How to Propagate the Succulent "Little Rice Star" and Key Summer Care Points
Summer is quietly arriving, and many succulent growers who cultivate Little Rice Star are asking me how this cute plant can safely make it through the summer. Anyone who grows succulents knows that summer is the hardest season for these plants to endure. Watching them struggle so desperately, I feel as heartbroken as any fellow succulent lover. Below are the tips I have gathered from everyone, organized into how Little Rice Star can safely get through summer and solutions to some of the common small problems that tend to arise.
How to Propagate the Succulent Little Rice Star
Little Rice Star is mainly propagated by beheading and cuttings. The method is simple and the survival rate is high. We can take healthy branches with a growth point (between the leaf and the stem), cut them into sections about 3 to 5 cm tall, let the wounds dry in a cool, ventilated place, and then plant them as cuttings.
It should be mentioned that we can insert them directly into a moist medium, or plant them directly as cuttings in dry gritty soil and give a small amount of water a few days later. Overall, Little Rice Star is a variety that is very easy to propagate. Small roots tend to grow between the leaves, and once they meet suitable soil, they will firmly take root in it.
Some growers may be worried and ask whether Little Rice Star will grow back after beheading. On this point, growers can rest assured. One advantage of the beheading propagation method for Little Rice Star is that it allows the mother plant to develop a better shape. Interested growers can give it a try. After beheading, the cut area will sprout new growth points again, and some will sprout 2 branches. If beheaded too many times, the plant will take on an inverted cone shape, heavy at the top and light at the bottom, and at that point it will need something to support it.
What to Pay Attention to with Little Rice Star in Summer
1. Light: In summer, Little Rice Star has already entered its dormant period, and light has little effect on its growth, so there is no need to worry about it too early. Just place the plant in a relatively shaded spot with bright light. Be sure not to put it in direct sunlight, as one day is enough to scorch Little Rice Star beyond recognition.
2. Watering: In summer, Little Rice Star enters a dormant or semi-dormant period, growing slowly or stopping growth altogether, so appropriate watering is still necessary. If you are not confident about the amount of water, you can use the misting method, misting once in the morning and once in the evening, and place it in a ventilated spot. Even during dormancy, air circulation must be maintained.
In the rainy season, Little Rice Star grown outdoors should be protected from rain to avoid getting rained on, which could cause the plant to rot. In summer, Little Rice Star is very fragile. No matter how tough it usually is, in summer it becomes a delicate little thing.
3. Pruning: Do not prune. No matter how unattractive it looks in summer, do not casually use the scissors. Just let it be. After autumn arrives, Little Rice Star enters its growing period. At that time, cut off the branches and plant them as cuttings, and the survival rate will be higher.
What to Do If Little Rice Star Becomes Leggy
1. Give it more sun
If leggy growth has just started to appear, give it sunlight immediately. If there is no sun, consider buying a grow light, and water a little less. If it has already become leggy, just let it grow. Over the years it will become an old stem, and old stems look good too, though it takes a very long time to grow into one.
2. Beheading
If you cannot wait and cannot stand it, beheading is the most effective method for dealing with leggy growth! Cut off the leggy part with a sharp knife. This not only encourages the mother plant to branch, but also gives you many little Little Rice Stars.
The Difference Between String of Buttons (Crassula perforata) and Little Rice Star
1. Look at the leaves: String of Buttons has rounder leaves with more obvious curves. When water and nutrients are sufficient, the leaves become fuller and the leaf tips are not obvious. Little Rice Star has smaller leaves that look somewhat thin, with sharper leaf edges.
2. Look at the color: In sunlight, the leaf edges of String of Buttons turn purplish-red, while Little Rice Star turns pink, and its leaf color is more emerald green.
For most succulents, summer is a test of life and death, and summer is also a great test of how much care growers give their succulents, because one careless moment and a cute succulent turns into a mushy blob. To keep your Little Rice Star looking more vivid and charming, in addition to paying attention to the points above, growers should also make reasonable adjustments based on their own actual conditions!