Fertilize succulents like this during the growing season, and you will have flowers to enjoy every day

Generally, succulents are fertilized during the growing season and the flowering period. Fertilizing during the flowering period starts when the flower stalk emerges, once every half month, applied together with watering. Continue until the seed pods mature. For individuals whose flowering period needs to be controlled or coordinated, you can apply less or not fertilize at all. Base fertilizer: mix it directly into the soil when planting. Commonly used ones include plant ash, bone meal, shell powder, decomposed poultry and livestock manure, etc. Since most succulent varieties like soil containing a certain amount of lime, you can mix an appropriate amount of bone meal, eggshell powder and other calcareous materials into the soil.

Generally speaking, fertilize during the flowering plant growing season. Vigorously growing flowering plants need more fertilizer; apply full-element fertilizer at the seedling stage, mainly phosphorus fertilizer during the flowering and fruiting stage, mainly nitrogen fertilizer for foliage plants, and stop fertilizing flowering plants during the dormant period. In addition, you should master the principle of "light fertilizer applied frequently", that is, "eat small meals more often". During the growing period of flower seedlings, it is best to apply dilute fertilizer water once about every 10 days. Fertilizing in the evening gives the best effect, and fertilizing around noon should be avoided because high soil temperature can easily damage the roots. Organic fertilizer must be fully decomposed before application. Controlled-release fertilizers developed in recent years can have a fertilizer effect lasting up to half a year or even longer. A single application amount can be greater than that of water-soluble fertilizers, and the gradual release of nutrients can meet the nutrient needs of flowering plants for a relatively long time.

For fertilizers used on succulents, generally speaking, organic fertilizers are better than inorganic fertilizers. If chemical fertilizers must be used, be sure to use only a small amount and dissolve them in water. For organic fertilizers, for example, you can use eco-friendly enzymes, chicken manure, leaf mold, all are fine. When fertilizing, if it is a nutrient solution, the amount should also be small. If spraying water, do not spray it on the leaves; pour it directly onto the soil. Also, when using fertilizer, try to make it fine and mix it into the succulent's potting soil, and do not damage the roots.

You can consider applying topdressing at the right time. The situation here is relatively more complicated, because although they are all said to be cactus plants, in fact, due to differences in the inherent characteristics of different varieties, the differences are relatively large. Moreover, succulents belong to different families and genera. Although they all have the characteristic of being drought-tolerant, the differences among them are still great, so they must be treated differently and fertilized cautiously. For some robust varieties, such as those in the genera Opuntia, Echinopsis, Mammillaria, Ferocactus and so on, during the growing season, as long as you follow the principle of "light fertilizer applied frequently", there is no problem at all.

The beginning of summer is the peak growing season for most succulent varieties in the families Agavaceae, Cactaceae, Apocynaceae, Asclepiadaceae and so on. However, "winter-growing type" succulents that grow in cool seasons, such as Lithops, Conophytum, Pleiospilos in the family Aizoaceae, and Haworthia (Haworthia genus) varieties such as 'Mangani' and 'Yushan' in the family Liliaceae, gradually enter dormancy or semi-dormancy, with growth completely stalled or extremely slow, and they do not need much nutrients. Therefore, "summer-growing types" must be given sufficient water and fertilizer supply, while "winter-growing types" should stop fertilization to avoid root rot.

Fertilization is generally better light than concentrated, and it can be applied several more times when needed. For succulents, the amount of fertilizer applied each time can be comparable by volume to the amount of water used each time. Before fertilizing, the potting soil should be basically dry; loosening the soil first and then fertilizing gives a better effect. The type of fertilizer should be selected according to the plant type and growth stage. Generally, at the seedling stage, nitrogen fertilizer is mainly used, and during flower bud differentiation and flowering and fruiting stages, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are mainly used. In spring, more nitrogen fertilizer can be used, and before overwintering, less nitrogen fertilizer should be applied. Special granular slow-release fertilizer: this kind of fertilizer gradually releases fertility as the temperature rises and will not directly burn the roots.

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