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The Euphorbiaceae family consists of around 300 genera and about 7500 species of which approximately 870 are succulents. About 50 genera and 487 species are native to Southern Africa including Madagascar. These figures excludes the numerous varieties and hybrids such as those of the E. milii and E. pulcherrima (pointsettia).
The International Euphorbia Society covers the whole spectrum of this plant family including the non-succulent ones.
General information about succulent Euphorbias can be found here. The most valuable Internet source (including photo’s and cultivation info) however can be sourced at this site.
Euphorbias are named after the Greek surgeon Euphorbus.
Most of the succulent species of the Euphorbia are easy to grow in most parts of South Africa provided that there is sufficient drainage and the humidity is low. High humidity causes mildew and, combined with high temperatures, mealy bugs. Good drainage prevents Euphorbias from root mealy bugs and root rot (caused by fusarium fungus). Plant Euphorbias preferable on a slope and in well drained soil. Large collumnar plants always surrounded by rocks. In general Euphorbias are less susceptible to diseases than other succulent families. In the past we already submitted something about pest and disease control the green way . See also this contribution and these ones.
Propagation can be done by sowing and by means of cuttings.
Some Euphorbia species hybridise easy and to prevent this as much as possible is hand-pollination with a brush. Always plant two of more plants of the same specie next to each other.
As for cuttings: cuttings of succulent Euphorbias can best be taken towards the end of the dormant season. We normally take them towards the end of the South African Summer (February-March) and always in the early morning but preferable in the late afternoon. Keep the cuttings under a running tab until the cutting stops ‘bleeding’ latex. This milky sap is poisonous (always wash your hand afterwards and or wear protective clothing). Let the cuttings dry in a dry shady area with good ventilation for at least 3 to 4 days before planting them.
Many nurseries but also hobbyists are using shade-cloth to protect their nursery-succulents from sun-burn damage. Shade also has the advantage of less water evaporation.
Whatever colour shade-cloth one uses it always has the disadvantage of ‘horizon-pollution. That’s why Soekershof Walkabout started with a three year program to get rid of all shade-nets and replace this with natural shade. In another blogsite you can read how.
Natural shade by (caudiciform-) climbers has the disadvantage that it takes a few years before the area is covered and that it needs some additional cleaning (falling leaves -advantage: compost-). The most attractive advantage is a lively ’shade-cloth’ with, in season(s), colourfull flowers.
This group of highly succulent, more or less leafless plants belongs to the family Apocynaceae. Found exclusively in the Old World, they are widely distributed over the drier parts from the Southern-most tip of Africa to the southern shores of Europe and eastwards to Arabia, India and Myanmar. Of the roughly 330 known species, 182 occur in Southern Africa, and all but a handful of these are endemic to this region.
Asclepiadaceae is a plant family which differs from others by having a very complex sexual apparatus and a complicated pollination procedure. They are easyly recognisable by five-lobed flowers. The lobes are joined together at the base of flower (corolla).
There are about 2000 species of Asclepiadaceae split into some 300 genera, of which about half are succulent. The succulent ones are of interest, especially the group named stapeliads. Their flowers are miraculous. I have read somewhere: “Orchids of the Succulent world”/ The flowers of stapeliads have one flaw only. Most of them don’t have a pleasant smell.
Asclepiads grow worldwide, from jungles of Indonesia to deserts and steppes of Africa while stapeliads grow only in the old world. There are some representatives in Europe, too, in Southern Italy and Spain. Most of them are from dry regions of South, East and North Africa, Arabian peninsula and some even from India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma) and Nepal.
Most Asclepiads enjoy warm conditions, and appreciate regular application of water in hot Summer weather providing that the plants are in their growth phase. For some of the more difficult Asclepiads, heat is a requirement and watering should be more circumspect. At Soekershof Walkabout we always use rain water, and tend to water over the top of most plants – after all that is how it happens in habitat. However, many growers prefer to water plants from the bottom (simulating drier conditions where the roots seek underground moisture), and a careful approach to watering is essential for difficult or rare plants. It is a good idea to allow the soil to dry out between waterings, and if the weather goes cold in the middle of the summer, then stop watering. Much of the reputation that Asclepiads have for rotting unexpectedly is probably related to watering plants too early in the year while still dormant, or when the weather is uncertain, or to attack by other pests such as root mealy bug, the damage from which allows disease into the tissues. Indoors Asclepiads seem to do best in very free-draining gritty compost which helps the compost to dry out between watering. Peat-based composts, with lots of sharp sand and fine grit works well, but peat also encourages root-mealy bug.Always remove dead plant material (dead flowers, leaves, stems) from your growing space, as otherwise in damp weather it will become colonised by fungi and rapidly become a source of spores, which may in turn infect your asclepiads.
