Video Wednesday: Mangave Plant Profile

Mangave (Agave macroacantha) is an evergreen, tender perennial succulent that come in a variety of leaf patterns and colors from blue to green to red and purple. They are hardy to 15 degrees Fahrenheit so will need to be taken inside or given winter protection in areas with colder winters. They are a cross between the agave plant and a manfreda. The spines at the tips are not as sharp as the ones on agave are. Mangave are deer- and rabbit-resistant. They prefer full sun and to be planted in well drained, gritty soil. They produce flowers when they are between 2 to 7 years old. In general, Mangave are Monocarpic plants, Meaning that they flower once, produce seeds, and then die. They are drought-tolerant, once established, but regular waterings can encourage faster growth. Trim off any brown or damaged foliage near the base of the leaf. Propagate them by carefully removing and repot the pups or offsets that are produced. Mangave: You Can Grow That! The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine. Audio, Photos, and Text by Kathy Jentz Video and Editing by Madison Korman Footage shot at Brookside Gardens and the US Botanic Garden ➤ If you enjoy this video, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our Youtube channel (thank you!) ➤Remember to TURN ON notifications to know when our new videos are out ➤ FIND Washington Gardener Magazine ONLINE ~ WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com ~ http://twitter.com/WDCGardener ~ https://www.instagram.com/wdcgardener/ ~ Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine ~ Podcast: GardenDC If you liked this video, we think you will like these other Plant Profiles:

~ Prickly Pear Plant Profile https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/09/prickly-pear-plant-profile.html ~ Hens and Chicks Succulents (Sempervivum) Plant Profile https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/07/plant-profile-hens-and-chicks.html

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Prickly Pear Plant Profile

 The Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia humifusa or Opuntia compressa) is the only cactus native to the Mid-Atlantic and, though it looks like a desert dweller, it is perfectly hardy here. It is closely related to the Fragile Prickly-pear (Opuntia fragilis) from the Great Plains and Drummond’s Prickly-pear (Optunia pusilla), occurring in the southeastern United States.

It prefers rocky or sandy soil with good drainage. Plant it along a sidewalk edge, slope, or retaining wall.  It also grows well in containers. It needs full sun and to be kept relatively dry. Prickly Pear forms clumps and spreads slowly. It can be propagated by seed or by breaking off a pad and sticking it in the soil cutting-side down.

The plant is hardy from USDA Zones 4 to 9. It can survive freezing temperatures, though it may look a little sad when it dehydrates and wrinkles during the winter months.

The plant has beautiful yellow flowers in early summer, which are then followed by red fruits. Prickly pear fruit is edible as are the cactus paddles also called nopales.

Wear thick gloves whenever handling any part of the plant. The brown bristles and spines are easy to see and avoid, but the fruits are also covered in small, hair-like spines that can get under your skin like splinters.

Prickly Pear is a fun plant to grow that is a great conversation piece in the garden. It also beneficial for pollinators and the fruit is eaten by various wildlife.

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.

Audio and Text by Kathy Jentz
Video and Editing by Melinda Thompson

➤ If you enjoy this video, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our Youtube channel (thank you!)

➤Remember to TURN ON notifications to know when our new videos are out

➤ FIND Washington Gardener Magazine ONLINE

~ WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com

~ http://twitter.com/WDCGardener

~ https://www.instagram.com/wdcgardener/

~ Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine

~ Podcast: GardenDC

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Plant Profile: Hens and Chicks Succulents (Sempervivum)

"Hens and Chicks” Succulents (Sempervivum sp.) are like chips--you cannot have just one! Once you start growing them, you'll find yourself collecting the many different varieties. There are over 3,000 named sempervivum cultivars, in numerous colors, shapes, textures, and sizes.

Sempervivum literally means "live forever" as they can be divided and propagated almost effortlessly. However, don't think that you can just set-it-and-forget-it. Each individual plant has a three-year life cycle and produces off-shoots for two of those years, so you will need to pull out those baby "chicks" and replenish the mother "hen" spot periodically.

