Is a peach egg succulent doomed to die in summer? Read this article before you draw a conclusion

Source: Internet

Image source / Internet

Editor / Succulent Plant Hub

When it comes to the cutest little darling in the succulent world, the peach egg succulent is absolutely unrivaled. With its pink, plump, round appearance, it is simply impossible to resist. There is no worry that a pot of peach egg succulents cannot cure. If there is, please bring two pots!

At this point, some succulent lovers must be feeling very unwilling. Could it be that what I am growing is a fake peach egg succulent? What happened to the soft, adorable cuteness we were promised? It is all shriveled up all day, as if I have been abusing my succulent. If word gets out, how will I ever survive in the succulent circle!

Add to that the gradual approach of summer, and the sense of crisis grows stronger. The shadow of being a "summer survival struggler" lingers, and the editor-in-chief cannot bear it either.

Today the editor-in-chief is determined to chat about everything regarding peach egg succulents from ancient times to the present, covering every angle with no blind spots. If there are any blind spots, please fill them in yourselves, haha. Peach egg class begins now~

Growth habits of the peach egg succulent

The peach egg succulent originated from a type of Mexican windmill grass. Its leaves are fleshy, plump, and round, with a lovely light purple color. This adorable appearance was truly destined from birth~

When there is sufficient sunlight, it presents an intoxicating pink color. The egg-shaped leaves are like ripe, tempting peaches, which is how it got the name peach egg.

During the growing season, when there is sufficient water, the leaves of the peach egg succulent are very plump and round. When the temperature gradually drops, watering should be appropriately controlled to keep the soil dry.

It likes a warm, dry, and sunny environment. It is drought-tolerant, slightly cold-tolerant, and can also tolerate slight partial shade. Apart from a brief dormancy during the high temperatures of summer, it basically grows consistently the rest of the time.

Many succulent lovers are charmed by the peach egg succulent and buy it on the spot, only to find themselves at a complete loss when they bring it home, not knowing where to start. Knowledge about establishing in a pot is essential~

Establishing in a pot

If the peach egg succulent you bring home still has soil on it, the first step is to remove the soil. Gently pinch off the loose soil, then use tweezers to peel off the dirt stuck to the roots.

When you can clearly see the entire root system's structure and direction, you can begin root trimming. Use scissors to trim off the fibrous roots on the sides of the main root and the aged, dried-out roots, keeping only part of the main root, about 2-3 cm is enough.

Too many fibrous roots will hinder the peach egg succulent from growing new roots and establishing in the pot, so succulent lovers, do not be reluctant to trim. During the establishing period, the peach egg succulent will quickly grow new fibrous roots, which will help it integrate better with the surrounding environment, and the absorption of water and nutrients will also be better.

After root trimming is complete, the roots need to be dried in a cool, ventilated place. The drying time can be estimated based on the diameter of the trimmed roots: dry for 1 day per 1mm of diameter. Generally, 1-2 days of drying is sufficient.

Do not water the peach egg succulent on the day it is potted. Place it in a ventilated area to acclimate for 3-5 days before watering. You can mix carbendazim into the water for sterilization. It can establish in the pot in about a week, after which it can be exposed to sunlight and given normal care.

There are two commonly used methods to determine whether the peach egg succulent has established in the pot: 1. The leaves become firm rather than soft and limp; 2. If new leaves appear at the center of the rosette, it also indicates that the peach egg succulent has established in the pot.

Soil mixing

The editor-in-chief will focus on the soil mixing for peach egg succulents here. The peach egg succulent has relatively high requirements for soil breathability and drainage. The soil mix cannot be pure granules, and since the peach egg succulent likes fertilizer, slow-release fertilizer should also be applied, generally buried at the bottom of the pot.

Small peach egg seedlings need smaller granular soil, about 2-4mm. Mature plants can use 3-5mm, and old clumps can use even larger granules. Mix granular soil with peat soil. For seedlings, the ratio is granules:peat (2:1). The larger the plant, the higher the proportion of granules.

Due to differences in regions and environments, succulent lovers can also reasonably adjust the mix according to actual conditions. The purpose of mixing soil is to create a dry, breathable root environment that can also retain some water, which can help the peach egg succulent establish in the pot faster.

The editor-in-chief has also collected some soil mix recipes for succulent lovers' reference:

① Peat: perlite: coal cinder, ratio 1:1:1

This soil mix can isolate the plant from contact with the soil surface and has better breathability. You can also spread clean granular river sand (3 to 5 mm) or pumice on top. It is also recommended to use granular soil for growing, such as volcanic rock, maifan stone, etc.

