Published on 01 August 2017

The wonderful world of succulents

by Lucille Nolasco

Sa harapan pa lamang ng bahay na aming pinuntahan ay makikita mo na ang mga cute na halamang succulents. Karamihan sa kanila ay pinapatubo at saka ilalagay sa mga pots and planters. At pagpasok ng bahay, babati na ang iba’t ibang hugis at kulay ng mga halamang ito.

Ang kahanga-hangang succulents collection ay sinimulan ng 17-year old na si Sydnie Dela Cruz.

“It’s fun! My mom’s friend gave her an aloe and she gave it to me, and from there I got obsessed.”

Succulents are a group of plants that store water in their leaves. The leaves tend to be thick and fleshy, but some genus and species have thicker leaves than others. Succulents tend to thrive in dry climates and don’t like a lot of humidity.

Noong una ay hobby lamang daw ni Sydnie ang pagpapatubo at pag-aalaga sa mga succulents, but it got to a point where she had so many succulents that her mom told her to try to start selling them. At present, she has over 50 varieties of succulents.

“My favourite is the echeveria, they have a beautiful flower-like shape with unique vibrant colours,” Sydnie shared.

In-na-in ngayon ang mga succulents, dahil bukod sa maganda at iba’t ibang klase, madali rin silang paramihin.

Kapag ang mga succulents ay nasa loob ng bahay, madalas ay hindi sila naaarawan. Generally, kailangan nila ng mga six hours of sunlight a day. Kaya payo ng mga expert gardeners na ilagay sila sa tabi ng bintana. Pero be careful na hindi sila ma-sunburn kapag sumobra ang init.

At dahil may winter tayo sa Winnipeg, kung ang inyong succulents ay nakatanim sa labas, ipasok ang mga halaman bago pa pumatak ang snow. Most succulents are dormant during the winter. They need a period of cold to help them produce better blooms in the spring and summer.

At para sa mga baguhang fans ng succulents tulad ko, payo ni Sydnie na, “Never be discouraged if one of your plants die, just keep trying and maybe read about the plant you own for proper care of them.”

You can get in touch with Sydnie through email: succulentsinbloom@gmail.com. You can also check out her Facebook page and Instagram.

Lucille Nolasco is an announcer and creative writer at CKJS Radio 810 AM in Winnipeg. She hosts Afternoon Pasada, Monday through Friday, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. She is an ardent believer that “health is wealth” and she is a certified Zumba instructor. You can send your message or comments to Lucille at lucillern@gmail.com.