Sunday Gardener: “All cacti are succulents; not all succulents are cacti”
IT’S TIME FOR SUNDAY. GARDENER WITH MY FAVORITE PLANT WHISPERER, CARRIE ENGEL FROM VALLEY VIEW FARMS. JOINING US LIVE IN STUDIO. GOOD MORNING. SO I SEE WE ARE TALKING SUCCULENTS. WE ARE. YES. AND I HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT ONES HERE. BUT WE DO A LOT OF SUCCULENT PLANTERS. WE DO A WORKSHOP EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. I THINK WE HAVE ONE NEXT WEEK, BUT WE’LL JUST TAKE WE’LL PICK FIVE OF THESE OKAY. AND PUT THEM IN OUR GARDENS HERE. COOL. AND YOU CAN JUST SET THEM THERE IF YOU WANT OR YOU CAN ACTUALLY PLANT THEM. WE START WITH CACTUS SOIL. WE DON’T PUT ANY STONES OR ANYTHING UNDERNEATH THE CACTUS SOIL DRAINS WELL ENOUGH. JUST MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A PLANTER THAT DOES HAVE A HOLE IN THE BOTTOM, BECAUSE ALL CACTI ARE SUCCULENTS. NOT ALL SUCCULENTS ARE CACTI. THERE YOU GO. VERY GOOD. GOOD JOB. ALL RIGHT. FROM YOU. AND I KEEP IT IN MY MEMORY. AND I ONLY BROUGHT ONE CACTUS HERE. SO THE REST OF THESE ARE ALL SUCCULENTS. A LOT OF DIFFERENT ONES. YEAH. SO THESE ARE BOTH SEDUMS. THESE ARE GREAT FOR, LIKE, HANGING OVER THE SIDE OF A POT. MAYBE. MAYBE TRY ONE. OKAY. JUST KIND OF SET. SEE WHAT WE WANT HERE FIRST. THEN I LIKE THE JADE PLANTS. SO THESE ARE TWO DIFFERENT JADES OKAY. MAYBE. I MEAN FEEL FREE TO PICK OUT WHATEVER YOU WANT. JUST WHATEVER. I LIKE THIS ONE. ALL RIGHT. THAT’S GREAT. THAT’S ECHEVERIA STAR. YEAH, THOSE ARE VERY COOL. I’M GOING TO TAKE ONE SIMILAR TO THAT THEN. THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES. FEEL THE LEAVES ON THAT. THAT’S KALANCHOE. OH, IT’S LIKE A LITTLE TEDDY BEAR PLANT. YEP. YEAH I HAVE OTHER. OKAY. THAT’S GREAT TO USE TOO. AND MAYBE JUST ONE MORE FOR EACH OF US. AND MORE. I SHOULD GO WITH THE COLOR, BUT. WELL, I’M KIND OF. I KIND OF LIKE THE GREEN TOO, SO IT’S KIND OF FUN TO GO WITH IT. SO WE’RE JUST GONNA KIND OF PUT THEM TOGETHER. SO WE’RE JUST GOING TO TAKE THEM OUT OF THE POT. OKAY. AND I BROUGHT I BROUGHT THIS TO BEST. YEP. GOT THAT. AND SOME OF THEM HAVE SHALLOW ROOTS. MOST OF THEM DO. DO WE NEED TO LOOSEN UP JUST A LITTLE BIT. YEAH. JUST TO TEASE IT A LITTLE BIT. ESPECIALLY YOURS. YOURS HAS ROOTS KIND OF SHOWING. AND THEN SORT OF JUST DIG INTO THERE AND GIVE HIM A LITTLE SPOT. I DON’T MIND GETTING MY HANDS DIRTY. ALL RIGHT. GOOD FOR YOU. YEAH. AND I’M GOING TO TAKE SOME OF THIS OFF. THEY DON’T NEED A LOT OF ROOTS. SO MOST OF