Why should you cut off succulent flowers? An explanation of the reasons

Why should you cut off succulent flowers?

First of all, spring is the breeding season for most succulents, so it is unavoidable that succulents will bloom. With the succulents I grow myself, if I were to clean them up carefully, I could clear at least 10 flower stalks every day. The sky wants to rain, and succulents want to bloom; it is the law of nature.

Whether to cut off the flower stalks when a succulent blooms depends first on the variety. Some varieties die after blooming. For these succulents, it is recommended to cut them off as soon as the flower stalk emerges; if a flower cluster has already formed, then cutting it off is basically useless. For example, the Aeonium genus's "Mage" series, the Greenovia (mountain rose) series and the entire Aeonium genus; the entire Sempervivum genus, the entire Agave genus, the entire Orostachys genus, and succulents or individual plants such as Sinocrassula yunnanensis and Sinocrassula indica: after blooming, the entire plant dies or the blooming branch dies. These succulents must be dealt with as soon as there are signs of blooming, otherwise it will be too late for regret.

For succulents that do not belong to this category of dying after blooming, if the plant is healthy, you can leave the flower stalks alone and let them bloom; after growing them for so long, enjoying the flowers is quite nice too. If two succulents of the same genus bloom at the same time, you can also try hand pollination, and perhaps you might crossbreed a new variety. If you do not cut the flower stalks, before and after blooming you can give the succulents some fertilizer high in phosphorus and potassium, such as potassium dihydrogen phosphate, to ensure the plumpness of the seeds and the plant's nutritional recovery.

If the succulent has a compact shape and a beautiful form, it is recommended to cut off the flower stalks when it blooms; blooming usually ruins the succulent's shape. If the succulent plant is relatively small, or has just settled into its pot, or has just recovered from illness or injury, then the flower stalks need to be cut off; after all, blooming consumes a lot of nutrients for a succulent. If the succulent dies because of excessive nutrient consumption, then the loss would far outweigh the gain.