How to grow succulents? A master-level succulent grower shares care experience

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Photos: Shuishanfang Premium Succulents Bar

After growing succulents for a long time, you will encounter many surprises, such as an incredible growth process, an extreme state of beauty, some adorable succulent growers, and their valuable experience. Le is a flower friend who is good at growing succulents and happy to share, and often shares some personal experience in the group.

Flower friend: Le

Location: Greater Beijing (not Yunnan, not Yunnan, not Yunnan, but the great capital where the smog can block missiles)

Care environment: moved into the greenhouse in winter, grown outdoors the rest of the year. Actually, he would very much like to grow them outdoors all year round, but given Beijing's winter, he gave up the idea.

Soil mix: granules, volcanic rock, or maifan stone all work. His soil mix recipe is maifan stone : peat : rice husk charcoal, about 8:1.5:0.5

He uses soft maifan stone. Compared with hard maifan, its aeration and water retention are still quite good. The Koreans use this kind of soft maifan. His soil mix belongs to the type that controls shape. Compared with media with more peat, its advantages are strong aeration and drainage, good for root growth, controlling shape, and later coloring is also faster than with media containing more peat. The disadvantage is that it grows relatively slightly slower.

Experience in choosing pots: pot depth should not exceed 8-9 cm. Most of Le's pots are only three or four cm deep.

Le's experience with pots: any plant grows roots first and then stems. When water is sufficient, roots grow very slowly and only grow fibrous roots. If the pot is too deep, the roots can hardly reach the bottom. Most of the time, when the upper layer of the medium has dried out completely, the plant will show signs of water shortage and wilt. At this point, if you do not water, it shows water shortage; if you water, there is still moisture in the lower layer (because the roots cannot reach it). After watering, the plant revives, but over the long term this easily causes water accumulation and mold. Moreover, it actually never dries out completely and is never short of water, so it is hard for the roots to fill the pot. If the roots do not fill the pot, it is very hard for the plant to grow plump and reach a good state. Even if it is forced into a state by cold, that is still a false state.

Regarding pot material, many flower friends think that breathable pots must be very good, especially in the large free-shipping areas and Chengdu, which have plum rain seasons and high summer temperatures and humidity. This kind of pot does indeed reduce some of the pressure of getting through summer. But in Greater Yunnan and Beijing, where average air humidity is around 30-40, you can relatively consider pots with better water retention plus a medium with a higher granule ratio to improve water and nutrient retention.

Succulent lovers who like to use small pots all know that small pots are very helpful for controlling water and controlling shape. I have also tried the power of small pots myself, and the results within half a year are quite considerable. Friends who are interested can give it a try.

Care method: depends on the needs of each stage and other factors, water thoroughly after the soil dries out.

Among these, Le's watering experience mentions several influencing factors: weather, environment, altitude, wind force, wind direction, light duration, pot size, pot material, medium, variety, and variety size.

Some veteran growers who have been growing succulents for years may have deep personal understanding of some of these factors. Under the interaction of these factors, the answer is why some people can grow incredible succulents.

For example, you will analyze the secrets of temperature and humidity based on the weather forecast; you will have an understanding of the small environment in which you grow your plants; you will know how strong the wind is in this season, whether it can reach your growing area, and whether the soil dries quickly or slowly; you will know the private conversation between sunshine duration and light intensity and the succulents; you will know the effect of pot material and size on the succulents; and you will choose a suitable environment for a variety based on that variety series' needs for the growing environment.

Regarding beheading, stem cuttings, and aftercare after root trimming, in the past we mostly used carbendazim. In Le's sharing, he recommended a clever use, which is sulfur powder.

Sulfur powder not only plays an important role for plants, but also plays a very positive role in pharmacology. Sulfur powder is an acidic compound. When used on flowers and plants, forest trees, and fruit trees, it has the effects of sterilization and antisepsis, regulating acidity and alkalinity, promoting wound healing, and preventing and treating diseases. In waterlogged, compacted saline-alkali soil, applying a certain amount of sulfur powder can regulate soil pH, reduce salinity and alkalinity, and also supply nutrients to plants and promote growth and development.

Summary of Le's care experience:

1. Sufficient sunlight,

2. Reasonable medium,

3. Moderate temperature difference,

4. Key point: never use deep pots, and pot depth should not exceed 8 cm.

Next, let's take a look at Le the master's beauties!

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