12 questions about growing succulents - master these and you're a succulent expert

Text

Image: Qingmeng

Succulents are so cute, who wouldn't want to grow them? Even veteran growers with years of experience may still run into some problems. Beginners who want to grow succulents but don't know where to start must have all kinds of questions about succulents, right? After reading this article, you'll become a succulent expert.

1. Do the pots used for planting succulents absolutely need drainage holes?

Succulents have strong vitality and don't demand much from their containers, so succulent containers can be all kinds of things. A pot without holes is best if it's shallow-bottomed, that is, under 10CM, with a height of 4~5M, then the impact won't be too great. When the pot is too tall, the lower roots are very likely to suffocate and rot to death, so it's best to put in some things like expanded clay pebbles. Care is similar to a pot with holes; the most crucial thing is to control watering. With a pot that has holes, if you water too much, it can flow out; with one that has no holes, if you water too much, the roots basically sit in water long-term, then rot, then die. If you've watered too much, see if you can tilt the pot to let the water flow out.

2. How do succulents root after "beheading"?

Turn the cut-off succulent upside down to dry. Generally, soft-bodied succulents dry for about a week, while hard-bodied succulents need just two or three days. Choose peat soil as the growing medium, plant the beheaded succulent into the soil, water a small amount, and keep the potting soil slightly moist. If conditions allow, gardeners can use organic nutrient solution diluted about 800 times as the settling water, which has a huge effect on rooting and restoring vitality. Prepare slightly moist sandy soil and place the head on the sand.

3. Succulents have different watering and sunlight needs, so can succulents in an arrangement survive? And how should succulents in an arrangement be cared for?

Yes. Combined succulent plantings are very common. For ease of care, when choosing succulent varieties, besides considering layering and artistic effect, try to choose succulent varieties with similar water needs and sunlight needs, so they're easier to care for. For example, hard-leaf and soft-leaf types, and summer-growing and winter-growing types, should be separated as much as possible to form different combined plantings.

4. Can I water when succulent leaves are dried up?

Some succulent species have dark red leaf color, with leaf tips and old leaves dried up, and many people think this is a sign of the plant lacking water. In fact, succulents can also show the above phenomenon under conditions such as sun exposure or root rot, and at this time watering is harmful to the succulent. Before watering, you must first learn to observe and judge correctly. Generally, water more when the temperature is high, water less when the temperature is low, and don't water on cloudy and rainy days.

5. What should I do if a succulent drops its leaves?

Water a bit less, and you can skip watering on cloudy and rainy days. The soil must have good breathability; you can't just dig up soil from your neighborhood to plant succulents. Give it more sun, but definitely not full sun in summer - if you're afraid of getting tanned, succulents are afraid too. Pay attention to a ventilated environment, keep the air circulating, and don't always keep the doors and windows closed while running the air conditioner. For black rot, use a sterilized knife to cut off the infected part and spray with carbendazim. When it's too hot, also give the succulent a chance to cool down.

6. Can succulents survive without sunlight?

Succulents are light-loving plants, but they don't like strong light; they prefer diffused light. Placing them in a dark environment will still let them grow, but they will become leggy and the plant shape won't look good.

7. Why has my succulent changed color?

There are mainly two reasons succulents turn red, namely temperature and light. Everyone knows that a plant's color is the external manifestation of the pigments inside it: chlorophyll makes leaves appear green, and in autumn xanthophyll makes leaves turn yellow. Likewise, the color change of succulents is also affected by changes in pigment composition. When there's plenty of sunlight, succulent leaf color becomes vivid, while long periods without sunlight make the leaf color dull.

8. What should I do if dust falls on my succulent?

Dust, soil particles, debris, or insect spots and other dirty things on the surface of succulents will directly affect their ornamental value. Use a soft-bristled brush to brush the dust off the leaves. When cleaning, be careful, or you may harm your beloved plant.

9. The potting soil is too loose and the succulent won't stay in place - what should I do?

You can spread a layer of small white stones on top of the potting soil, which can both lower soil temperature and support the plant body, and also improve the ornamental effect - killing two birds with one stone.

10. Is it better to keep succulents indoors or grow them outdoors?

Either indoors or outdoors is fine. Indoors, you must ensure sufficient sunlight; outdoors, you must pay attention to rain protection and not let rainwater fall on them. Relatively speaking, because outdoors there is wind and good ventilation, it's more suitable for growing succulents. If it's a high-floor balcony, because of strong wind and large temperature differences, succulents can develop a jelly-like color, which is very eye-catching.

11. Does the white powder on Echeveria need to be wiped off?

The white powder on Echeveria must not be touched with your hands. During everyday care, you can wear gloves or use tweezers to do it, so as to preserve the succulent's completeness to the greatest extent.

12. When is the best time to repot a succulent?

Spring is the best season to repot succulents. As the succulents keep growing, repotting can give them more room to grow and let them grow better. There's a lot to pay attention to when repotting, and improper handling can harm the succulent. For any plant, as long as the roots are disturbed and the soil is changed, it must re-acclimate before resuming growth and adapt to the new environment.

During this period the plant is very fragile, so you must pay extra attention to the growing environment. After repotting, if external conditions are unsuitable, such as high temperature or cold, it will affect its survival and may even kill it. Normally grown succulents, if nothing unexpected happens, can wait a year or two before being repotted.

The article was compiled by the Succulent Boutique Pavilion, and the copyright belongs to the original author. For some articles the source cannot be identified and they are marked as from the internet. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately and we will handle it promptly.