Succulents not growing in summer? A simple repotting still gets them to grow into a bursting pot
When it comes to repotting succulents, many flower lovers get worried, afraid that the succulent plant won't survive after repotting. "Death by repotting" has always been the main reason succulent lovers dare not repot easily, but what I want to tell friends is that rather than letting the succulent waste away for no apparent reason, it's better to give it another chance to grow anew. As long as you use the right method, even if you repot in summer, the succulent will still grow into a bursting pot!
Before repotting a succulent, first check whether it actually needs repotting, because most succulents repot and re-establish more slowly in summer - after all, the temperature is high, and if the succulent is healthy there's no need to repot. You can refer to the following points to see whether your succulents at home need repotting: the succulents in a combined pot are too crowded; the pot is too small; the soil is no good; the succulent's roots have grown beyond the pot; a succulent that should be growing just keeps not growing new leaves. Of course, most succulents go dormant in summer and grow slowly, and spring and autumn, when the growing-season temperature isn't so high, are the best seasons for repotting.
When repotting a succulent, be careful not to pull or yank it out forcefully; you can use a small trowel or similar tool to dig out the complete root system. Right after that comes cleaning the soil off the roots - this step easily damages the roots, so it's best to be very gentle. After removing the loose soil comes root trimming: cut away all the dried, dead roots and keep only the strong ones. First prepare a pot one size larger, with the depth chosen according to the plant's root growth requirements. For beginners, it's recommended to start with clay pots and ceramic pots, which have good breathability, so the plant is less prone to waterlogging and black rot.
To judge whether a succulent has re-established, you can infer from time - generally it takes about two weeks. Then judge from the plant's condition: are the leaves plump, especially the leaves in the outer few rings, and has it grown new leaves? If the leaves are overall a bit shrunken; if the new leaves are plump but the outer few rings of leaves are still shrunken, then it can't yet be called re-established, and it's not yet suitable for strong sunlight. Before it has re-established, as long as it isn't losing color or becoming leggy, it's best to keep light low. When some thin-leaved succulents re-establish, they sometimes consume about a ring of leaves, and some obviously oversized outer leaves are usually consumed as well.
If the plant's leaves are plump, you can gently lift the succulent with your hand to feel whether it has grown roots, because some succulents may still have plump leaves even without roots. Plump leaves, new leaves grown, and it doesn't move when gently lifted basically means it has re-established, and you can start gradually increasing sunlight up to full sun. If it still hasn't re-established even though it's been planted for two or three weeks, or even two or three months, you can place it somewhere without direct light and keep the potting soil moist to stimulate root growth.
If done properly, new fine roots can grow within a week. Even in the hot summer, no matter how hot the weather is, as long as there's a ventilated environment, and you don't expose it to sun or water it, re-establishing is no problem. After some time, give water as appropriate depending on how dry or moist the potting soil is, and you'll find the succulent quickly starts growing new leaves. The care environment is different in every place; generally you can water after half a month, and in 2 or 3 months there will be a tendency to grow into a bursting pot.
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