Succulent Wreath Demonstration
Linda Onan
Llano Master Gardener
Our presenter for the February Regular Llano Master Gardener meeting was Linda Onan, who gave a demonstration on how to make a living Succulent Wreath. Her presentation began with a description of the materials needed to make the wreath, which included;
1. A wreath-shaped Oasis foam wreath base with tray, available at craft stores and some florists. There are also online suppliers, such as the ones listed at the bottom of this page.
2. Succulent plants of your choice. Some good candidates would include Aeonium, Crassula, Echeveria, Gasteria, Haworthia, Kalanchoe, Sedum, and Sempervivum.
 aenonium |
 crassula |
 echeveria |
 gasteria |
 haworthia |
 kalanchoe |
 sedum |
 sempervivum |
Linda began by preparing the succulent cuttings she would use several days in advance. She chose the plants she would use and cut terminal rosettes and leaf clusters with stems at least 3" long. The leaves were removed from the stems leaving at least 2" of bare stem, then the pieces were spread out on paper and left to dry at least 3 days to allow the stems to callus. Before the demonstration, the Oasis form was thoroughly soaked for a couple of hours in its tray and allowed to drain.
To begin, Linda chose the cuttings and placed them in the wreath by poking a hole in the foam with a pencil. By providing a "pilot hole" for the cutting, the chance of damaging the stem is eliminated. Cuttings are chosen for variety, size, shape and color. Continue to fill the wreath until it is tightly packed with cuttings and looks attractive.
The Beautiful Result
Wreath should be laid on its base for approximately 3 weeks until the cuttings have had a chance to root into the Oasis foam. A good application of the wreath at this point would be a tabletop arrangement, perhaps with a candle or hurricane lamp in the center. Then the wreath may be hung. The ideal growing location would be indoors near an east- or west-facing window, or outdoors in bright but indirect light. It can be moved to lower light locations for short periods of time for decorative purposes.
Water as you would succulent plants; once-to twice weekly, depending upon location. The foam should be thoroughly soaked and allowed to drain, then allowed to become semi-dry before watering again. Too frequent watering, especially at first, will encourage rotting of the cuttings. The plants themselves will tell you if watering is sufficent: soft-looking foliage will suggest over-watering, and wrinkled foliage will let you know to water a bit more often.
Some online sources for Oasis wreath base;
save-on-crafts.com
www.afloral.com
dillonexpress.com
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