Sharing Succulent Care Insights: A Summary of My Personal Care Experience

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Text and images: Yinian

Common misconceptions about succulent care. I often hear people say that succulents should not be watered much, and that when watering, only a little should be given. People who hold this view immediately move their pots indoors when it rains, thinking, "They absolutely must not get rained on!" The root cause of this way of thinking is probably that the potting soil is compacted and may not drain properly.

The key to care: If you follow this line of thinking, you can only conclude that the key to caring for succulents lies in water, which is wrong. In fact, the key to caring for succulents does not lie in water, but in soil. No matter what materials are used to make the mix, the standard should be good drainage and aeration. For example, a mix made by evenly blending 6 parts garden soil with 4 parts medium-coarse yellow sand, and it is even better if a little base fertilizer is added. With soil like this, potting succulents will be fine even if watered a lot, and rain is not a problem either; it can even handle the plum rain season.

By the way, a reminder for everyone: 1. When potting, do not press the soil down hard with both hands. 2. Newly potted succulents should be watered with a spray bottle, or the water should be poured over your hand and allowed to flow slowly into the pot through your fingers; if there is light rain soon after, that is even better. In this way, the potting soil can maintain good drainage and aeration. 3. Over time, as drainage and aeration worsen, the soil must be loosened, and repotting is best. 4. If planted in a porcelain pot, a layer of broken bricks can be placed at the bottom of the pot to improve drainage and aeration.

Care details: Take water as an example. The general rule for watering is not to water until dry, and when you do water, water thoroughly. For succulents, so-called "dry" means that during the growing season you should wait until the potting soil is dry inside and out before watering, and then water thoroughly. However, knowing only this is not enough; you also need to pay attention to the following details: 1. How much water to give. During the growing season, water more, and when it rains, let them get rained on; during the summer dormancy period, water less, and during the winter dormancy period below 0°C, generally do not water. 2. How to water. During the growing season when the temperature is high, water from overhead; if you can create "artificial rain," that is even better. During the growing season when the temperature is relatively low, water onto the potting soil. If you water at around 0°C, never pour it on the plant. 3. In the hot summer at around 35°C, water very early in the morning, not in the evening, and certainly not under the blazing sun. 4. For types with high humidity requirements, mist several times a day to increase air humidity and moisten the stems and leaves.

Care space: The best care space for succulents during the growing season should be the natural world, and the more open the better. A rooftop has ample light, good ventilation, rain, and the added moisture of autumn dew, with few pests and diseases, so succulents grow especially well there. Of course, the care space needs related supporting facilities, such as black shade netting. With black shade netting for shade in the hot summer, succulents can shorten their summer dormancy period. In addition, enclosed balconies and plastic greenhouses are more suitable for winter care, as this can shorten the winter dormancy period. A shortened dormancy period means the plants grow quickly and can take shape earlier.

Special care: When potting succulents, many people fail to get through the two hurdles of "summering" and "overwintering." Care during summer dormancy and winter dormancy can be called special care. Its contents are many-sided; take the issue of moving succulents in and out. 1. Always pay attention to the weather forecast (temperature and frost); in winter, delay moving them in as long as possible. 2. In spring, moving them out is generally around Qingming (it varies by location), and it should not be too early. 3. Once most succulents are moved in, they grow in the greenhouse all winter. Do not open the windows casually, and even less should you move them out to sunbathe just because one day is warm. 4. A few succulents have habits that suit being moved in and out. For example, cactus grape, as long as there is sunlight, can be moved out during the day and moved in at night, making the agate-red color it displays even more translucent.

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