After trimming the roots of succulents, don't rush to pot them, so as to avoid root rot

Succulents bought online or from a greenhouse all need to be bare-rooted, have their roots trimmed and washed. On one hand, this prevents carrying insect eggs; on the other hand, it removes dead and necrotic roots and prevents black rot. At the same time, trimming overly long roots can also reduce nutrient loss. After trimming and washing the roots, they need to be dried. In spring and summer, drying them for one day in a ventilated place is basically enough before potting. Plant in moist soil and keep dry, place in a cool, ventilated spot to root, then water thoroughly once after a week, and slowly increase light. This reduces leaf consumption and ensures survival.

What should you do after trimming the roots of succulents? After the roots are trimmed, the plant should be placed in a ventilated, shaded spot with bright light, generally for about 1 to 3 days; if the weather is clear, one day is enough. This process is called drying the roots. If the wound has not yet dried, planting the succulent directly can easily cause black rot and turning to mush. When repotting, wait until the soil is dry to avoid damaging the roots.

Newly arrived succulents need their fine hair roots and dried-out, aged roots trimmed off and new roots grown, so that the root system is healthy and has the function of absorbing water and nutrients. This is because for newly dug-up succulents, the roots are generally divided into two types: fine hair roots and main roots. Main roots live relatively long; generally, they are fine even if dug up and left outside for about a month. But fine hair roots are different; fine hair roots generally die and dry out within 1-2 hours in the air.

After the root-trimmed succulent is planted in the pot, if the potting soil is moist, there is no need to water. If it is dry, water thoroughly. For the first few days, place it in the shade. After a few days, give it normal light again, keeping the light bright. Watering is generally done after 5 to 7 days; if the weather is good, you can water after three days. Another issue is light. After this plant is potted, it also cannot be placed in the sun right away. Generally, only after five days does it begin to slowly receive light. At first, give it a little scattered light in the morning, or bright light, and gradually increase the light duration. For later care, of course, outdoor growing is best, as this lets the succulent maintain a very good condition.

It is not recommended that gardening enthusiasts transplant succulents in summer, because after temperatures rise in summer, it becomes very difficult for succulents to grow roots. Some friends may go through several cycles of trimming roots and potting, then trimming roots and potting again before the succulent successfully grows roots; it is also possible that right after potting, because the temperature is too high and care is improper, it dies directly. The fastest temperature for succulents to grow roots is around 20-25 degrees, with air humidity around 60%-80%. Under these climate conditions, you do not even need any medium; placing them directly in the air can let them grow roots. Although succulents are cheap in summer, the success rate of acclimating to the pot is a kind of mental torment for people who grow succulents.

For soil mixing, it is best to use granular soil with relatively good water and air permeability, mixed with a small amount of peat soil. For small succulent seedlings, a 50% ratio of each is suitable; for mature plants and old stems, the peat soil can be even less. After planting in moist soil and keeping it dry, place it in a spot with plenty of scattered light and ventilation to recover. When the potting soil is dry, water thoroughly. Based on my years of experience growing succulents, at this time, direct sunlight is also not suitable; it is still best to place them in a spot with scattered light and ventilation. The principle for watering is to water thoroughly when dry. Only when the succulent has acclimated to the pot and begun to grow should it be moved to a place with direct sunlight and receive sunlight.

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