by Liza
I am trying to identify and care for a succulent I just purchased. I would like to repot it and need advice, as I have had bad luck with succulents in the past. Do you know the specific variety?
Hi Liza, the picture is really small and fuzzy, so it’s hard to tell, but this looks to be an Aeonium.
There are many different ones, but they all require the same care; bright light, porous well drained soil, and a summer dormant period where you stop watering, coinciding with a heat wave.
Once the hot temperatures are done as the end of summer approaches, resume watering and it will grow again. I recommend that you have a good grow light for the winter, as light from a window in northern climates is not enough – they require pretty much 12 hours of day and night all year long.
If you move these plants outdoors for the summer, they actually prefer dappled shade rather than full blazing sun, and will be happy under a tree that casts that type of shade, or with just morning sun and shade in the afternoon.
Fertilize a couple of times when it’s actively growing (early summer).
Avoid overfertilizing with any chemical type of fertilizer, because of the salt build up.
It’s also best to use rain water if possible to sprinkle the plant, because any minerals in tap or well water can cause unsightly water spots.
Hope that helps get your (successful) succulent collection going!
Jacki
