What to do when the leaves of a bear paw succulent (Cotyledon tomentosa) fall off at the slightest touch - if you delay any longer, it will go bald

Source: internet

Compiled / Hui Zhang

Edited / Succulent Plant Hub

Recently, Hui Zhang was once again struck by the cuteness of this little guy, the bear paw succulent. Those furry, chubby little paws really leave you with no resistance at all~

When summer arrives, the bear paw succulent has a hard time. It is very afraid of heat and is an absolute summer-survival struggler. Hui Zhang has been worrying endlessly for bear paw succulents all over the world.

Today we must give you some practical stuff. Hurry and take out your little notebooks, we are about to start class~

First, let us look at its growth habits. Only by deepening our understanding can we care for it better.

The bear paw succulent belongs to the Crassulaceae family. It is a perennial succulent herbaceous plant of the genus Cotyledon, native to Cape Province, South Africa, and likes a warm, dry, sunny, and well-ventilated environment.

The environment of its place of origin largely determines a species' growth habits. Cape Province is in the southernmost part of South Africa, and the local climate is a typical Mediterranean climate.

Those good at geography all know that this area has hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. Then look at our current environment, especially the free-shipping region, where summers are hot and rainy, stuffy and unbearable. The thunderstorm season is truly hard to get through!

To protect itself, the bear paw succulent enters dormancy in summer, and grows relatively well in autumn and winter. This is what we often call a winter-growing type plant.

So how can we let the bear paw succulent safely get through this summer? Hui Zhang will now send you a survival guide, plus a big gift pack specially for treating all kinds of tricky problems! Succulent lovers, look here~

Light

Shading in summer is very important. During dormancy, the bear paw succulent can carry out weak photosynthesis, but the intensity of sunlight must not be too strong, and it must not be completely shaded either.

Brief photosynthesis in summer helps the plant accumulate its own nutrients and lays the foundation for growth after dormancy.

When the summer temperature exceeds 35°C, the growth of the entire plant basically stops. At this time, provide appropriate shading and avoid exposure to the scorching sun. Basically maintain it this way throughout summer, while in other seasons it should receive sufficient light.

Watering

Each year as dormancy approaches, gradually reduce the amount of water. By midsummer, the amount of watering should be reduced to the minimum to prevent root rot caused by overly moist pot soil.

As for how to control the amount of watering, it depends on the soil. Make sure the surface of the pot soil is dry, not wet. The bear paw succulent cannot be kept in a stuffy, enclosed condition. In midsummer, you can sprinkle water around the plant to lower the temperature. Do not sprinkle water on the leaf surface, so as to avoid scorching the leaves.

Try to choose around 7 p.m. for watering. At this time the sun has already set and will not affect the plant's roots.

If, before the next round of watering, the water accumulated on the bear paw succulent's leaves has not been used up in time, once the scorching sun appears it can easily sunburn the plant's leaves, and leaf drop becomes unavoidable.

Especially when watering under high-temperature summer conditions, you must master the proper scale of watering.

At the same time, in order to cope with the high-temperature, high-humidity summer climate, plant friends can reduce the hot and humid growing environment through shading, reducing watering, and increasing ventilation.

Among these, in the choice of soil, you must prepare a culture soil with good drainage.

Rain protection

Many succulent lovers put the bear paw succulent on an open balcony for shaded care, and when it rains they let it be naturally irrigated. This must absolutely not be done. Potted plants are not the same as open ground; water cannot drain away and will cause root rot.

Especially in rainy places, after being rained on for a long time, the bear paw succulent will quickly die!

Ventilation

On rainy days, placing the bear paw succulent outdoors in a rain-sheltered, ventilated spot is excellent, but remember the previous point: it must absolutely not be rained on!

If the environment is very ventilated, spraying water on the plant can wash away dust and make the leaves clean, but do not let water remain in the center of the leaves, otherwise rot in the center may occur.

Otherwise, water droplets lingering in the fuzz on the leaves will form ugly water-spot marks and affect the ornamental value.

Overall, the key to getting the bear paw succulent through summer is: shade and shelter from rain, good ventilation, and less watering!

In addition, many succulent lovers mention the situation where the bear paw succulent's leaves circle or fall off at the slightest touch. Hui Zhang wants to tell you very sincerely: you are definitely not alone! At this time we need to stay calm~ After all, Hui Zhang is someone with practical stuff, so keep reading~

What to do if the leaves become soft?

Improper fertilizing will also increase its stress. If the bear paw succulent becomes soft, you have to take responsibility!

Water once the next day. After the pot soil becomes dry, water thoroughly once, then place it in a spot with partial sunlight for care, but do not expose it to the scorching sun. It is not there for sterilization and disinfection. Just slowly wait for the little bear to recover its vitality.

What to do if the bear paw succulent drops leaves?

After summer begins, the bear paw succulent becomes rather delicate, its growth rate slows, its leaves also shrink, and at the same time leaf drop occurs.

If at this time you still water too much, it is very easy to make the pot soil overly moist, causing some damage to the root system. The leaf drop may worsen, and at the same time rotten leaves may also occur.

Simply put, on the one hand it is caused by the normal physiological response in summer; on the other hand it is caused by excessive watering.

If leaf drop is caused by improper watering, succulent lovers should reduce watering as much as possible, or even not water at all.

If leaf drop also occurs under normal watering, then at this time you can wait until the pot soil becomes dry before watering again. As long as the plant's stems will not dry up and die from lack of water, there is temporarily no need to replenish water to the plant.

After the plant has safely gotten through, watering can be restored to a normal state.

Besides reducing the moisture in the pot soil while the plant is dormant, in other seasons you can respond by strengthening ventilation, increasing light, loosening the soil, or changing the soil.

Of course, if the bear paw succulent wilts or drops leaves rather severely, we can take the plant out of the pot, air-dry the roots, and then after the pot soil's moisture has decreased, repot and transplant it.

Any bear paw succulent that safely gets through summer is a good bear! Hui Zhang has the mindset of an old father, as if wanting to go through the tribulation on behalf of the bear paw succulent!

Since that cannot be done, then we can only create a better environment for the bear paw succulent. When it stretches and wakes up, everything will be as before; it has only steadily slept for a while~

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