Succulent Plants: 4 Problems to Watch Out for at Mangzhong Today and 8 Solutions

Today is Mangzhong. Mangzhong is the 9th of the 24 solar terms, marking the official start of midsummer. From this point on, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River enter the plum rain season. Except for the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the northernmost part of Heilongjiang, basically all regions can experience the heat of summer. Persistent rainy weather will increase in various places, temperatures will continue to rise, the air will be humid and stuffy, mosquitoes and insects will begin to breed in large numbers, fungi will also enter their spreading period, and items will easily become moldy.

For most succulent plants, this officially marks the most dangerous and terrifying period of the year. Many friends will start taking photos of their succulents preparing to get through summer, so that if they die over summer and become corpses, there will still be evidence that they were alive. So why is getting succulents through summer so terrifying? Mainly due to the following problems:

1. Pest outbreaks

Scale insects officially enter their peak period. Ordinary scale insects attach to the stems and leaves of succulent plants, while root mealybugs lay eggs and are active in the potting soil. They survive by sucking the sap of succulent plants, hindering the succulents' development and, in severe cases, causing the entire plant to die. In addition, pests such as aphids, red spider mites, and Lycaenidae moths all make their appearance in summer, nibbling away at succulents that are already languishing in the summer heat.

2. High incidence of disease

Due to the hot and humid air, fungal diseases spread extremely quickly at this time. The most common is black rot, followed by sooty mold, powdery mildew, gray mold, anthracnose, rust, downy mildew, and others. Their fungal spores spread rapidly through soil and air. If a succulent becomes infected and is not isolated in time, it will often quickly spread to other succulents, causing a large number to die at once.

3. Sunburn

Although succulent plants like light, they cannot tolerate excessive exposure to blazing sun. The summer sun is harsh; in some regions, at the highest temperatures, it can even cook pork belly, let alone succulents as plants. After sunburn, succulents do not immediately show signs of sunburn. Usually, in the following days, mild cases leave scars on the leaf surface, while severe cases directly turn to mush and develop black rot.

4. Fading and leggy growth

In summer, because succulents need to be shaded, they have fewer opportunities to receive sunlight, so they inevitably fade and become leggy. Actually, compared to dying, leggy is just leggy -- the most important thing is staying alive.

So, in response to the above problems, what preparations need to be made in summer? Actually, previous articles from Xiao Jingzhi Life have discussed many summer care precautions. Now let me organize and summarize them:

1. Shading

After Mangzhong, most regions of our country enter barbecue mode. Put up a shade net for your succulents -- it can block the sun, prevent birds, and also guard against pests like Lycaenidae moths that can attack from the air.

2. Ventilation

Actually, ventilation is needed at all times! Ventilation!! Ventilation!!! Important things must be said three times! If all else fails, just use a fan!

3. Water control

Don't give in to itchy hands! Don't give in to itchy hands!! Don't give in to itchy hands!!! Controlling your own hands is equivalent to preserving your succulents' lives!

4. Stock up on medicine

Fungicides: carbendazim, chlorothalonil, hymexazol; insecticides: Jiebi Zhi, Huhuashen, Jieqiao Ling, carbofuran, imidacloprid, etc. Carbendazim can be applied by smearing, washing, spraying, or mixing into soil; it is a systemic fungicide. Chlorothalonil is mainly used for spraying, while hymexazol, after being mixed into soil, can directly combine with iron, aluminum, and other ions in the soil to kill fungi. All insecticides can be mixed into soil or sprayed.

5. Cleanup

Clean up dead leaves and such, otherwise the side of dead leaves touching the potting soil can easily breed pests. If there are flower stalks, pinch them off too, to save nutrients for the plant itself. If there are many pups, appropriately remove some small pups in advance to reduce nutrient consumption.

6. Control your hands

Besides controlling your hands and not watering frequently, you also shouldn't just randomly behead your succulents or repot them for no reason, unless they have a disease and must be beheaded or repotted. As for those suicidal moves like putting them in the refrigerator to stress their colors, even more so, don't do them.

7. Propagate more

Before summer, propagate a few more of each variety. If one dies, there are still other brothers, so it won't go extinct, right.

8. Keep a good attitude

So what if it's plain-looking, so what if it's leggy, so what if it's spread out -- as long as the succulent stays alive, sooner or later it will show its colors. Better than losing its life.

The above was organized and published by Xiao Jingzhi Life.