Can you build succulent garden in the tropics?
Channel: Cerriscapades
Date: 28/01/2018

How to build a succulent garden in the tropics

This is a question by Iria Negron on EP #43.

I believe it can be done, and I have a couple of friends who did it.

Here's the link to "Wonderland" by Maddie in Wonderland.
https://www.facebook.com/MaddieInWonderlandOz/posts/2061367557434316

If you plan to do the same, here are a few tips:

1. Use elevation. You could create a raised planter or garden bed, that way excess water will drain away from the top layer (gravity will help here). For edging you can use any material. I personally like using large rocks because I like the look of a rock garden. You can go more formal and use pavers or bricks or edgers. Up to you and your style!
2. If humidity is a problem, you can use a more gritty medium. So have your soil mix be more of scoria/pumice in composition, and reducing the percentage of the soil. Depending on how often it rains, and what type of plants you're using, you'll want at least 6 inches of this mix. 
3. Deeper is better of course, but use your best judgement especially if it can be expensive. What you can do is to have the grittiest part the top layer, then progressively have more soil by percentage as you go deeper. That way you don't have to gather too much rocks just to aggregate the whole soil.
4. Airflow is very important for echeveria, because they are very susceptible to fungal rot when it is always humid. Mounding helps, as well as removing dead leaves underneath periodically. When they start pupping, you'll want to do a bit of preventive measure and apply a bit of antifungals (using a systemic solution would be the easiest, but otherwise use your fungicide of choice). Otherwise, just make sure that there's space under the rosette so the pups are exposed to even a bit of airflow. This helps significantly against fungi.

Title and ending music:
"Open Those Bright Eyes"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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