Soil
Out of doors in-ground ghost crops require well-draining, sandy loam with a pH of 6.1 to 7.8.
For those who’re utilizing containers, be sure they’ve a number of drainage holes and use a cactus and succulent potting combine, or observe these directions to make your individual.
Free, lean soil facilitates drainage and reduces the chance of rotting.
Water
Ghost crops retailer moisture of their leaves and have wonderful drought tolerance. When established, these rising within the backyard gained’t want water except there’s a prolonged drought.
Permit the soil in containers to dry out utterly earlier than watering. You should use a moisture meter to information you.
For those who dwell in a neighborhood with municipal water, it’s possible you’ll discover that mineral salts construct up on the soil and sides of containers.
Treatment the state of affairs by watering with purified or distilled water. You could find extra details about watering succulents right here.
Fertilizer
It’s not essential to fertilize ghost crops. For those who select to take action, wait till they’re at the least a yr outdated to keep away from burning the growing roots.
Use a liquid product formulated for cacti and succulents diluted to 1 / 4 or half power in early spring. It must be low in nitrogen to keep away from producing quick progress that leads to spindly stems.
For those who want a advice, I exploit Miracle-Gro Succulent Plant Meals.
Miracle-Gro Succulent Plant Meals
This product has an NPK ratio of 0.5-1-1, making it very low in nitrogen and gentle.
You could find Miracle-Develop Succulent Plant Meals out there through Amazon.
Our information to fertilizing succulents has extra info.
Cultivars to Choose
When buying, you’ll discover numerous choices out there, although usually they’ll simply be listed as “ghost plant” or “mom of pearl.”
The straight species has the standard whitish-gray-green foliage and white flowers with purple accents.
Ghost Plant
You could find the species in two-inch pots out there from Sprout N Inexperienced through Amazon.
Bronze
G. paraguayense cv. bronze, typically listed as ‘Bronze’ has brightly hued foliage that shade orange and purple with ample solar publicity, however inexperienced in low mild situations.
The star-shaped flowers are yellow.
Bronze
This cultivated selection contrasts sharply with inexperienced succulents for a daring blended grouping.
You could find specimens in four-inch pots out there from The Subsequent Gardener through Amazon.
Purple Haze
‘Purple Haze’ is a hybrid of G. paraguayense and G. superbum, a pink-to-lavender species with yellow flowers. It has gray-to-lavender foliage and traditional white flowers with purple flecks.
Pair it with the species for a complementary pastel lavender and pearlescent gray-green show.
Variegated
The naturally occurring variegated type of the species, G. paraguayense f. variegatum, has white, purple/pink, and gray-green foliage.
The white flowers are speckled with purple, crowning the eye-catching foliage.
Variegated
Excellent as a standalone specimen, this selection requires a full-sun placement for optimum leaf variegation.
Variegated ghosts can be found from DH7 Enterprise through Amazon.
Upkeep
Ghost crops require little upkeep when their primary cultural necessities are met.
Because the lowest leaves age, they flip yellow. You may gently twist them off to maintain the rosettes tidy and encourage new progress.
Take away any foliage broken by pathogens or pests to cut back susceptibility to additional issues.
After flowering, trim flower stems to their base to tidy up.
Repot container-grown ghost crops when roots begin to emerge from the drainage holes, shifting them right into a pot only one measurement bigger.
