Cal Poly to Host Succulent Plant Sale Oct. 19 and 20
SAN LUIS OBISPO — More than 125 varieties of succulents will be available at Cal Poly’s Succulentopia plant sale from noon to 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, at the Horticulture Unit near the Poly Plant Shop.
Varieties include Crassula, Echeveria, Sedum, Sedeveria, Aloe, Gasteria, Haworthia, Kalanchoe, Graptopetalum, Graptoveria, Senecio, Agave, Peperomia, Aeoniums, Callisia, Cyanotis, Adromischus, Sempervivum, and Orostachy, among others. More than 2,500 plants will be available for purchase.
Four students are involved in the student-run project, one of several such hands-on experiences offered by the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences’ Horticulture and Crop Science Department. Students learn how to grow plants on deadline (including propagation techniques and proper watering) and how to market them.
“I have been part of the succulent crew since last spring, and I worked alone on the project over summer,” said Karianne Rydberg, an agricultural and environmental plant sciences senior and the student succulent manager. “I spent a lot of time propagating leaves and cuttings and growing high quality plants for Succulentopia. Being involved in this project gives me a taste of what it's like to work in a commercial nursery and provides me with valuable techniques in producing quality, marketable plants. It's the ultimate Learn by Doing experience.”
Three additional agricultural and environmental plant sciences students assisted with this year’s succulent production: sophomore Boden Cunningham, senior Ted Fitzgerald, and senior Kelsea Jones.
Students have been caring for the succulents since last spring.
“With the production of climate-worthy succulent plants now so important to our region, we plan to make Succulentopia a twice-a-year event,” said faculty member Mike Bush, who oversees the enterprise project. “Our students learn not only the techniques to growing professional-quality succulent plants but also insights into marketing, retail and detailed planning — skills future employers consider essential.”
The cost of the plants is determined by size: four-inch pots, $4.50; 4.5-inch pots, $5.50; 6-inch succulent garden, $12.50; 8-inch succulent garden, $25; and additional large plants priced accordingly. Parking will be available at the Poly Plant Shop and in parking lot H-14, located across from the sale, during both sale days.
About Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Cal Poly is a nationally ranked, comprehensive polytechnic university. The university’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences is comprised of expert faculty members who take pride in their ability to transform academically motivated students into innovative professionals ready to solve the complex challenges associated with feeding the world in sustainable ways. Students have access to state-of-the-art laboratories, including ranch land, orchards, vineyards and forests, all of which provide the basis for Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing methodology. It is the fifth-largest college of agriculture in the country, with 4,000 undergraduate students.
Contact: AnnMarie Cornejo
805-756-2427; ancornej@calpoly.edu
October 15, 2018