Why do succulents get smaller and smaller as you grow them?

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Images and text: Curator

Every succulent lover wants their succulents to grow big quickly (of course, some people just like them small and cute), but things often turn out contrary to one's wishes. Not only do the succulents fail to grow, they also grow thinner by the day, and even smaller and smaller. You may wonder whether you did something wrong somewhere, and then start to feel anxious and uneasy. Today the curator will explain why your succulents keep getting smaller.

There must be a reason your succulents are getting smaller and smaller. It could be that they were just repotted and have not adapted yet, or that summer has arrived and they need to go dormant, or it could be caused by various pests and diseases. But everyone should remember: look for the essence! The reason the succulents are in poor condition still comes down to the roots. Generally speaking, as long as the roots are sturdy, ordinary minor diseases and pests are not a problem. What is really feared is damage that starts directly from the roots, while you cannot even see it.

There has always been a mystery in the succulent world: why is it that the same succulent shows all kinds of beautiful states when you grow it, but not when I do?

Actually, although human factors are certainly involved, the environment matters even more. Just like the article posted before: the comeback of the peach egg (Graptopetalum amethystinum). At the beginning its condition was so poor, and in the end it was simply incredibly beautiful. After all that, it turns out the person was in a cheat-mode region!

There is also the fact that many succulent lovers directly choose to buy the plant together with the pot, saving the steps of repotting and removing the soil. But after a while, the succulent still gets smaller. The reason is just like the example the curator mentioned earlier: the environment is different!

If you have friends who work in a greenhouse, you can ask them: what exactly is the difference between greenhouse growing and home growing?

You can take a pot of succulents just bought from a greenhouse owner and compare it with a greenhouse succulent you have grown small yourself and bought a long time ago. You will find that the roots of the succulent just bought from the greenhouse have basically already filled the entire pot, while the root system of the greenhouse succulent you have grown for a while has already developed dry, brittle fibrous roots that break easily.

Part of the reason lies in air humidity. Note! It is humidity! The curator mentioned this term before when writing about the problem of smothered roots. So just how important is humidity?

During the intervals between waterings, moist air can do a very good job of nourishing the roots. It not only ensures that the succulent's root hairs do not dry out and die, but also allows the succulent's root system to grow nonstop day and night. In other words, the succulent's roots will be quite good. But for home-grown succulents,

a massive root system finds it very hard to maintain vitality in a low-humidity environment. Water uptake efficiency cannot keep up, so naturally the succulent will discard part of its root system. That is why you will find that a succulent you have grown for a while develops broken roots.

The environment has a huge influence on people, let alone on succulents. Therefore the curator does not approve of directly buying the plant together with the pot and soil. You must trim the roots yourself and then pot it up. This is because the succulent's original root system grew for its original environment. Once the environment changes, much of the original root system becomes a burden, and the succulent will actively discard these roots. The roots that have been discarded by the succulent and dried up have almost filled the flowerpot, and they greatly hinder the growth and development of new roots.

Once such a succulent becomes weak and listless, it will shrink the scale of its life by dropping leaves and absorbing old leaves. Naturally, the more you grow it, the smaller it gets.

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