What to Do When Succulents Grow Leggy? One Simple Trick to Save Them Easily

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Succulent plants are now increasingly popular in China, and many friends have them at home, even if some cannot accurately say their names. If you grow succulents at home, I believe everyone will choose to place their beloved succulents on the balcony, a ventilated and bright place, but sometimes even if you do this, you still cannot avoid the trouble of succulents growing leggy. Today, the curator will take everyone to see how we should deal with these already leggy succulents.

Let's explain the science first: "beheading" is actually "removing the terminal bud" in crop production, which is called "apical dominance" in botany. During the process of plant growth and development, there is a close relationship between the terminal bud and the lateral buds. When the terminal bud grows vigorously, it inhibits the growth of lateral buds. If for some reason the terminal bud stops growing, some lateral buds will grow rapidly. This phenomenon, in which the terminal bud grows first and inhibits the development of lateral buds, is called "apical dominance." Therefore, when the terminal bud is removed, many lateral buds naturally emerge. This is also the fastest way to solve leggy growth in succulents and turn one plant into many.

Steps for Beheading Succulents

Step 1: After choosing the position to behead, cut it.

Step 2: Remove the 2 to 4 leaves at the base of the cut-off head, so it is easier for the cut-off head to be inserted into the soil and take root. Leave the base after cutting in the original pot without moving it. After pruning, place it in a ventilated spot to dry the roots.

Step 3: Insert the head whose wound has healed into new soil, and the head will regain its compact, beautiful appearance. The leaves that were pulled off are used for leaf propagation; each leaf nurtures a new life. Because the old roots after beheading have lost apical dominance, they will send out many lateral branches, forming multiple heads.

Growing the Beheaded Succulent

Remove the lower leaves of the stem cutting, which can effectively reduce the chance of the wound rotting.

For the beheaded succulent, do not let the wound touch anything, and wait for the wound to heal.

After beheading, place it in a glass container to take root. A container that is too large may cause the lower end of the multi-headed stem to curl. No watering is needed; the humidity of the air in the container is completely enough.

Correct beheading not only lets the succulent grow more healthily, but also gives you more succulents, achieving multiple benefits at once.

Self-watering, no-irrigation-needed water-storage flowerpot: you only need to put water into the pot. The flowerpot comes with a cotton rope inside, and through the principles of osmosis and absorption, it can absorb sufficient water for the soil. But be sure to pay attention to the water: the water added must not exceed the water level line, otherwise the flowers will be drowned.

Hand-press dual-use spray bottle: the shape is simple and elegant, the color is beautiful, and the mist sprayed out is also very even. It can be disassembled and is easy to clean. The quality is quite good, quite sturdy, the style is quite beautiful, the capacity is also large enough, and it is quite convenient to use.

For succulent cultivation, the growing medium requires loose, breathable soil with good drainage, but with a certain water-holding capacity, and it should be neutral or slightly acidic. For highland cacti (the genera Pterocactus, Yavia, and Gymnocalycium) and the genus Ariocarpus, a little rice husk ash and small-grained weathered rock can be added. For tall columnar species, coarse quartz sand can be mixed in to stabilize the plant.

For hydroponic succulents, hydroponics in the early stage is much better than soil cultivation, and it is very beneficial to plant growth. For those succulents whose condition is not too good when you get them, using hydroponics to help them recover is also a good choice. From the early to middle stage of hydroponics, I think two months is the most suitable period, and it should not exceed three months.

These cute, silent, adorable succulents, their vigorous vitality is truly moving. Without further nonsense, let's start the leaf propagation tutorial, which is also super simple. The soil should be breathable. Actually, it does not need to be too complicated. Of course, if conditions allow, you can also prepare it according to the online formulas.

The leaves of Chiyoda no Matsu are spindle-shaped, thick in the middle and pointed at both ends, and the leaves are closely arranged in a radial pattern. The leaves of Chiyoda no Matsu are even more eye-catching, fuller and shorter, and at the same time angular, with some irregular white ridge lines appearing on the leaf surface, giving a kind of assembled three-dimensional effect. Very beautiful.

Moon Goddess needs a sunny, cool, and dry environment. It tolerates partial shade, fears waterlogging, and avoids stuffy, hot, and humid conditions. It has the habit of growing in cool seasons and going dormant at high summer temperatures. Each year from September to June of the following year is the plant's growth period. If light is insufficient, the plant's leaves will grow leggy, and the red leaf margins will gradually fade; while plants grown in sunny places have a short and sturdy shape, and the leaves are arranged compactly.

Nüchu needs sufficient sunlight for the leaf color to be vivid and for the plant shape to be more compact and beautiful. Too little sunlight makes the leaf color pale and the leaf arrangement loose. Nüchu is a miniature variety and will not grow too large. After forming clusters over many years, the plant will be very spectacular. The growing medium must be dry before watering.

Summary: After seeing so many cute succulents, are you also tempted? Better to act than just be tempted. Hurry and plant a succulent you like, and fill your life with green too.

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