What to do about black rot in succulents in summer? Sticking a bubble tea straw into the soil can lower the odds

One of the things people fear most when growing succulents is watering. Many succulent growers kill their plants, and most of the time it is because they do not know how to water succulents. Especially in the hot and humid summer, in a high-temperature, high-humidity environment, problems such as compacted succulent soil make it very easy for succulents to rot and even die. Did you know that all these problems can be solved by simply inserting a bubble tea straw?

Black rot in succulents is mostly caused by excess water in the soil not draining away in time after watering; high humidity plus high temperatures mean the roots cannot breathe properly. But not giving the succulents a drink in summer is also not an option. As long as the water you give does not touch the roots of the succulent, black rot is unlikely.

Summer temperatures are very high, and if you want to water your succulents, simply sticking an extra straw into the succulent pot solves the problem.

That is because a succulent with a straw inserted will get air flowing up and down through the straw. In this way, the roots of the succulent get fresh air, and the straw solves the problem of poor air movement in the succulent soil, so the succulent naturally grows faster.

In the relatively hot and stuffy conditions of summer, we can insert a few more straws into the potting soil. Whenever we want to water but dare not water too much, we just need to use a narrow-spout watering can to drip water until full into the straw. It can be used in the growing season in the same way: simply drip liquid fertilizer into the straw for the plant to absorb.

In fact, this principle is similar to bottom watering. If you grow quite a lot of succulents at home, every bottom watering session is a big project, and the succulents' positions should be disturbed as little as possible. Only in a quiet environment will they grow well, so using this method saves a lot of trouble.

Why use a bubble tea straw? It is actually because bubble tea straws are slightly harder than other straws and do not deform easily. Just insert it directly into the potting soil where the succulent is planted, a little farther from the root crown, and simply push it into the soil.

A while ago, an expert once tested the feasibility of this method. The expert punched a hole in the bottom of a mineral water bottle and made a test imitating a flower pot: "Since the straw goes straight down to the bottom of the pot, you do not have to worry about getting the water amount wrong. Just water with confidence; the excess water will automatically flow out of the bottom hole and will not stagnate. For a pot of about 10 cm, the soil at the bottom is saturated after about 7-8 straws' worth of water. To be on the safe side, I still plan to put this test bottle next to the succulents and decide when to water based on how dry or wet the soil in the small bottle is. This way I neither cut off the water supply nor worry that too much water will cause black rot in the succulents. With this little bit of faint moisture, the succulent roots should be able to get through the summer safely."

Growing succulents is not easy, so cherish them while you grow them. I hope all succulent growers can grow succulents with stunningly beautiful form!