Succulents and More™

Last week’s heat wave in California was one for the record books . All-time highs, many set decades ago, started to fall on Labor Day, September 5. But Tuesday, September 6, turned out to be a real doozie. The Bay Area reached an all-time high of 116°F, recorded in Livermore in the East Bay hills. Downtown San Francisco hit 102°F, miserable for folks not used to hot summers (few homes have air conditioning) but not quite enough to beat the record of 106°F set on September 1, 2017. Closer to home, Sacramento set a new all-time record of 116°F on September 9. In Davis, 15 miles west of Sacramento, we “only” reached 113°F, three degrees shy of the record of 116°F set almost 100 years ago on July 17, 1925. All in all, we had 10 days above 100°F. Beyond the physical discomfort caused by the heat, the psychological effect of being cooped up inside, not knowing what kind of damage our plants might be sustaining, was even worse. Cooped up inside during the height of heat wave, wondering what’...

For many years, growing plants from seed seemed to me like a combination of mystery and magic. I was so intimidated that it took me a long time to even try. And when those initial attempts largely failed, I became even more disheartened. In reality, though, starting seeds, whether it’s succulents or not, isn’t complicated as long as you sterilize your growing medium and keep the seeds and seedlings in a humid environment. Here’s what I do: ❶ Thoroughly moisten a quantity of seed starting mix like  this  or this —however much you think you need. When the mix is evenly moist, put it in a microwaveable dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes to sterilize it. ❷ Let the mix cool, distribute it across one or more small sealable containers (see examples below) or Ziploc baggies. Sprinkle seeds on top. Seal the containers or baggies. Reused food and takeout containers on the sill of a west-facing window ❸ Put containers or baggies in a warm spot with bright light , like on a ...

Except for periodic plant sales, the nursery at the Huntington is not open to the public. However, from their International Succulent Introductions (ISI) website, you can order plants at any time between March and September. In addition to the current 2022 offerings (28 of them!), you can browse the introductions for the past 20 years, dating back all the way to 2002. Many older plants may no longer be available, but it’s worth poking around. Unless a plant is labeled out of stock, you should be able to order it. 2022 International Succulent Introductions The program that would become ISI was started in 1958. Its objective is to “propagate and distribute new or rare succulents to collectors, nurseries and institutions.” The ISI sells seedlings, rooted cuttings and, increasingly, tissue-cultured plants. The cool thing is that many offerings are propagated from plants growing right at the Huntington; some are literally not available anywhere else. This is a unique opportunity to have...