BGM: V.K - EVOLUTION ERA

Succulents are always a miserable green, never looking as good as other people's. Why is that? Today let's see what succulent enthusiast Fengzhong Baihe has to say~

Thanks to the author [Fengzhong Baihe] for the original authorized share

Edited and compiled by: Duorou Kong

There are 6 basic elements for coloring up succulents:

Sunlight, temperature difference, soil mix, water control, ventilation, flower pots

Maybe everyone already knows some of these, now let me go through them one by one

-Sunlight-

Succulents lacking sunlight are mostly leggy and green, some have long since lost their original appearance, even their names are easy to confuse, let alone achieving their colored state!

This is because succulent leaves contain: chlorophyll, lutein, carotene and anthocyanins and other color-displaying pigments.

To make succulents color up beautifully, you need toreduce chlorophyll and increase anthocyanins、

and the biggest helper for increasing anthocyanins is - sunlight.

The longer the sunlight duration, the better the succulent color. Indoors is mostly not as good as outdoors for coloring, the reason being that glass blocks most of the ultraviolet rays.

But sunlight is not the stronger the better,

summer ultraviolet rays are the strongest, succulents should not be exposed to the blazing sun, they are extremely prone to sunburn.

Oncesunlight reaches 4-6 hours per day, it canachieve the coloring effect, for enthusiasts without the conditions, they can only use grow lights.

-Temperature and temperature difference-

Everyone knows that succulents color up more easily in autumn and winter,because of low temperatures and the temperature difference between day and night。

The chlorophyll in succulents cannot tolerate low temperatures. After winter temperatures drop, chlorophyll decreases more and more, and new anthocyanins are synthesized to resist the cold winter, enhancing the succulent's cold resistance, as a form of self-protection.

This is also why succulents easily color up in autumn and winter. Those in areas with big temperature differences can rejoice quietly~

Indoor succulents, because the temperature is constant and the temperature difference is not big, so they do not easily change color.

-Soil mix-

First let me show you several Fire Sticks (Huaji) in different colors and different states, all growing on the rooftop, with sunlight, temperature, temperature difference, moisture, ventilation and external conditions almost identical, so why do they show different colors and different states?

The only difference is - the soil mix.

The proportion of granular components in the soil mix determines the succulent's color and state. More granules, moisture evaporates and drains easily, chlorophyll decreases, succulents color up easily, and vice versa.

But the granular ratio should not be too high either,the maximum ratio of peat : granules = 2:8, I think that is already enough.

Generally, succulents that have colored up, if kept in a high-granule state, even in the rainy summer season, will not easily fade, because moisture drains away really too fast!

-Water control-

Water contains nitrogen which promotes chlorophyll production. When sunlight is insufficient, they easily turn green and leggy.

Controlling watering frequencywillslow down growth, and at the same timereduce chlorophyll production,the succulent's color will only get better and better.

-Ventilation-

Ventilation can accelerate moisture evaporation, and at the same time lower the temperature。

Indoors is less easy to color up than outdoors, mainly because besides insufficient sunlight, temperature difference and temperature, ventilation is also not good.

So if conditions allow, choose outdoors as much as possible. Indoors, please pay attention to ventilation.

-Pots-

In the choice of flower pots, many enthusiasts, in order to make succulents color up beautifully, mostly usesmall pots with large holesand lots of granules for care - because small pots have less soil, granular soil does not retain water, large holes allow air and water to pass through quickly, making it easy to control shape and color.

As for the material of the pots,ceramic pots have the strongest air permeability。

- Summary -

To make succulents color up beautifully, it still comes down to one word: "tough love." How to give tough love so they get more and more beautiful?

More sun and less water, more granules in the soil mix, choose ceramic pots as much as possible.

If you have the conditions to grow them outdoors, in autumn and winter with sun and cold, it would be hard for the color and state not to be beautiful!

But some friends grow them indoors. If it is a south-facing balcony with full sun, the succulents can also achieve an extreme state.

If it is east-facing or west-facing, with only half-day sun, then strictly control the care~

- Review of previous wonderful posts -

Note: Images from the internet. If there is any infringement, please contact us and we will handle it promptly.