These easy-to-grow succulents are great for indoor or outdoor containers. They can also be grouped with other cactus/succulents for a nice layered or contrasting look.

Sempervivum prefer full to part sun and very well draining (sandy/rocky) soils. They need little water and are very drought-tolerant.

Note that there are winter hardy varieties available here in the Mid-Atlantic. They are great in rock gardens and thrive in stone containers or concrete troughs. If you select a tender variety, you must bring it indoors for the winter and they should be kept as container plants to save you from digging and re-planting them out every growing season. 

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.

Visuals by Amanda Cash
Audio by Kathy Jentz

Additional photos courtesy of iBulb.org

➤ If you enjoy this video, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our Youtube channel (thank you!)

➤Remember to TURN ON notifications to know when our new videos are out

➤ FIND Washington Gardener Magazine ONLINE

~ WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com

~ http://twitter.com/WDCGardener

~ https://www.instagram.com/wdcgardener/

~ Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine

~ Podcast: GardenDC

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Win Succulent Studios subscription boxes in the April 2021 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contest

For our April 2021 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away two Succulent Studios subscription boxes (2 subscription boxes, 1 per winner for a total of 2 winners).

    Succulent Studios subscription boxes add a healthy burst of oxygen to your home. Inside each subscription box from Succulent Studios, you will find two baby succulent plants in biodegradable pots using organic media and fertilizers from an organic farm in sunny California—happy and ready to grow. You can choose from 3-, 6-, or 12-month plans for $10 per month plus shipping. Available at https://succulent.studio/.

   To enter to win one of the Succulent Studios subscription boxes, send an email to WashingtonGardenerMagazine@gmail.com by 5:00pm on Friday, April 30, with “Succulent Studios” in the subject line. In the body of the email, tell us what your favorite article was in the April 2021 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine and why. Include your full name and mailing address. The winners will be announced by May 2.  

UPDATE -

Thank you to all who entered our April reader contest to win a Succulent Studios subscription boxes. (Available at https://succulent.studio/.)

The winners are - 

Dawn Szelc of Potomac Falls, VA 

and 

Stephanie Kubala of  Washington, DC

Congratulations to you both!

DIY: Pumpkin Succulent Arrangement

 

I love Halloween! Sometimes though, I don't feel like going to all the trouble and mess of cleaning out and carving a pumpkin. This year, I thought I'd try creating a succulent-topped pumpkin. You can use this for fall displays both indoors and out and keep it through Thanksgiving for a table centerpiece. 

Note that the project is easy, but I would not recommend it for small children as the hot glue gun can cause minor burns.

Level: easy   Cost: inexpensive   Use: gardening/holiday decor 

Materials:

- pumpkin

- succulent plants

- Spanish moss or reindeer moss

- hot glue gun and extra glue sticks

Step 1: Gather your supplies and plug in your hot glue gun. Make sure your pumpkin is clean and dry.

Step 2: Break/cut the stem off the top of the pumpkin and then drizzle a circle of hot glue around the stem area. Working quickly, press the moss down on the hot glue. Be careful not to directly touch the glue yourself.

Step 3: Trim branches off the succulent plants and strip the lower leaves off. Starting with the larger succulents first, then work to fill in around them. Place them around the moss area first before gluing them in to see the effect. Re-arrange as desired. 

Step 4: Finally, glue down each succulent into the moss layer. You can then evaluate and fill in any bare spots you might see. Be sure to step back occasionally to look at the arrangement from above and all angles for balance and even distribution.

You can also watch a quick video how-to of this project on TikTok.

Tips and Care:

• The trimmed-off lower leaves from the succulent plants can be use to propagate more plants by laying them on top of slightly-moistened soil in a small spot placed in a sunny window.
• After you are done displaying the pumpkin, you can carefully peal off the succulent cuttings and stick them in soil. Not all will successfully root, but many should.
• The pumpkin can be broken down afterwards for its seeds and flesh for making pies, puree, etc. or you can just compost it.