If a plant that was growing well suddenly goes into a decline, suspect root-mealy bug. This pest destroys the roots, preventing proper uptake of water, so the plant looks under-watered even though it is sitting on soggy compost. Probably the damage also helps fungi to enter the tissues, and the next stage is a rotten plant.
Ordinary mealy bugs are also a major problem with Asclepiads, and are difficult to eliminate from crevices between the stems. Mealy bugs can be spread through a collection by the wandering vegetative growth of tuber-forming Ceropegias. Scale insects are said to be a major pest of Asclepiads in some climates.It is a good idea to take cuttings from suspect plants that are not thriving, clean off obvious infestation and start off some new plants in case the original can not be saved.
Here we replant most of the asclepiads (especially Stapelia-species) every one of two years on a new location. This also prevents rot caused by soil related fungi, etc.
Propagation
Many Asclepiads are readily grown from seed, and some people grow plants of the faster growing species to flowering size from seed each year, thus avoiding problems of overwintering. However, the seed of many species (e.g. Stapelia sp.) has a limited life expectancy, and should be sown fresh. Those species with fleshy stems are easily propagated from portions of the plant laid flat on a gritty potting mixture, when they will produce roots from the underside of the stems. Planting stem cuttings vertically seems generally less successful (an exception is the vine-like Ceropegia species e.g. C. radicans), and the portion of plant embedded in the compost is prone to rot rather than root. Tuber-forming Cereopegias can be propagated from small tubers formed at joints in the thin stems. Regular propagation of plants with a few cuttings seems to be the best insurance against loss of the main plant.
Internet literature:
The Crassulaceae or orpine family consists of 33 genera with a total of around 1400 species. These dicotyledons have the characteristic that they store water in their leaves. Most species are native to Southern Africa and the Northern Hemnisphere.
Another characteristic of this family is that the different species hybridise easily. Advised propagation is (leaf-)cuttings but for gardeners who like to experiment with cross pollination the crassulaceae are very rewarding.
All crassulaceae originate from areas where water is (sometimes) scarce.
In the Western Cape: no additional water in Winter but during long dry spells in Summer Crassulaceae will reward you with extra growth if you give them a good morning soak once every week.
Tip: cut flowerheads out of young plants. This will stimulate growth and spread.
Soil: In general Crassulaceae are not fuzzy about soil as long as it drains and the pH is somewhere between 6.5 and 8. They even grow in heavy clay but too much clay has the disadvantage that after heavy rainfall followed by high temperatures there is a risk of rot.
Pest and diseases: Most common are aphids which are a real pest for some Crassulaceae. Aphids can become a plaque during high temperatures after rainfall.
Crassulaceae originate from areas with a wide scope of temperature-zones (USDA 6-10/11) but most from (sub-)tropical climates.
In South Africa we experience regulary that overseas Crassulaceae like the ones blonging to the genera of Aeonium and Echeveria are sold as “indigenous” by nurseries. Maybe because some of the species of these genera are common in many South African gardens.
Some of the more common known, except the ones mentioned, genera of the Crassulaceae are:
Dudleya; Sempervivum; Sedum; Tylecodon; Cotyledon; Andromischus; Monanthes and Kalanchoe.
Three of our favorite Crassulaceae:
Kalanchoe marmorata: Originate from Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenia. This Kalanchoe has paddle-shaped blue-green leaves with purple markings. Attractive in any rockery of succulent garden. Large white pinwheel flowers in clumps. Easily to propagate with (leaf-)cuttings.
Crassula columnaris (“koesnaatjie“): This monocarpic dwarf (Western and Northern Cape) needs at least 5 years to mature and becomes 5 cm high. When mature it starts to flower. It can grow in full sun in well drained (slightly alkaline) soil. The plant will tell you when it needs water (shriveling leaves). The scent of the flower is divine. Propagation by seed or leaf-cuttings.
Kalanchoe orgyalis: This native from Madagascar is relatively rare in cultivation. This Kalanchoe has thick velvet-like leaves which makes it sensitive in climates with a high humidity. The leaves are silver toned mahogany coloured. The flowers are bright yellow. This specie becomes about 50 cm high but that can take a while. Kalanchoe orgyalis is very, very slow growing in comparison with the other species of this genus.