THEM ARE RIGHT AT THE TOP THERE. GET OUT. I DON’T WANT TO HURT YOU. ALL RIGHT, WHAT ABOUT ONE WITH TIGHT ROOTS LIKE THIS? JUST BREAK IT UP. BE FIERCE. JUST GO FOR IT. GO FOR IT. IT DOESN’T WANT TO LET GO. ALL RIGHT, PICK ANOTHER PLANT. OH, THAT’LL WORK TOO. COME ON. ALL RIGHT. YEAH, I GOTTA PICK A DIFFERENT ONE SOMETIMES. YEAH, I’LL GO WITH THIS ONE. SOUNDS GOOD. AND THAT’S THE MILK PLANT THAT HAS A I LIKE THIS ONE. OKAY, OKAY. THIS IS FUN. THIS IS ANOTHER TYPE OF. COLLEEN. I ONLY FIND GARDENING FUN WHEN I DO IT WITH YOU, BECAUSE THEN I KNOW I’M DOING IT RIGHT. SO WHAT’S REALLY THE IMPORTANT THING HERE? DO YOU WANT TO BURY THEM TOO DEEP? LIKE, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON TO GET IT? SO WE’RE GOING TO END UP WITH THE SOIL UP LIKE ABOUT A HALF INCH BELOW THE RIM. OKAY. SO I’M KIND OF DOING IT THAT WAY. I DO HAVE SOME OF THESE LITTLE GUYS THAT ARE GOING TO HANG OVER, LIKE THIS LITTLE STRING OF HEARTS. YEAH, I’M JUST GOING TO THEN TAKE EXTRA SOIL THAT I BROUGHT. MAYBE. MAYBE NOT. OKAY. THIS IS WHY I ALWAYS PLAN AHEAD OF TIME. ALL RIGHT. I’M GONNA TAKE SOME OF THE SOIL THAT I LEFT IN HERE AND DO THAT INSTEAD. THAT WORKS. WHATEVER. LIVE TV, GARDENING. THIS IS HOW WE. THAT’S RIGHT, THAT’S RIGHT. IT’S HARD TO DO ALL THIS IN JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? IT DOES SHOW IT DOESN’T TAKE VERY LONG. NO, IT DOESN’T TAKE MUCH. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AFTER YOU GOT EVERYTHING PLANTED, I WOULD JUST SORT OF WATER IT IN. AND THEN I LIKE TO ADD A TOPPING TO IT. SO I JUST BRING A LITTLE BIT OF STONE OR WHATEVER. I STILL WANT TO ADD THIS AS A TOPPER. I’M JUST GONNA SHOVE IT IN THERE LIKE THIS. WELL, IF I HAD PLANNED PROPERLY, I WOULD HAVE LOOSENED THEM ALL UP FOR YOU AHEAD OF TIME. BUT YOU KNOW, THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN. SO YOU JUST WATER THIS WHEN IT STARTED TO TOUCH, MAKE SURE IT HAS GOOD DRAINAGE. I PROBABLY DIDN’T PUT THAT ONE QUITE DEEP ENOUGH. AND AGAIN, THIS STONE IS MAINLY JUST TO TOP IT FOCUSED ON YOURS AND NOT MINE BECAUSE AND THIS IS GOING TO GET A LITTLE BIT BIGGER. SO WE ARE GOING TO GIVE IT SOME ROOM TO GROW. SO I’LL JUST SET THAT OKAY. THERE’S MY TAG OUT THERE AND GRAB UP SOME OF MY DIRT AND GET IT IN THERE. AND AGAIN. SO WE HAVE THE SEED AND WE HAVE RHIPSALIS. WE HAVE THE ROCKS. IMPORTANT OR THE WHAT IMPORTANT ROCKS? THE PEBBLES. NO, THEY’RE JUST REALLY JUST FOR SHOW. OKAY. IF YOU PUT ROCKS IN THE BOTTOM, THEY JUST FILL UP WITH