When succulents bloom, cut off the flower stalks promptly, otherwise the whole plant can easily wither and die
Succulents blooming
Many plant lovers are amazed when their succulents bloom. In fact, succulents will bloom after being grown for 1-2 years, in a riot of colors that really catches the eye
The picture below shows a Cotyledon orbiculata 'Undulata' (Funiang) blooming with water-drop flowers much bigger than its leaves
The Echeveria glauca (Blue Stone Lotus) blooms like lily of the valley
Every succulent blooms differently, so is it good for a succulent to bloom?
Is it good for succulents to bloom?
Like other plants, succulents bloom in order to reproduce.
Generally, blooming only drains nutrients and won't kill the plant. Except for the following varieties:
Mountain Rose (Greenovia aurea), Sphaeroid Sedum (Zi Chi Lian Hua), Aeonium arboreum 'Zwartkop' (Black Mage), Sempervivum tectorum (Guan Yin Lian), Moon Halo, Orostachys (Wa Song), Qing Feng Huang, Yin Xing, Fuji, Xiao Yu, Crassula (Qing Suo Long), Ruo Lu, Ba, Yue Guang, Ming Jing, Zi Mu Dan, Spider Silk Roll (Zhu Si Juan Juan), Qiu Song, Firecracker (Huo Ji), Bai Li, Huang Li, Zi Zhen Zhu, Yan Ri Hui, Haworthia cooperi (Cao Yu Lu), etc.
The picture below shows a Mountain Rose in full bloom, with flower stalks far bigger than the plant itself
The picture below shows Sphaeroid Sedum (Zi Chi Lian Hua) bulging into a flower column across the whole plant, which also declines after blooming
The picture below shows the flowers of Orostachys (Wa Song); when the flowers fade, the mother plant dies along with them
Other succulent varieties, though blooming won't kill them, still won't stay healthy if too many nutrients are drained.
The picture below shows a Echeveria glauca (Blue Stone Lotus) lacking nutrients after producing 2 large flower stalks
The picture below shows a succulent that has grown leggy and deformed after blooming
So once you find that a succulent has bloomed, what should you do?
What to do when succulents bloom
1. Tell side shoots apart from flower stalks
Side shoots are new buds growing out of the succulent, while flower stalks are the flower stems the succulent puts out
In the picture below, inside the red circle is a flower stalk, with clearly defined petals in a flower shape
In the picture below, inside the red circle is a side shoot, with the succulent's parts crowded together and not very distinct
Plant lovers who can't tell them apart early on can look again in a few days, when the flower stalk will quickly extend into a slender stem
2. Act decisively and cut off the flower stalk
Once the flower stalk shoots up quickly, the mother plant's nutrients begin to drain away fast
At this point you should get ready to cut off the flower stalk (it's best to disinfect the scissors with alcohol or carbendazim)
The picture below shows a before-and-after comparison of cutting off the flower stalk
3. What to do with the cut flower stalk
The cut flower stalk can be kept in the potting soil to root as a cutting
Or used as decoration
It fits just right in a yogurt bottle
It can also be made into dried flowers
4. Use extra leaves for cuttings
During blooming, succulents mostly grow leggy and their overall shape becomes deformed
After cutting off the flower stalk, you can also pick off the unattractive leaves and use them for cuttings
Place them on moist flower soil and wait quietly for them to root
Once rooted, you've gained another pot of succulents
5. Recovery of the mother plant
After the flower stalk is cut off, the succulent has lost most of its nutrients
At this point you need to restore its nutrients and supplement some phosphorus fertilizer to make up for what blooming drained
Besides directly buying phosphorus fertilizer and mixing it with water (at a 1:2000 ratio) to water the plant, you can also add crushed eggshells to the potting soil
Or mix in another 10 grams of bone meal, once every half a month, to avoid over-fertilizing and burning the roots
Soon the succulent will become plump and fleshy again
Even though succulents are beautiful when they bloom
You should also pay attention to the succulent's health
Has your succulent bloomed?
Post it in the Huahua community for everyone to see