The beauty queen of the succulent world: the adorable Bear's Paw is here

Bear's Paw

 Pan Jiajie 2018 original composition

Pan Jiajie 

00:00/01:26

As the "beauty queen" of the succulent world, the Bear's Paw (Cotyledon tomentosa) has thick, adorable leaves covered in a dense layer of fine fuzz, as if it had grown cute little bear paws. Gardeners all call it "Little Bear" or "Big Bear" - you cannot imagine how cute it looks planted in a pot! With looks like that, once you bring it home, keeping it thriving is an absolute must!

1. Let's start with preparing the potting mix:

Garden soil, compost soil, medium-fine sand, sawdust, and eggshells can all be used to make the potting mix for Bear's Paw! There is no specific ratio required for combining them - you can add a little of each. For succulents that like water, add more garden soil; for those that do not like water much, add more compost soil. Sand is only there to keep the soil from caking, making it loose and airy. Once the soil is mixed, pour water into it. If the water sinks in immediately and drains quickly from the bottom, the soil is ready and you can plant the succulent.

Eggshells have many uses: first, they can serve as fertilizer; second, they can keep ants away; third, they can prevent soil from leaking out; fourth, they can help with drainage, letting excess water flow out quickly. Another use is to remove the inner membrane from the eggshell, roast it dry over low heat, crush it, and sprinkle it on the surface of the flower pot to prevent pests, serve as flower fertilizer, and loosen the soil. See how many benefits eggshells have - hurry up and collect them, it is good for the environment too. In addition, there is another pest-prevention method: cut banana peels into small pieces and bury them in the flower pot, which can both prevent pests and serve as fertilizer. However, I only came across this recently while looking up information, and I have not tried it yet. If you are interested, you can give it a try.

2. Then comes the actual planting!

1. When the soil is dry, water it thoroughly

Spring is the growing season for Bear's Paw, so you need to ensure sufficient moisture. Generally, wait until the soil is dry before watering; in spring, watering once a week is enough. If it lacks water, the little bear's leaves will soften and shrivel, but you must not water too much - waterlogged soil will cause root rot.

2. Do not spray water on the leaves

Bear's Paw has dense fine fuzz on its leaves. When ventilation is poor, if you spray water on the leaves, the moisture accumulates on them and does not evaporate easily. Over time, this can cause the leaves to rot and become infected with pathogens.

3. Outdoor growing: prevent birds from pecking

Some gardeners encounter birds pecking at their little bears when growing them outdoors, like in the picture below where a chunk of a leaf has been eaten away - so heartbreaking. Huahua suggests gardeners insert chopsticks, wooden sticks, and the like around the flower pot to prevent birds from pecking.

4. The flower pot must have drainage holes

Do not use too small a pot to grow the little bear - it is not good for its growth and will make it shrivel. Choose a larger flower pot with drainage holes at the bottom.

5. Light must be sufficient

If you want the little bear to grow vigorously, ensure enough light in spring. Place it on a south-facing balcony with good ventilation. With sufficient light, the little bear will grow plump and round, with beautiful leaf color, and even its "nails" will quietly turn red.

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