MORE SOIL. SO I DON’T USUALLY PUT STONES IN THE BOTTOM OF ANY OF MY PLANTERS. ALL RIGHT. AND I WAS LISTENING, BUT ALSO FOCUSED. OH, YOU’RE GOOD. YOU’RE LOOKING GOOD. ARE WE SUPPOSED TO WATER THIS IMMEDIATELY? IT WOULDN’T BE BAD TO WATER IT RIGHT AFTER YOU PLANT IT. OKAY. BUT A LOT OF TIMES WE DON’T WHEN WE PUT THEM TOGETHER FOR CUSTOMERS BECAUSE THEY DON’T WANT THEIR CAR WET. GOING HOME MAKES SENSE. AND THEN HOW OFTEN DO YOU WATER SUCCULENTS? WELL, YOU USE THIS FINGER HERE, RIGHT? AND WHEN IT’S DRIED DOWN TO LIKE YOUR SECOND KNUCKLE, YOU GO AHEAD AND WATER IT. AND WHAT’S NICE WITH CLAY IS EXCESS WATER COMES OUT THE SIDES THERE. SO. OH A CLAY POT IS BETTER FOR THESE. IT’S BETTER FOR SUCCULENTS BECAUSE IT DOES HELP KEEP DRIER. LIKE I SAID, I’M JUST PUTTING THIS HERE JUST TO DRESS IT UP A LITTLE. IT’S NOT NECESSARY, I LIKE IT. SOME PEOPLE WILL. IT’S PRETTY NOT DO IT. YEAH. AND THERE’S ALSO ALL DIFFERENT SORTS OF ROCKS. SO YOU CAN BE YOU GOT TO PUT YOURS OUT HERE SO EVERYBODY CAN SEE IT. TA DA. YAY. IT’S NOT CARRIES. NO. IT’S GOOD, IT’S GOOD. SO WATER IT IN. YOU CAN FERTILIZE IT. ONCE WE GOT LIKE EVERY MONTH OR SO. JUST A LIGHT CACTUS FERTILIZER. YOU CAN EVEN PUT LITTLE PEOPLE IN THERE IF YOU WANT. I HAVE KIDS THAT PUT IN DRAGONS AND DINOSAURS AND THAT SORT OF THING. OH THAT’S FUN. ALL RIGHT, SO SUCCULENTS. EASY PEASY. HOW MUCH LIGHT DO THEY NEED? THEY MOST OF THEM LOOK LIKE A LOT OF BRIGHT LIGHT OKAY. THEY CAN HANDLE FULL SUN EVENTUALLY IF YOU SORT OF GET THEM USED TO IT. MOST OF THEM. AND WHATEVER. AGAIN JUST WATER WHEN THEY’RE DRY TO THE TOUCH. THAT’S PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. AND DO WE NEED TO REPLANT THESE OVER TIME? MAYBE. YEAH, YEAH. IN MOST CASES YOU DO. SO THAT’S THE FUN PART. THIS WILL PROBABLY BE GOOD FOR A YEAR OR TWO. AND THEN YOU’RE GOING TO GO, WELL THAT’S TOO CROWDED. AND YOU’LL TAKE ONE OUT AND ADD IT TO ANOTHER POT AND JUST KEEP PLAYING WITH IT. SIMPLE ENOUGH. ALL RIGHT. THANKS. YOU’D LIKE TO HAVE YOUR GARDENING QUESTIONS ANSWERED. YOU CAN NOW EMAIL OUR SUNDAY GARDENER TEAM. JUST EMA
Sunday Gardener: “All cacti are succulents; not all succulents are cacti”
Updated: 2:37 PM EST Jan 11, 2026
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Talking cacti vs succulents with Carrie Engel from Valley View Farms this week on Sunday Gardener.
Talking cacti vs succulents with Carrie Engel from Valley View Farms this week on Sunday Gardener.
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