I thought I was really good at gardening until I moved down here. Turns out, I have to learn all over again. But, I too dream of having a nice big garden again in the future. I have one of the same succulents. But the other, I have never seen before. I added sand to my soil too. They seem to really like it. Mine were miniature plants when I got them. They were so tiny. You are right, they do grow fast!
Yes, sand, and rocks are great options for the succulents. I even break up small twigs and add them. Aeration and easy drainage. Since they retain water so well, they are susceptible to root rot.
The climate plays a big role, that is very true. If our succulents swapped places over night, they likely would go into a bit of shock for a week or two, but as long as their root system is healthy, they will bounce back nice. Cold is dangerous for them, if they reach freezing point, very bad, but I don't think you have to worry about that as much where you live.
During winter months I will have to keep them out of the window sill.
I do know someone who has a perennial succulent outdoors, and they grow back every year. I wasn't even aware there were perennial succulents until recently.
I use local soil too, nothing store bought. I laugh when people have issues with their plants utilizing store bought "miracle grow" compounds. Not to say those mixtures won't work, but I find the plants seem to thrive with the local environment, much more so than lab mix pre-fab stuff. We're fortunate to have nutrient rich soil here however, and not all regions are like this, so sometimes it might be a necessity to obtain such products.
As thoughtful and compassionate as you are, I know without a doubt that your succulents are lucky to be in your care.
Thank you for stopping by @akiroq, you'll have a giant garden one day!
I should replant mine. I don't have rocks and I like the twig idea. Yeah, I don't think I have to worry about mine freezing..hahaha..That would really be something! We'd all be in trouble if that happened! I've never heard of perennial succulents. They have a LOT of different varieties here. Many that I have never seen before. They're so cool. There is a really nice Botanical Garden about 2 hours from here..I love it there. You'd probably love it too! Amazing plants there! I'll take pics the next time I go and share them. The soil is pretty good here too. Nothing has ever been grown on my property. It will be a great adventure to garden there. I just need to learn how to protect my gardens from all the hungry critters! I've been growing any pieces that fall off into new ones. So, I have big ones and small ones now. Maybe I will start giving some away. It's a good idea. Thank you for the kind words. That is very nice of you.