Succulents Can't Just Be Fed Full - He Pursues a More Advanced Care Secret
Text and photos: Xiong Xiansen, Compiled by: Xuejie
We are all too meticulous in caring for our succulents, because we have an especially impatient heart, hoping they will instantly turn into chubby, pink, adorable little cuties.
But as day after day passes, the succulents get uglier day by day, drifting further and further from the master growers' succulents!
So, Xuejie suggests that you might as well starve them a little!
Generally speaking, to fatten up succulents, you need to start from these four points:
1. Grow the roots; 2. Control water; 3. Ensure light; 4. Ensure nutrition.
Before starving the succulents, the first thing we need to do is "grow the roots."
Whether a succulent can grow well has a lot to do with how developed its roots are.
If the roots are weak, no matter how much care you give, the plant still won't grow well.
So, when growing succulents, what we should care about more is whether the roots have grown well.
Succulents' root systems are not very developed,
If the soil is too sticky or has poor drainage and aeration, it easily becomes compacted,
then the roots can't penetrate down,
so,
the soil for growing succulents should preferably have a certain degree of grit.
Generally, for small seedlings use more gritty soil, for large plants use less gritty soil.
Because small seedlings have weak roots, gritty soil makes it easier for them to grow.
While large plants have a greater demand for water, and gritty soil holds water poorly.
Why can succulents turn into round chubby things after being starved a few times?
Under conditions suitable for growth, succulents will definitely grow as tall as they want.
If you starve them a few times, they will develop a sense of crisis from lacking food and water.
When you feed them again, they will hurry to store energy and won't dare to rush into growing tall.
So, this is one of the reasons they can turn into round chubby things!
For succulents, starving means controlling water.
Water control is crucial to whether succulents can grow fat.
Even if the roots are grown perfectly, improper water control will still lead to poor growth.
With more water, leaves grow broad and the plant quickly grows tall;
with less water, leaves grow thick and compact, developing width rather than height.
Its leaves are like SpongeBob, only when lacking water can they absorb more water and puff up,
then store the water for use during drought.
Only in this way will the leaves become chubby.
If you water frequently, it won't feel water-deprived,
much less foolishly absorb a lot of water all at once.
But when growing succulents, you also can't let them go dry for too long,
being too dry for too long easily damages roots and leaves,
how much to control water needs to be figured out slowly by yourself.
Watering time for succulents: water in the evening or at night.
During the growing season, succulents' stomata close during the day and only begin absorbing water in the evening.
If you water during the day, it dries up by evening,
then the succulents will be water-deprived, and they'll be starved badly!
Just controlling water alone isn't enough; you also need to ensure sufficient light.
Some succulents, even if you control water very well, will still grow deformed without light.
Only with light can photosynthesis occur, and only then can the various nutrients needed for succulent growth be synthesized.
Without enough light, photosynthesis is insufficient, and naturally they grow leggy.
When growing succulents in winter and during spring and autumn, let the succulents get as much sun as possible, and provide appropriate shading in summer.
Especially in autumn, more sun not only makes succulents grow fat but also makes them beautiful!
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