your plants in question on your new phone. Underneath the comment box we all write in when we make comments there are icons that say Photo Houzz Photo Video Link. You can click on the icon that either says Photo or Houzz Photo. If you hit Photo it will take you to a pop up and click on Photo Library. That will take you to your photos. Click on the one you want. The pic may take a minute to upload. Now if you click on Houzz Photo it will bring up a box that has a little box that says browse, click on it. You can upload pics that way also. If the pics show upside down or grey then they’re still uploading. Like I said it can take a min depending on the day;). Once the pic is clear and right side up hit insert, and your pic should be up. I think you can post 7 or 8 pics in one comment.

    Sounds confusing, but it really isn’t. Just hit one of the Photo or Houzz Photo icons and it will lead you to where you need to go to upload a pic. I’m sure I made it sound complicated.

  • 7 years ago

    OK, I'll have to get the Houzz App on my phone and I'm not sure I have enough memory in my phone for that. Might be time for a new phone!

  • 7 years ago

    That's a bit of "YaJust" for me (as in my kids going YaJust ***************) while zipping through something.

  • 7 years ago

    "YaJust" ha ha ha. Consider your phrase stolen. And thank you .

  • 7 years ago

    Steal away! I cured a 20 something co-worker of EVER saying that again!