Perhaps because of the name Aizoaceae these plants do not seem familiar to you. But if instead we use that of “stone plants”, surely they begin to sound much more to you. Especially, if we say lithops, fenestraria…
Do you want to know more about Aizoaceae plants? And your treatments? So here we collect all the information you need. Shall we start?
Contents
How are Aizoaceae plants
The name Aizoaceae refers to stone plants. And it is that it is made up of a wide variety of succulents, sometimes even with flowers. In total, there are about 1,100 species divided into 126 different genera. But, roughly speaking, we can tell you that there are five major subfamilies which are:
- Aizooideae.
- Sesuvoides.
- Tetragonioideae.
- Mesembryanthemoideae.
- Ruschioideae.
They are characterized by being herbaceous plants, although they can also be somewhat related to shrubs. Its leaves are entire and will be opposite, and they are almost always fleshy.
Another of the names by which Aizoaceae plants may be known are frost plants. This is due to a particular shine that the plants have had from the calcium crystals that are created in the epidermis of the leaves.
While most of the Aizoaceae come from southern Africa, hhere are a few that can be found in Australia or even the Pacific.
Not all plants in the family flower, but those that have apetalous flowers with numerous staminodes. And, from them, the fruits come out as a dehiscent capsule.
Aizoaceae Plant Care
We cannot tell you a little more about the Aizoaceae family without going into the details of the typical plants of this family. However, you should know that each of them has an annual cycle, that is, the plants are not always active in spring; there will be some that are in winter. It is very important to know this because it allows you to personalize the care and know when to water, give it more sun, fertilize…
Depending on the plant you have, its growth cycle can be spring or winter. For example, in the case of lithops, it is from late autumn to early spring, that is, in the middle of winter. While, for other plants, growth takes place in spring and summer.
That being said, and this is the first thing you need to know before you read on, we are now going to discuss with you the different types of care you should give them. Remember they are in general; each will have its particularities.
location and temperature
Most store-bought Aizoaceae plants are not accustomed to withstanding heat or sun. And that although in their natural habitat they don’t care, the worst thing you can do if you buy one is leave it in direct sunlight. The only thing you will realize is that he dies on you.
Therefore, although the best location is outdoors, it must be taken into account that you must adapt it to your climate. Start in a shaded area but with some indirect light. After about two weeks, change it to part part shade and leave it again for another two weeks, when you can start putting it in full sun to feed it.
However, keep in mind that if the sun is too intense and the plant is small, a few hours in the sun can be fatal and kill it in a few days. SO try to control the type of sun they get based not only on your climatebut also the age or size of the plant.
Regarding the temperature,
Substrate
Plants of the Aizoaceae family do not need a specific substratealthough the truth is that if you give him a mix of succulent and cactus soil with a little peat (yes, it’s low in nitrogen) and a little drainage so he’s oxygenated, he’ll thank you very much , especially since they grow much healthier and faster.
These plants usually have long roots, so It is recommended to put them in pots at least 12 centimeters deep so that they develop without running out of space.
A trick so that the water does not affect the plant is to place a layer of stones on the surface (usually they turn white, but they can also be colored) that help prevent flooding nor does the water cause holes in the earth that cause water to accumulate.
Irrigation
One of the characteristics of the Aizoaceae family is that plants have a fairly high resistance to lack of water. In other words, they can spend time without you watering them.
This does not mean that you forget them, far from it. But it is necessary that you leave time between waterings (it is better than getting them too wet and the roots rotting).
A piece of advice we give you is that when watering, make sure that no water falls on top of the plant as this will only cause it to rot (it becomes soft and in the end it dies).
It is best to water it with a good amount of water and leave it for a long time without watering (it can take from two to eight weeks, depending on the season and the life cycle of the plant.
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Generally speaking, you can be told that succulents are not plants that need fertilizer. But they won’t say no either. Now well, everything will depend on the moment of the cycle of each plant to be able to apply itat least once during this growth period.
Plagues and diseases
One of the most dangerous pests and one that you will have to be very careful not to discover in your Aizoaceae plants is the cottony mealybug. This wreaks havoc on these plants. To remove it you will have to do it by hand, cleaning the whole plant, including the roots, and put it back in a new pot.
In the case of diseases, the most dangerous is related to excessive watering, thus causing rotting of the roots.
NOW, by buying an Aizoaceae you will be able to know a little more about it and above all, give them the care they need to move forward.