② 3-6cm akadama soil: volcanic rock: maifan stone: kanuma soil: kiryu sand: peat soil, ratio 1.6:1.6:1.6:1.6:1.6:2

This soil can appropriately increase the water retention of the growing medium while ensuring breathability, making it very suitable for indoor environments with poor ventilation.

③ All 3-6mm akadama soil, coarse sand, maifan stone, volcanic rock, kiryu sand, kanuma soil, ratio 1:1:1:1:1:1

The characteristic of this growing medium is that it is permeable and breathable. No matter how heavy the rain, it will not accumulate water or become compacted. The size of the granules can also be changed according to the size of the peach egg succulent. It is more suitable for outdoor environments where it can be exposed to rain.

④ Maifan stone: mountain rock: green zeolite: vermiculite: peat soil: perlite, ratio: 50:10:10:10:10:10

Among these, maifan stone promotes root growth, volcanic rock provides breathability, green zeolite prevents root rot, and the other two help hold the soil together.

⑤ 3-6cm akadama: kanuma: peat granules: rice husk charcoal: kiryu sand: green zeolite, ratio 2:1:2:1:2:1

⑥ Coarse river sand: burned coal cinder: rice husk charcoal, ratio 1:1:1

⑦ Peat soil: coal cinder, ratio 2:1

Peach egg succulent in summer

After reading through these basic issues, the urgent matter now is that the little peach egg succulents need to survive the summer! Is it scary? It feels like listening to a ghost story.

The peach egg succulent enters dormancy in summer, during which various life activities gradually slow down. If you still desperately expose it to the sun and water it heavily, then the editor-in-chief has only one thing to say: if you do not court death, you will not die! You must master the correct summer survival posture!

If the leaves fall off at the slightest touch, it is very likely due to too much water, which can also easily cause black rot.

The method of cutting off water during dormancy is still quite risky. In many places, summer is long, especially in the free-shipping region, where spring and autumn are barely noticeable. If water is completely cut off at this time, the peach egg succulent may not make it through the entire summer. Therefore, it is still recommended to give a small amount of water.

The frequency and amount of watering should be greatly reduced. Try to choose cool nights for watering, pour a small amount along the edge of the succulent pot, and after a night of wind it will be mostly dry, avoiding being in the terrible situation of high temperature and high humidity the next day.

We should move it indoors to a well-ventilated place for cooling care. If it is kept outdoors, use a shade net to block the sun.

If you see leaves turning to mush, remove them immediately. Do not be soft-hearted. If it spreads to other leaves, it will be too late to cry. At the same time, spray disinfectant to prevent bacterial infection.

Many succulent lovers are currently in the midst of peach egg succulents with black rot. When greeting each other, they say, "So, did your peach egg succulent get black rot today?" The tacit understanding between succulent lovers is innate. The editor-in-chief will now talk about this heartbreaking topic of black rot.

Black rot

Black rot is caused by "Fusarium oxysporum," a parasitic fungus that can both infect plants and grow in soil. It can infect many plant hosts, so once black rot symptoms are discovered, beheading must be done immediately.

Generally speaking, the causes of black rot are roughly three: insufficient ventilation, high temperature and high humidity, and overly stuffy potting soil. Therefore, when summer comes, black rot situations are particularly severe. Soil mixing and watering must be strictly controlled, and attention must be paid to ventilation and shading.

The symptoms of black rot usually follow a heavy rain or exposure to intense sun, with leaves beginning to shrivel and showing signs of turning to mush.

At this point, you can check whether black spots appear on the stem at the soil level and whether the lower stem is soft. If both are affected, then you must pay extra attention, as this peach egg succulent is very likely suffering from black rot.

At this point, do you feel a sense of helplessness, like "I understand the reasoning, but I just cannot keep it alive"? Do not give up! Hurry up and pull yourself together, and cut off the black rot parts. Note that the cutting tools must be sterilized! Sterilization methods include carbendazim, alcohol, and flame.

Do not hold out hope for succulents that have already developed black rot. Although this is cruel, only by taking immediate measures can you avoid the spread of infection and prevent it from affecting the entire succulent.

Caring for peach egg succulents will always come with many problems, but if you can watch them persist bravely through it all and become even more plump and beautiful, you will feel that everything is worth it. Let us make a promise: after this summer, the peach egg succulents will still be full of energy!

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