Next steps

Like many people, I have a number of hobbies.  I'm an avid Lego collector.  I'm learning to play the Ukulele.  I like to juggle.  I play the drums.  I love to write.  I'm a video gamer.  Add in the obligatory "I like reading, I enjoy watching films etc etc", and there's usually something I can be doing at any given moment, hobby-wise, which stops me from doing the hoovering or figuring out how the washing machine works.

And with all those hobbies, there is always something to do.  A Lego set to build or take apart.  Or blog about. (1)  Chords, scales or songs to practice on the Uke.  A juggling pattern to learn or improve.  You get the drift.

But gardening...

I've 'finished' my first two planters, the ones I mentioned in the last entry.  And now... what?  Do I just sit and look at them?  We've already established that succulents are, broadly, slow growing so it's not like there's going to be any change in the next few days or weeks.

Months?  

Maybe.  But probably not.

I understand that when you've got a whole garden, or a greenhouse full of plants, then yes, there probably is something to do every day.  Some pruning here, some watering there.  Inspecting for bugs or repotting plants that have outgrown their home.  But when you've only got two pots...

Option one would obviously be: "Go and buy a whole load more plants."  As fun as that sounds, it's all too easy to run before you can walk and end up in the 'All the gear, no idea' situation, so I probably won't do that. (2)  Having said that, it hasn't stopped me spending half an hour browsing a couple of websites, and coming up with at least fifteen plants that have just gone on my 'Plants Wanted' spreadsheet. (3)

Another option is to spend the time educating yourself.  To that end, I've asked, at a couple of different places online, the question: 

"What do you wish you'd known before you started collecting and growing succulents?" 

Most popular answer: "I wish I'd known how addictive it is as a hobby."  Sorry, wallet!  But forewarned is forearmed and all that.

After that, there were some more practical answers.  Things like a) ensuring that the soil is sufficiently free-draining; b) the fact that there isn't one magic soil formula for every plant; c) don't water when the soil is dry - water when the plant looks thirsty.  And the one that made me pause for thought...

"That different succulents have different light and water requirements - e.g. echeverias need a ton of light vs haworthia and sedum happy in partial shade. Until you understand these requirements better, it’s better to keep them in individual pots."

Thank you, fellow Reddit user.

/looks at random mix of plants that he put in a pot without considering their care needs

Part of the inspiration for the assortment that I created were a couple of large planters that I saw on our recent trip to Wisley.  The planting area on each was about three feet across and they were packed with a wide variety different plants.  

Weren't they? 

I dug my phone out, as I'm pretty sure I took a picture of one of them.

Not the random assortment I thought it was

Ah!

Maybe they weren't quite as varied as I remember.  On closer inspection, it appears to my novice's eye, that they may, in fact, all be variations on a theme.  I could be getting some practice at replanting sooner rather than later.

Other than that, I've been looking around for interesting looking books on the subject, and useful websites and blogs.  Fortunately, there seem to be many, many enthusiasts who are happy to share their knowledge, from tips for beginners all the way through to caring for the most obscure varieties of plants (and all points inbetween).  I'm bookmarking these for future reference, while any books that catch my eye go straight on the list that I wave under peoples noses, should they ask "What do you want for Christmas / your birthday?"

But uppermost in my mind at the moment is water.  These plants should sit, by and large, in dry soil, getting a drink (as mentioned earlier) when they look thirsty, not when the soil feels dry.  But what do you do when you get torrential rain for days on end, as we've had (are having!)?  The soil can be as free draining as a sieve, but if it's getting soaked, day after day, then that can't be good, right?  Root rot and all that bad stuff, which comes from sitting in water.

They're relatively sheltered, being right up against the house, but it's not like they're under any kind of roof.  I'm wondering whether I should be putting them in a cold frame - we do have one, but it's full of stuff at the moment.  It'd not cold overnight (though I have fleece on standby), but sitting under cover, even with the door open, would probably give the pots a fighting chance of drying out a bit.

I'll keep and eye on them - and the weather forecast - for a bit, but start clearing a bit of space.

Just in case.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

(1) I have a number of blogs.  The Lego one is justanotherlegoblog.blogspot.com

(2)  Probably.

(3)  I do like a spreadsheet.