Practical Cactus and Succulent Book

by Fran Bailey, Zia Allaway

The Royal Horticultural Society's definitive guide to propagating, nurturing, and designing with more than 200 cacti and succulents. How can you encourage your bunny ear cactus to flower and flourish What is the best method for propagating an echeveria or kalanchoe What exactly are living stones, and where do they grow in the wildRHS Practical Cactus & Succulent Book is the ultimate reference book for cactus and succulent enthusiasts. An extensive illustrated plant directory profiles more than 200 succulent and cactus varieties, with instructions on how to grow each one. Show off your plants with inspirational display ideas and step-by-step projects. Follow simple propagation steps to increase your cacti and succulent collection for free. Keep your plants healthy with advice and tips for care and cultivation.Drawing on the unrivalled expertise of the Royal Horticultural Society, RHS Practical Cactus & Succulent Book is everything a cactus-lover needs.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Plants, Reference, Nature

Hardcover

First published February 12, 2019

Reviews

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want all the cacti and succulents please!

[June Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This user-friendly guide for gardeners who are interested in planting and caring for cacti and succulents is excellent!

The photos are in color and are close-up. There is a photo and description of each of the two hundred plants along with care instructions and warnings about toxicity and safety (sharp spines from cacti).

The projects are presented with full instructions and stepped-out photos of assembling the project. There are many interesting and attractive projects included, but my favorites were: the lovely 'Broken Pot Planter', the unique 'Sand Terrarium', the stunning 'Succulent Globe', the exquisite 'Bark Succulent Planter', the attractive 'Floating Terrarium Garden', and the amazing 'Planted Candle Holder'.

Highly-recommended for gardeners interested in delving into the world of succulents and cacti and for DIYers who like to give fabulous handmade gifts to friends, family, neighbors, etc. !

I borrowed this book from the 'New Book' shelves in the non-fiction section of the local public library.

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[Krystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been looking for a really good book on succulents and cacti, and I finally found it!
After looking through many books on the topic I chose this one because it has very clear and detailed color photos of the plants to make it super easy to identify which succulent and or cactus I have. It also goes through how to identify pests, diseases and care problems. There's also good info on cultivating and propagating, soil, how to water the plants and a few fun things and ideas for projects.
This is a book I will be referencing all the time!!
Excellent for absolute beginners.

[Muphyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A useful introduction to succulent care, especially the sections on watering, pests and how propagate them.

I found the overview of the different succulent species interesting but would have liked to see more succulent types and examples listed. The varieties chosen seem to appeal more to collectors than those of us just starting out...

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent guide to designing with plants! Using character, scale, color, texture and containers this guide will help with placement of your succulents seasonally. The projects were exceptional but way beyond my skill level. I did learn from the section on propagation. This will help me expand my current collection. The plant profiles helped me identify current foliage in my home and provided necessary information on future purchases.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was reading this to see what kind of indoor plants to buy that won't need much watering. It has photos of the plants, descriptions of height & size, care requirements, design ideas and more. It also has a trouble shooting section at the back, in case you are growing a cactus or succulent who doesn't look too well.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful book. I already had a few of these plants but didn't know very much about them except that it's hard to kill Sansevieria and jade plants. Lockdown prompted me to begin collecting them seriously. I now have more than 25 species of cacti and succulents and this book helped me identify them and tells me clearly how to look after them.
I will keep referring to it.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I am really impressed by the assortment of plant varieties covered in this book, as well as the comprehensive list of care tips (there’s even information on grafting!). The photos are really beautiful, as well; I will be returning to them for inspiration! I have already recommended this to a friend as one of the best books I’ve found on the subject.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

While staying at home a lot I have become rather obsessed with succulents. I have read lots of books and this is one of the best! Divided into sections with cacti and succulents separate and lots of info on each type.

[Brooke Harmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, well-written, and very informative! I learned way more from this than I thought I would. Worth buying if you’re getting into raising succulents/cacti, it teaches everything you would need to know.

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear and concise instructions on how to care for a variety of cacti and succulents. Great as a reference for your own plants, or a gift for someone looking to get into low-effort, indoor gardening.

[AllBookedUp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helped me classify which cactus I have. They're not all the same. Also taught me how to take care of them.

[CannedBeans · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like succulents

[theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book taught me that there is a succulent called “fairy washboard” which is simply the cutest and most descriptive name for a plant that i’ve ever heard 🧚‍♂️🌱

[BookGirl]

Good reference book. Doesn't help me identify many of the species I already have, though! But I have learned a TON from this book and will use it to springboard into my succulent obsession.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This seemed more of design and introduction.
I expecting more detail and insight from a DK book. This was more of a design book.

[Julia Dove · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is similar to the RHS book on houseplants in general, but as the title suggest, specialized on succulents. Upon reading this book, I learned there are so many succulent types, all amazing plants that are forgiving of human neglect. Among others, I learned about rainforest cacti from this book and now I am experimenting with some. I also liked their dyu projects, and pretty proud of my hanging globes with succulents! The structure of the book is similar to the other RHS book on houseplants (but you can read them independently, no need to read the other book first), including plant profiles covering basics (watering, light, humidity needs), chapters on issues such as propagation, pest, and even some nice chapters on interior design with plants and dyu projects. I highly recommend RHS books in general. If you cannot afford books easily, check out their Facebook page and Youtube channel, many useful tips there too!

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the projects in this book looked a bit hard to maintain or accomplish at a professional-looking level. It was nice looking at the pictures and getting ideas though. I didn't really find the projects interesting but the list and guide to cactuses in the back was really helpful. I found lots of care instructions and names for some of the plants that I have. I also liked that it uses the newer names for some of the categories. It's definitely worth a look if you're looking for interesting Cactus ideas or for new plants

[Muthukumaran Panchaksaram · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a man in Horticulture, I was fascinated by this book. It gives the entire hierarchy of the cactuses and succulent plants that you can find in most part of the world. Also, the images provided are quite nice and helps to easily identify the plant species.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book includes practical information for growing and displaying many cacti and succulents.