The genus name Aloe is derived from the Arabic, alloch and translated as allal in Greek and Hebrew, literally meaning bitter or bitter sap which is descriptive of Aloe sap. The genus Aloe belong to the family Asphodelaceae to which also other succulent genera such as Haworthia and Gasteria. A widely spread misunderstanding is that also the Agave and related American genera belong to the same famly. These belong to the family of the Agavaceae. Some Aloe species (f.e. A. Ferox, A. Barbados and A. Socotrine) are valued for their medical properties. There is however a large number of medical claims which are not scientifically proven up to date or are proven to be false. The globally best known Aloe is the Aloe barbadensis (better known under the previous botanical name Aloe vera). The Aloe barbadensis is commercially cultivated in the USA, Australia and India. In Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, India, Aloe vera is raised as an organic. The crop is ready for harvest after 18 months from sowing. The average yield for organically grown aloe is approximately 12 t/ha.
Soil
A slightly alkaline (up to pH 8.5) sandy loam soil is the most ideal for most Aloes but some prefer slight acidic soil (pH 5.5-6.5) such as A. mitriformis (A. perfoliata) and A. plicatilis. It is normally propagated through root suckers or by cuttings of the new growth. Because Aloe plants consist of 95% water, they are extremely frost tender. If they are grown outdoors in warm climates, they should be planted in full sun, or light shade. The soil should be moderately fertile, and fast draining. Established plants will survive a drought quite well, but for the benefit of the plant, water should be provided.
All known garden pests can be kept to a minimum by simply ensuring optimal growing conditions and a good selection of plants that attract wildlife to your garden. In principle a garden is always un-natural. One of the challenges of organic gardening is to make use of nature in order to strive towards an ecological balance. For our and your dissapointment: even nature is never in balance. There are many ’surprises’ every year but without ‘ecological measurements’ these can go a bit out of control. A daily ‘inspection’ walk in the garden -preferable early morning or late afternoon- helps the gardener to foresee ‘threatening’ pests and diseases and making the right decisions towards preventive measurements.
Most common pests/diseases in aloes are aphids, scale insects and cancer.
For scale insects the best results are obtained by physically removing scale using a cloth.
Occasional aphids on flower clusters and scale insects on leaves. These are relatively easy to control with water (high pressure) of, even better, preventive with a tea of garlic. Aphids are ‘farmed’ by ants. The ants regard aphids as their ‘milk cows’. Keeping ants away, two rings (10 cm or 4 inches space between them) of chalk powder on soil around aloes, minimalise the number of ants and aphids.
Cancer: Caused by aloe-cancer mite. This mite lives inside the plant and is the carrier of the virus and cause the cells to multiply and form ugly weird growths. Cut out the affected part of the plant and let it dry. General info about pest control and pest and disease prevention can be read elsewhere in this blog
Propagating
Propagating is best done via cuttings. Sowing is also possible but bear in mind that Aloes hybridize easily.
Southern Africa is home to a few hundred Aloe species. Two of our favorites are the Aloe perfoliata and the Aloe polyphylla.
Growing A. perfoliata is very easy. The best results are achieved by simply making stem cuttings. Allow cuttings to dry for a few days and insert into river sand and keep moist. The roots appear after about two weeks. Seeds must be sown as fresh as possible. When kept too long they are parasitized by small crawling insects. The best time for sowing would be in the winter, June to July. Use coarse river sand and cover seeds lightly, then keep moist. It is advisable to treat seeds with a tea of khaki-bush, as seedlings are prone to damping off, a fungus that eventually kills the young plants. Simply add tea to the soil. After germination, when plants are about 20 to 30 mm, plant over using a sandy-loam medium. If you have a garden with clay soil, use some bone meal to break up and nourish the soil. Mature plants in the garden may from time to time be subjected to attack from scale insects and aphids.
Aloe polyphylla originates from high, relatively cold, altitudes in Lesotho. It is a very difficult plant to cultivate in the open in the Western Cape. It’s main requirement is well-drained soil. It performs best when planted on a slope (or planted up at a slight angle so water does not collect in the spiral), where it can enjoy sun, or part (afternoon-) shade in the hottest areas. It also does well in pots. Water requirements depend on soil and weather. They are generally suited to low water, but prosper with some summer water.
Information about South African Aloe species can be obtained via one of the websites of the National Biodiversity Institute. This site contains a wealth of info of many indigenous plants including succulents.
