How to Grow Succulent String of Coins (Crassula perforata) So It Overflows the Pot: A Detailed Guide to Watering and Fertilizing
String of Coins has attracted many fans with its unique shape, and perhaps because people have heard that growing String of Coins at home can bring good luck, most of the questions I have received recently are about String of Coins. As for how to grow the succulent String of Coins so that it overflows the pot, I have put together the following points.
How to Grow the Succulent String of Coins So It Overflows the Pot
1. Method for making it overflow the pot:
String of Coins overflows the pot through propagation by beheading.
2. How to behead String of Coins:
(1) First prepare a relatively sharp small knife, and disinfect the knife before use.
(2) Choose the String of Coins you want to behead, take two leaves as one section, and cut it off with the small knife. Its stem is somewhat hard, so you need to use a little force when cutting; while ensuring safety during the operation, the movement should be smooth and quick.
(3) After beheading is complete, place the cut String of Coins in a dry, shady place to dry for 1 day to 2 days, and observe whether it has produced small side shoots. From the moment it is cut off, you must constantly observe its growth; the side shoots produced at this time are very fragile.
(4) After drying, gently insert the String of Coins into the soil, then spray some water appropriately on top; this way it will quickly send out small shoots. Under normal circumstances, one plant will send out 2 small shoots.
Watering and Fertilizing Methods for String of Coins
1. Watering during the growing season
From September each year to April to May of the following year, this period is when it grows most vigorously, so we must meet its water requirements, but when the temperature is especially low in winter, the amount of water given must be controlled.
In winter, place it in a sunny spot indoors, and you may also apply some dilute liquid fertilizer as appropriate so that the plant continues to grow.
In summer, when temperatures are high, the plant grows slowly or stops completely, and fertilizing should stop, watering should be restricted, and it should not be exposed to long periods of rain, so as to avoid the plant rotting.
2. Water according to the growing environment
In the north, because the weather is very dry, you can water a little more frequently, and the amount can also be appropriately larger.
In the south, then watering needs to be controlled, because the weather in the south is very humid, unlike the north which is so dry, so the amount of water needed is not very large, and the number of waterings can therefore be appropriately reduced.
3. Water according to how long the plant has been planted
1. Newly planted plants
Watering also depends on how long your String of Coins has been planted. If it has just been planted, then you cannot water it, nor can you expose it to the sun. Generally you must wait 10 days to 2 weeks before you can water it, because the root system of newly planted String of Coins is still in a damaged state, and at this time it has basically stopped growing, and its roots absorb very little water, so its need for water at this time is very small. You must wait until its roots have grown well before watering.
2. Plants that have been planted for a longer time
If it is a plant that has already been planted for a long time, then we only need to water normally, because at this time its plant is already robust enough, and its demand for water is a little greater than that of newly planted plants.
How to Fatten Up the Succulent String of Coins
1. Soil: Soil is the foundation of all plants. Even if your later cultivation methods are very careful, without suitable soil it is still hard to fatten them up. The soil ratio is: 10% plant ash + 50% granules (rice wheat stone, vermiculite, rainbow stone, kanuma soil, akadama soil are all acceptable) + 40% peat, with rainbow stone or akadama soil used to cover the top.
2. Watering: In daily care, just keep the potting soil slightly moist. Summer temperatures will rise, so the amount of watering must be reduced. In winter, if the temperature can be kept above 10 degrees, you can still water normally, but if you cannot control the temperature, then watering must be controlled.
3. Fertilizing: Its requirements for fertilizer are not high, but it must not go without fertilizer. You can fertilize once every half month. Fertilizing can be paused in winter and summer. But if the winter growing temperature is above 10 degrees, you can fertilize appropriately.
4. Temperature: The most suitable temperature for its growth is between 20 degrees and 32 degrees; this temperature applies at any time.
5. Sunlight: It likes sunlight very much, but when sunning it, you should often turn the pot so that it can be exposed evenly.
What Is the Difference Between String of Coins and String of Stars (Crassula rupestris 'Tom Thumb')
1. Look at the leaves: The leaves of String of Coins are more rounded, and the curved line is more obvious. When water and fertilizer are sufficient, the leaves will be fuller, and the leaf tips are not obvious. The leaves of String of Stars are smaller, appear somewhat thinner, and the leaf edges are sharper.
2. Look at the color: In sunlight, the leaf edges of String of Coins appear purplish red, while those of String of Stars appear pink, and the leaf color is more emerald green.
The above is the basic content about growing String of Coins. I hope it is helpful to everyone! During the growing process, water must be managed properly, so that it neither dries out to death nor causes root rot. If this key step of watering and fertilizing is done well, growing String of Coins will not be very difficult.