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a few pennies from Amazon.

This is a monthly blog series on DIY projects for the beginning home gardener. Look for the other installments in this DIY blog series by putting "DIY" in the search box here at washingtongardener.blogspot.com. 

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Succulent Terrarium Workshop on 8/22

Succulent Terrarium Workshop 

Wednesday, 8/22, 7:00-8:30pm

Join us for a stress-free, creative break during the final weeks of summer. We'll gather at the Catylator Makerspace in the basement level of the World Building in downtown Silver Spring, MD.

We will be making a glass terrarium with succulents and adding a touch of sparkle to it. All materials are included as well as care instructions to keep your succulent happy and thriving. 

No prior gardening experience required -- beginners welcome! Must be 10 years old and over to attend.


Light snacks will be served. 


Catylator Makerspace is located in the iconic World Building in downtown Silver Spring Md at 8121 Georgia Ave, Suite LL1. It's a 10 minute (0.4 mi) walk from the Silver Spring Metro stop on the Red Line. Parking is available in the county garage on Fenton and Silver Spring Avenue (free on weekends).


Register at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3593098

Spaces are limited!

DIY: Succulents in Layered Sand Terrarium

There is an optical illusion to these gorgeous succulent containers. The trick is that there is a smaller glass container inside the larger one. The smaller one holds the plants and soil. This allows you to water the plant and not moisten and ruin the layers of decorative sand around it.

By the way, these succulents in sand are not true "terrariums," but because we are planting in glass, they are called that anyway.

Supplies:
- small glass jar
- large glass vase
- colored sands
- cactus soil mix
- succulents
- stiff paper
- spoons
- skewer or tweezers
- decorative rocks, gems, or glitter (optional)

Instructions:
1. Pot up your succulent(s) in the cactus mix. Water them in lightly and press the soil firmly. Make sure the succulent is sitting "high" up and the soil comes to just below the glass rim.
2. Center the small jar that has the succulent potted up in it inside the larger glass vase.
3. Take a stiff piece of paper and form a loose funnel to cover the inner jar and then take a spoon to gently add in layers of sand between the small jar and the outer edge of the vase. Go slowly and carefully -- working a little at a time and checking the effect as you go. It is much easier to add than to subtract! If you get any stray sand in your soil, use a skewer to mix it further down into the soil and it will blend in.
4. Once the sand is level with the inner jar. You can add decorative elements around it. Shiny rocks and gems are fun or you can go more natural with river rocks and pebbles.

Care:
Place your succulent in a bright sunny window and water a few drops at a time with a small syringe just onto the soil around the plant.
   Once the plant starts to out-grow its spot, you can pull it out gently and repot it in a bigger container - then replace it with another one - or you can totally disassemble the terrarium and start over again.

This is a monthly blog series on DIY projects for the beginning home gardener. Look for the other installments in this DIY blog series by putting "DIY" in the search box here at washingtongardener.blogspot.com. 

DIY: Succulent Wine Cork Planter

This simple project is a great way to display the tiny succulent off-sets your plants may create and can sometimes accidentally break off. Groupings of them can be a little gallery of your houseplant collection that live at a second location like your office or vacation home. They also make great gifts.

Materials:

Wine corks
Drill with 1/4-inch drill bit or larger
Clamp or vise
Cactus soil mix
Succulents

Steps:

1. Place cork in a vise or clamp and then drill a hole in the center of the top of the cork--going about half-way down the length. Blow out the crumbled cork and widen the hole as you wish, being careful not to break through the side of the cork.
2. Decorate the cork. This is an optional step, but now would be the time to paint it or glue on a magnet and let that dry before moving on to the next step. 
3. Fill the hole with a bit of the cactus soil mix. Tapping it down. 
4. Place your tiny succulent into the hole and fill in more soil around it.
5. You can then embellish the planters as you like. For instance, you can add a bit of moss near the succulent's stem or wrap the cork in decorative floral wire.