Sowing seeds from your own plants is the most rewarding way of propagating. You see the seeds germinating and young plants grow into mature ‘ornaments’ in your garden.
There are also a few disadvantages: it’s time consuming and labour extensive.
It all starts with the harvesting and cleaning of the seeds.
Bear in mind that some plants hybridise easily. You might think you have seeds of the Aloe ferox because your harvested the seeds from an A. ferox. But whatif this aloe was pollinated by an Aloe vera? We’ve learned our lesson with this. In the beginning we bought quite a few aloes at one of the National Botanical Gardens in South Africa; all nicely labeled with their botanical names. Almost all turned out to be hybrids. Some cacti and caudiciforms (i.e. cyphostemma sp., pachypodium sp.) also hybridise easily. To avoid this for at least 95 percent it’s the best to plant more succulents of the same specie in a group (not nearby species of the same genus) and pollinate manual with a brush. Manual pollination is also a good way of communicating with your ‘babies’.
The best results are achieved with fresh seeds. In general the viability of the seeds declines in time; sometimes even after a month or so. Take the seed-pods from the plant, wash the seed thoroughly (most of seeds are ‘packed’ in an ‘inhibitor’), let the cleaned seed dry and than sow. That sounds easy but it is not always like that. Special precautions have to be taken when harvesting and cleaning the seeds from amongst others euphorbia- and cyphostemma species. The sap of the cyphostemma berries can cause irritation and that of the euphorbias is poisonous. Wear protective hand-gloves when cleaning those seeds. In the description of the different succulent families and individual plants in the future we will indicate this precaution.
There are several recipes for soil mixtures and sometimes they differ per family, genus or even per specie. Each nursery has its own special recipes and all of these seem sufficient. Most books advise you to use a cactus mix which can be purchased at nurseries. Some succulent nurseries apply vermiculite or perlite mixed with a little bit compost. It works nicely and we have tried it a few times on a small scale with good results. But we do not like to apply unnatural products to our soil mixtures. Another disadvantage on the longer term is that if you keep your plants in the original nursery pots with these unnatural products without re-potting them in a proper mix; their lifespan will be shortened.
For most succulents we use for sowing a simple mix of coarse sand (eventually added with some fine grit) with approx. 5 percent fine compost. Mix this thorougly and add some kelpak (SeaGro) dissolved in water (50 cc kelpak in 10 litres water) until the mix is damp (not wet). Fill the seed-tray(s) with this mix, sow and top it of with a layer of sand with the thickness of the seed. In the heat of Summer we top it with a water retaining layer of sand/clay (1:1) mix or clayish loam. This general method works for at least 90 percent of the different succulents with a high (or at least above 70%) success rate. In the description of the different succulent families and individual plants in the future we’ll come back to this subject.
After sowing keep the soil damp. Depending on the temperature mist-spray regularly. Never let the soil dry out. An option is also to cover the seed-tray with transparent plastic foil. If you seed in pots you can use the top of a cola bottle to achieve the same effect.
As soon as the seeds are germinated take this cover away and give the pots/trays a 10 minutes soak from down under as described in the chapter about cuttings
And again: this is all a rough outline. As described before: it’s all in the fingers (not only in your head or in books). Every gardener develops his/her own way of doing things. This rough outline provides you with a nice start for one of the most rewarding things-to-do.
Propagation by seed is the most rewarding method because you see the seed germinating and the plants growing. But except for the extra amount of work this method is also time consuming. Cuttings have the advantage that they already have a certain, more mature, size thus faster fully growing plants.
Herewith some general guidelines:
Cuttings can, in general, best be taken at the end of the dormant season. Those of cacti and cacti like euphorbias between October and the end of February (we’re in South Africa, remember). Let the cuttings dry for at least some days and plant them in a soil mix of 90% coarse sand (eventually mixed with some fine grit) and 10% sift compost. Moisterise (not wetten) this mix with kelpak (SeaGro) (50cl kelpak in 10 l water) and let this mixture dry for a few days. Kelpak, by the way, is a seaweed product from Simonstown which stimulates the root-growth. Plant the cuttings up to one-third of their length in this mixture (in pots; deep seed-trays) and do not water for the first week or so. Put the pots/seed-trays with the cuttings in a large tray with water and let it moisturise from down under for 10 minutes. Not more. Mist-spray the cuttings every morning and evening lightly and as soon as the soil tends to dry out next soak-from-down-under for 10 minutes.
This method is most suitable for (almost all) cacti and cacti-like euphorbias and is also applicable for most other succulents. In a later stage, when we describe the different groups of succulents, we come back on this subject.
