Succulent Garden Planting Coordinator
General Description:
Planting of succulents in cups, planters, and undersea garden bowls for sales in the nursery
Duties:
- Get donations of ceramic cups, bowls and planters
- Have a volunteer that is able to drill holes in bottom, need a drill press and diamond bits
- Recruit volunteers for planting
- Stock nursery and keep account of totals
Specific Skills:
- Some artistic flair
- Taking cuttings
- Planting
- Keep inventory flowing
Helpful Hints:
Guide to Succulent Garden Planting
Succulent garden planting is fun and rewarding. The love of plants and design come together to produce something that Quail Botanical Garden visitors are sure to appreciate. Succulent gardens make the perfect hostess gift or holiday present or are a reminder of a special day spent at the gardens. At Christmas, we use Santa sleighs instead of decorative cups for our plantings.
Location and Materials
Succulent gardens are planted on the last shade-cloth-covered table in the propagation area. The tables under the shade cloth and those surrounding this area contain many varieties of succulents to choose plant material from.
The supplies that you will need are located on or under the planting table with the exception of the decorative ceramic cups. They are located on the table to the left facing north of the planting area. We do not plant succulent gardens in clay pots. You?ll probably notice the cooler on top of the table, which contains labels, felt pens, paper towels, spray bottle, etc.
Here is a list of what you?ll need.
- Ceramic cups (please be sure the cup is drilled and there are no chips or cracks)
- Screens (in cooler)
- Soil/perlite mix (you can replenish from main propagation area)
- Plant material
- Wooden planting stick (in cooler)
- Pruner or snip (bring your own or borrow from propagation table)
- Pebbles (KRC rock bag under table)
- Water bottle (in cooler)
- Planting tag
- Sales tag (marked with succulent gardens)
- Magic marker
Design
Before you start collecting your plant material, you?ll want to select cups that inspire you. In other words, you?ll want to consider design. There are lots of ways to think about design. First, take a look at the shape and art imprinted on the cup. Next, look at the base color and accent colors on your cup. The shape, art and/or colors used on the cup might impart a tropical or Asian feel or a modern or minimalist theme. You can choose your plant material based on form, color and texture to support this theme. For example, you might choose two colors in your plant material to match two of the accent colors used in the cup?s artwork. The color range of the succulents that we have to cut from is surprisingly varied ? reds, every shade of green, green-gray, blue-gray, yellow, and brown. In addition to color, some of the plant material is speckled or variegated. Another idea is to consider a monochromatic color theme that picks up the base color or one of the accent colors.
These few tips will hopefully inspire you to think about or SENSE a design. To recap, consider:
Cup
> Shape
> Art
> Color
> Overall theme
Plant Material
> Form including size
> Texture
> Color
> Pattern
Collecting Your Plant Material
Now that you have thought about your design, browse the plant tables to select plant material that will work with your design ideas.
When selecting plant material, most of the time you?ll be cutting a single stem. Or you might take a small clump of wispy plant material. In very few situations will you pot a whole plant.
Before cutting, be sure the plant is healthy. We don?t want to use plant material from diseased or infected plants. Mealy bugs are common in succulents and there is a virus that affects one particular crassula every winter, causing black spots on the leaves. Healthy plants will have good coloration and firm skin.
When you have selected a healthy plant and the stem or rosette of the size you need, cut as closely to the soil surface as possible. You?ll need at least a half-inch of stem to secure in the soil, but an inch to an inch and a half is better. It?s best to have two nodes or more below the soil surface when planting. If the stem is longer than needed just cut it to size before planting. Many times you can only get a half-inch by pulling off the lower buds on the stem. This is tricky but I?ve found if you apply pressure to opposing buds at the same time but twist them in opposite directions they will pop off without breaking the stem.
Collect all plant material that you think you?ll use in a single cup. It?s helpful to take a plastic tray with you to collect the plant material.
Planting ? It’s what you are here for, right!
- Be sure the soil is damp but not soggy; if needed, add water to the bucket and mix thoroughly
- Take your cup and place the screen in the bottom to contain the dirt
- Fill it with dirt to about ½ inch from the top; press the soil firmly in place; add a touch more to reach desired level
- Use the pointed end of the wooden planting stick to make a hole in the soil
- Stick you succulent stem in the dirt and press firmly with your fingers or the square end of the planting stick to secure it
- Continue until you have planted the entire cup
- Step back and look at it. Are there any gaps? Is it pleasing to the eye?
- Gently tug on each stem to be sure it?s not going to fall out after it?s purchased
- Pour small pebbles over the soil if there are gaps between the plants
- Spray the plants well to wet them down and also spray the cup
- Wipe the cup with a paper towel
- Write the date of planting on ONE old tag. This will be replaced with TWO sales tags when it is time to transport them to gift shop/nursery sales. This date is critical because we allow plants to root for at least a month before taking them down to sales.
- Store the planted cup on the slated tables in the sun
Clean Up
- Wipe off hard plastic surface mat (unused plant material, soil, and plastic gloves can be put in a plastic bin located beneath the table)
- Refill water bottle for next time
- Put wooden planting sticks, magic markers, spray bottle, tags, etc. back in cooler (Be Sure to Close It)
- Close KRC rock bag
- If dirt is dry, water it down so it?s ready for next time
Stocking the Nursery
The plant co-coordinators will stock the nursery on Fridays when they are in. We track how many plants sell in a week throughout the year. This helps us to know what we?ll need in inventory (cups) and helps us to determine how many cups we should plant up in a week.
We like to keep the plant stand in the gift shop/nursery filled with 13-15 cups. Before taking the cups down, we make sure they have sufficient moisture but are not drenched. Also, we recycle the planting tag, replacing it with two sales tags. Most succulent gardens are priced at $5. However, we might price an exceptionally small cup at $4 and a succulent garden planted in a large or unusual cup might be marked $6 or $7.
If certain cups don?t sell within several months, we?ll replant them. Also, cups planted with flowering plants might need to be groomed such as removing their spent blossoms. We?ll also replant a cup if the plant material has been sun damaged.
While these instructions may appear lengthy, succulent garden planting is fun and easy. You?ll get the knack of it after a couple of times. You may find it easier to learn on the job. If so, please join us on Friday mornings!
Time Required:
3 hours on Friday morning (12 hrs/month)
Recommended Term:
1 year