Tips:

• The wine corks need to be real (natural) cork. Many now are synthetic and are not suitable for this project.
• Drill more corks than you think you'll need. Some will crumble or crack on you. It may also take a few trial corks to get the hang of using the drill.
• Use a cactus soil mix --not regular potting soil or garden soil. The cactus mix is much lighter than other soils and is better for the succulent.
• A toothpick or skewer is a useful tool for guiding the succulents roots into the hole.

Care:

Ideally, place the cork with succulent in a south-facing window, but they can survive in lower light situations. The most important thing is to water them sparingly -- meaning hardly ever. When the plant starts to outgrow the cork, you can transplant the succulent to a bigger pot and reuse or recycle the cork planter.

This is a monthly blog series on DIY projects for the beginning home gardener. Look for the other installments in this DIY blog series by putting "DIY" in the search box here at washingtongardener.blogspot.com. 

Succulents with Sparkle Terrarium Class

UPDATED: Because the 11/25 and 12/10 classes were so popular, we have added a third (final) class on 12/27 from 6-7:30pm - see details and registration at: 

https://bpt.me/3172229

We are offering a bit of holiday stress relief -- join us for a Succulents with Sparkle Terrarium Class.

Take a creative break this holiday season at the Catylator Makerspace in the basement level of the World Building in downtown Silver Spring, MD.

We will be making a glass terrarium with succulents and adding a touch of sparkle to it. All materials are included as well as care instructions to keep your succulent happy and thriving. 

No prior gardening experience required -- beginners welcome! 
(Must be 10 years old and over to attend.)


Light snacks will be served. 


Catylator Makerspace is located in the iconic World Building in downtown Silver Spring Md at 8121 Georgia Ave, Suite LL1. It's a 10 minute (0.4 mi) walk from the Silver Spring Metro stop on the Red Line. Parking is available in the county garage on Fenton and Silver Spring Avenue (free on weekends).

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Click Here to visit the Brown Paper Tickets event page.

Video Wednesday: Spooky Succulents at the Catylator Makerspace

Washington Gardener Magazine hosted a Spooky Succulents Class on Friday, October 13, 2017, at the Catylator Makerspace in the "haunted basement" of the World Building in downtown Silver Spring, MD. This video shares a bit about what a makerspace is and also how the succulent creations turned out.

We plan on hosting another Succulent Class on Thanksgiving weekend at the Catylator Makerspace. Stay tuned for more details on that soon.

Hen and Chicks Succulents: You Can Grow That!

"Hen and Chicks” Succulents (Sempervivum sp.) are like chips -- you cannot have just one! Once you start growing them, you'll find yourself collecting the many different varieties. There are over 3,000 named sempervivum cultivars, in numerous colors, shapes, textures, and sizes.

Sempervivum literally means "live forever" as they can be divided and propagated almost effortlessly. However, don't think that you can just set-it-and-forget-it. Each individual plant has a three-year life cycle and produces off-shoots for two of those years, so you will need to pull out those baby "chicks" and replenish the mother "hen" spot periodically.

These easy-to-grow succulents are great for indoor or outdoor containers. They can also be grouped with other cactus/succulents for a nice layered or contrasting look.

Sempervivum prefer full to part sun and very well draining (sandy/rocky) soils. They need little water and are very drought-tolerant.

Note that there are winter hardy varieties available here in the Mid-Atlantic. They are great in rock gardens and thrive in stone containers or concrete troughs. If you select a tender variety, you must bring it indoors for the winter and they should be kept as container plants to save you from digging and re-planting them out every growing season. 

All who are involved with You Can Grow That! (YCGT!) believe that plants and gardening enhance our quality of life. We want people to be successful with what they grow and to become more aware of the many gifts that horticulture brings. Find out more at http://www.youcangrowthat.com/.