One remark: when taking cuttings from cacti-like euphorbias and other succulents (including caudiciforms) with poisonous sap special precautions have to be taken. Keep the cutting under a running tap until the all sap is secreted from the wound. Always wash hand afterwards. And never take those cuttings in the heat of the day; always as early as possible in the morning. Wear protective clothing.
Cuttings of succulents, other than cacti and cacti-like eurphorbias, (such as crassula sp., mesembs, etc): directly after cutting in soil-mix as described above and mist-spraying at least 3 times during the day. Soil has to be damp (NOT wet).
The cuttings of some cacti species take their time to make roots, sometimes even up to one year of more. Others are rooting within a few weeks. Always be patient and watch your plant-material. It’s a way of communicating. The plants will tell you a lot. It’s a kind of ‘body-language’.
Once we had a student (Technikon-horticulture) here for his practical. From the books he knew exactly how to propagate. We gave him the chance to do it his way and one of our staff did it his own way. The result: Student less than 1 out of 10 cuttings/seeds growing; staff member more than 9 out of 10. Lesson ‘numero uno’ with propagating: it’s not all in the heads or books but in the fingers. If the fingers are not ‘green’; theory will not work.
It’s like how a great ’chef’ distinguise him/herself from ‘cooks with books’.
There is, to our surprise, quite a few books about cacti and succulents; including ones with beautiful pictures.
In South Africa some of the books are available in the shops of the botanical gardens of the National Botanical Institute, others are available at bookshops (or they can order them for you) and there is also the possibility of mail-order. Silverhill Seeds and Umdaus Press both have a list of succulent related literature which I left out of the list below.
Books of interest (both for beginner and advanced succulent gardeners) are:
‘Cacti, the compact study guide and identifier’ by Charles Glass and others. ISBN 0-7858-373-4
‘Gardening with succulents’ by Prof. Gideon Smith. ISBN 1 77007 082 6
‘Vetplante van Suid Afrika’ by Ernst van Jaarsveld and others. ISBN 0 624 03901 3
‘Succulents, the new illustrated dictionary’ by Maurizio Sajeva & Mariangela Costanzo. ISBN 0-88192-449-0
‘The illustrated encyclopedia of cacti’ by Clive Innes & Charles Glass. ISBN 0-7858-1358-6
‘Cacti & Succulents’ by Hans Hecht. ISBN 0-8069-0548-4
‘The complete book of cacti & succulents’ by Terry Hewitt. ISBN 0-7894-1657-3 (this was our first book on the subject)
‘Guide to the aloes of South Africa’ by B. van Wyk & G. Smith. ISBN 1 875093 41 9
‘Mesembs of the world’ by Gideon F. Smith & others. ISBN 1 875093 13 3
‘The cactus family’ by Edward F. Anderson. ISBN 0-88192-498-9
This is just a selection but it gives you something to read for the first few years.
Many first time customers ask us how to handle ‘those spiny plants’. One of our staff handles cacti with his bare hands but he grew up between cacti and other succulents and that seems to make a difference. We advise people to handle cacti with the most used South African implement. That’s the ‘braaitang’ (barbecue pincers). Wrap this implement with corrugated paper of bubble plastic to avoid damage and there you go.
When we plant succulents in our garden we first put the pots on the places where we want to plant and leave them for a few days to get acclimatised to the new environment. When planting we first squeeze the pot a bit to loosen the soil around the plant and than take the plant out the pot and plant it with all the soil in the pot.
In case of larger cacti: take these out of the pot, cut the roots for at least one-third of their length and let them dry first for a few days before planting. Cacti which are too large to handle with barbecue pincers can be handled with a shade cloth. Large columnar cacti: shade cloth over the full length.
Cutting roots also applies to larger (stem) aloes.
As most of the indoor plants also cacti and other succulents in pots should be re-potted every 3 years; eventually in a larger pot. Columnar cacti in relatively deep pots (taproot) and barrel shaped cacti in relatively wide pots.
For cacti and (stem) aloes: Take the plants out of the pots, clean the roots (eventually wash them off), cut the roots with at least one-third of their length and let them dry for a few days first before re-potting them
General exception: Cacti-like euphorbias. Take care with handling (wounds produce poisonous latex -always wash hands afterwards) and do NOT cut the roots. Just let the plants rest for a few days before planting or (re-)potting.
