Don't be afraid of pests, diseases and leggy growth - all the prevention and control methods are here

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Ahem, we received your messages, so today we have this big roundup of summer succulent problems. Used together with yesterday's post, the effect is even better. Here's the guide -

- 1. Mealybugs -

@OrangeSummerAndBicycleBoy o: My succulent has white bugs on it, no idea what they are

Mealybugs - if you grow enough plants, sooner or later, more or less, you'll get them. The denser the leaves, the more they show up, so how could they possibly pass up plump, dense succulent leaves?

Exterminating these guys is also a bit of a hassle, and eggs can remain in the soil. Succulents with mealybugs must be isolated in a separate "ward" right away to prevent spreading to other succulents.

Treatment methods:

1. For a small number, just use tweezers to clean them off, bury a little Xiaobaiyao or Xiaoziyao in the soil, water a bit and wait for the pesticide to take effect, and place the plant in a ventilated spot.

2. There are 4 methods for dealing with large numbers of mealybugs:

1. Directly behead and wash - a lazy person's method, but it's bad for subsequent rooting.

2. Bury Xiaobaiyao/Xiaoziyao in the soil, and isolate the affected succulent.

3. Mix imidacloprid with water in proportion and drench the roots, then sprinkle a little Xiaobaiyao. This method is the safest and will definitely work - unless you used fake pesticide (fake pesticide ruins people).

4. Spray the leaves with 75% alcohol, but this method also does some damage to the leaves, so it's not really recommended.

In my case, I just crush the mealybugs to death. Usually I spot them in time. If the same pot of succulents still has mealybugs next time, that means there are definitely eggs in there - the last round of pest control wasn't thorough enough.

Drench the roots again in proportion, then keep observing. Usually I use imidacloprid and Xiaobaiyao together - after the army sweeps through, not a single egg will be left.

Prevention in advance:

1. Use Xiaobaiyao. As a systemic insecticide, Xiaobaiyao lets the succulent's roots absorb the chemical to prevent and control mealybugs, and the effect is quite good. So when potting up succulents, bury a little Xiaobaiyao, and the chance of mealybugs later will be greatly reduced.

2. Before the season changes, mix abamectin with water in proportion and drench the roots once - this also effectively prevents them.

- 2. Fungus gnats -

The scientific name of the fungus gnat is Lycoriella ingenua. It easily breeds in soil that is too fertile or too moist. Although fungus gnats feed on mycelium and don't eat succulents, they themselves carry pathogens and mites, which are harmful to succulents.

Methods to wipe out fungus gnats:

1. Use cypermethrin (powder/emulsifier mixed in proportion), then drench the roots

2. Light mosquito coils (mosquito coils themselves are also a pyrethroid product)

3. Use yellow sticky boards - fungus gnats are especially sensitive to yellow

4. Full sun exposure - this helps a bit too

When I had fungus gnats before, I didn't bother with them and just gave the plants two days of full sun. After that, as long as I didn't put them somewhere damp and lightless, they were fine. The main reason fungus gnats breed in succulents is still - watering too much, drying too slowly, no light. As long as you're careful not to put them in such a spot, fungus gnats are not likely to appear.

Prevention in advance:

Using top dressing is very effective at preventing fungus gnats - they can't get into the soil to lay eggs.

Note: Xiaobaiyao/Xiaoziyao/imidacloprid all have a certain toxicity. Do not touch them directly. After use, increase ventilation and do not keep the environment closed off. Use with caution in homes with children and pets!

Cats cannot metabolize pyrethroid drugs, so use with caution in homes with cats too

- 3. Loose shape, leggy growth, leaves spread out like a pancake -

The main reason succulents get a loose shape and leaves spread out like a pancake is still lack of light. In summer, if the sun protection shade rate is too high, or you simply move them to a lightless north-facing balcony, and the watering frequency is too high - going from once every two weeks to once a week - how could they not end up like this?

A Graptopetalum mendozae 'Jiqiu Li' that has grown leggy into grass

Treatment methods：

1. Reduce the amount of water - small meals, more often

2. If there's no way to move them to a spot with better light, try a grow light. Although it can't bring out the colors in succulents, it's more than enough to keep a compact shape.

A Graptopetalum mendozae 'Maruba Jiqiu Li' that hasn't grown leggy

- 5. New leaves deformed, irregular -

Last week I found this on two bear paw succulents (Cotyledon tomentosa): one had clearly deformed new leaves, while the other didn't. The two were placed in different spots - the deformed one was hotter, the non-deformed one had better ventilation. So in summer, deformed succulent leaves are closely related to temperature.

Treatment methods:

1. Maintain good ventilation, and when it's time to prune decisively, prune.

2. Move them to a cooler spot (feels a bit unrealistic)

- 6. Growing aerial roots (aerial roots) -

@Xu : What should I do when succulents grow aerial roots in summer?

Compared with autumn and winter, aerial roots in summer appear far too frequently.

First, let's understand aerial roots - they refer to adventitious roots that grow from the plant's stem, develop above ground and are exposed to the air. They generally have no root cap or root hair structure, can absorb gases or support the plant in growing upward, and help retain moisture.

Aerial roots on green plants

Aerial roots on succulents

So aerial roots appear frequently in summer because the air humidity is high - rather than absorbing water from dry soil, it's faster to absorb water from the moist air. Succulents are desperately absorbing water just to survive.

From experience, aerial roots that grow very close to the base have a chance to burrow in and become true roots of the succulent.

A Sedum adolphi 'Huangli' like this will definitely grow aerial roots because the soil isn't breathable

See the table for specific causes and treatment methods~

You have to get used to Sedum pachyphyllum 'Yinü Xin' growing aerial roots

It also grows aerial roots in autumn and winter

If you have other questions, feel free to leave a comment.

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- Review of last issue's content -

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