Another golden (basic) rule here at Soekershof: Some cacti are sensitive for ‘neck-rot’; especially in the first year after (re-)planting. Neck-rot is also the most common terminal disease for cacti under the open sky in the Western Cape with the emphasis on the Cape Town area. Once a plant has established itself the risk is minimised provided good care is taken. How to avoid neck-rot? Applying chemicals is not in our books but we have another, simpler, method to avoid neck-rot. Plant the cactus on a small heep, 5 to 10 cm high depending on the size and (future) shape of the plant. After a heavy rainfall the heep, including the joint between roots and plant, will dry first. After a few years the heep will have itself equalised with the surrounding soil and the plant has established itself with some resistance against certain diseases including neck-rot. In our practice the ‘heep philosophy’ works perfectly.
Another golden rule is that we never apply (chemical) fertilisers; even not the organic bounce-back (dried chicken manure). The plants will grow faster but will also be more vulnerable for pests and other diseases.
There are quite a few sources on the Internet about cultivating cacti and other succulents. The most comprehensive and, for beginners, suitable ones are the Cactus Cultivation Notes. There are written for the USA but also quite suitable for South Africa.
But first a few important notes: If anyone tells you that “cacti grow virtually anywhere in South Africa”; just forget about that. Better is to say that there is a cactus for virtually every place in South Africa. The same applies for (indigenous) succulents. Ernst van Jaarsveld of Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in Cape Town was very right last year in his weekly column in one of the newspapers that 60 to 70 percent of the succulents, including cacti, sold to people in the Cape Town area die within months or suffer. This is also the reason that we sometimes refuse to sell plants if we find out that the local environment of the plants is not in line with certain plant-specific requirements. In the future we will come back to this subject in other contributions.
But first some general info. It all starts with good soil with free drainage. We have two main general mixtures for our nursery. One for succulents and one for cacti and cactuslike Euphorbia’s for the latter ones are retaining more water than succulents. And we have special mixtures for specific plant-groups like the Lithops but that is something for later.
1) succulent soil mix: 4 parts coarse river sand, 3 parts clayish loam and one part compost.
2) Cacti and Euphorbia: 6 parts coarse river sand, 1 part clayish loam and one part compost.
Another generalisation: succulents prefer alkaline ( ph 7 - 8 ) soil but there are a few exceptions. We’ll come back on that in the future.
A good, natural, way of preventing soil and climate (wet) related diseases is to make a tea of khakibush (Tagetes minuta) which is indigenous to Southern Africa. Fill a bucket with this weed, pour boiled water over it and let it stand for at least 24 hrs. Smelly but very effective. Moisterize the soil-mix with the tea. That’s all. In the garden: sow seed of Khakibush and, just before it start to flower, dig it into the soil. It’s a bit more time consuming than but surely as effective as chemicals like Temmex and Dithane which most of the nurseries are applying to their soil to prevent succulents from rot related diseases.
Planting (repotting) cacti and aloes: Cut back the roots and let the plants dry for a couple of days. For euphorbias: when cutting the roots (which we do NOT advise but sometimes it seems a necessity) be aware of latex dripping out of the wounds. Keep the roots under the water tap until latex stops dripping. This milky sap is poisonous (as is sap of many plants) and it is advisable to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards!
Planting in the open (especially cacti and eurphorbias): For columnar ones we strongly recommend to surround them with large rocks; i.e. make the plant hole wide enough, cover the roots with a layer of soil, surround the plants with large rocks and fill the gap between plant and rocks with coarse sand. This precaution prevents uprooting by natural causes such as in windy environments. For all cacti and euphorbias it’s wise to plant them on a small heep of 5 to 10 cm above ground-level. This is also a good way to prevent neck-rot in especially Winter rainfall areas. Once the plant is established after one or two years the ‘heep’ will have equalised itself with the surrounding.
Once potted or planted in the open do not water the plants for the first days or even a few weeks although one cannot prevent rain.
Some succulents prefer full sun and some shade. Just look in the ‘veld’: Gasterias and Haworthias are normally growing in the shade of a bush. You can simulate that by planting these shade-loving plants in, for example, the shade of a tree or rock. These plants will also grow in full sun but especially during the Summer you can see the difference in leaf colour.
In general (specially Cape Town area): most succulents like to grow on a North facing slope. Although there are exceptions we always advise customers in the more moist areas (f.e. Simonstown, Kommetjie, Houtbay) to keep succulents in pots. Deep pots for columnar growing succulents and wide ones for barrelshape cacti and low growing succulents. Small aloes in relativily wide post and tree like aloes in relativily deep pots.
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