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Watering

Here I will give an overview of the watering methods for most varieties, and watering also depends on the season. For most succulents, spring and autumn are both growing seasons (hey hey hey! Most plants are like this, okay!), because the temperature is suitable, the breeze is gentle, blah blah blah, so at this time no matter how you mess with them, they will still look very pretty (of course, do not be too casual). Under normal circumstances, the watering frequency is related to the ratio of your soil mix; the more grit, the more frequently you need to water. It is also related to region and climate; the north may need to water more frequently, while the south can be a little lazier. With my 60% grit content, here in the great imperial capital, watering once a week is totally enough for all the succulents (yes, I am very lazy, treating them all the same; no matter what soil, I actually water once a week ╮(╯╰)╭). In spring and autumn, it is better to keep watering in the evening, because the occasional midday sun is still very harsh.

Watering in winter and summer should depend on the plant's growth habits. Succulents can broadly be divided into winter-growing types and summer-growing types. As the names suggest, winter-growing types like to grow in winter~ and summer-growing types like to grow in summer~ Here is a simple table for everyone, categorized by genus and species into growth types. Some genera may vary, and I will note specific exceptions when introducing that variety. For the rest, I will not list one by one later what type they are~ Winter-growing types get a little water in winter, while summer-growing types do not go dormant in summer and can be watered normally~ However, when winter is below 5 degrees or summer is above 35 degrees, it is still best to cut off water as much as possible. At this time, the succulents will activate their self-protection program and may be forced into dormancy.

Light

Succulents have a bit of a desert plant quality, so they have a relatively high demand for light, because light drives photosynthesis and accumulates nutrients~ Normal Crassulaceae plants all like light very much, and the more the better~ As for the little enchantresses of the Haworthia genus that you like, such as Haworthia cooperi and Haworthia maughanii, they do not like light that much. These all need to be distinguished to some extent according to family and genus. But no matter which type, they all need a certain amount of light, otherwise the succulents will become ugly and leggy, and their immunity will also decline. Although different succulents have different light requirements, there are still some general rules to follow. For example, during the flowering period (generally spring, though some are summer or autumn), they need increased light; when newly potted, they need diffused light for protection; in midsummer, shading is needed to avoid harming the plants (would I tell you about black rot overnight or something!), and after watering and rain, try to avoid overly strong light.

Many succulent growers have reported that they do not have the conditions for outdoor growing at home, and the succulents always cannot get enough light, making it hard to achieve so-called "coloring," "bun shaping," and other extremely cute states. Here I will share a little of my own experience with everyone. I have used supplementary lights. Do not buy the cheap, useless kind; use proper UVB supplementary lights that provide blue light and red light. UVC will burn the plants, so never use it. Although supplementary lights can, to a certain extent, provide light for plants that cannot be grown outdoors, the effect will not be very obvious. It can only be said that they will control legginess a bit, put on a red edge or something.

Fertilizing

As a foliage plant (mainly! There are still people who like their flowers, and we will introduce that later~), succulents benefit quite a bit from being given some fertilizer during the growing season from time to time~ The nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium needed for plant growth are all essential elements for their growth.

[Nitrogen] can make plant leaves large and healthy, slow leaf aging, and make nutrition robust and yields high. In care, nitrogen fertilizer is often used to make plants grow quickly, so if your succulents are already leggy, do not use it; if they are not coloring, also do not use it, right?

[Phosphorus] can make crop metabolism normal and plant development good, while also improving drought resistance and cold resistance. It promotes earlier flowering and fruiting, so if you want earlier flowering and want to supplement the nutritional loss during flowering, you can boldly use it~ In addition, phosphorus fertilizer is recyclable, so be careful not to use too much, otherwise, la la la, I have told you all~

[Potassium] can strengthen plant photosynthesis, make stems tough, and resist lodging. It promotes the development of plant roots and stems. Have you noticed! You all like old stumps, right! This is a powerful tool for making them fat and strong~

[Trace elements] Calcium, magnesium, boron, iron, manganese, copper, zinc, and molybdenum are all trace elements needed for plant growth. Little-leaf disease, disease spots, poor stress resistance, and so on are all related to some extent to these elements. But trace elements are trace elements; not much is needed, and generally enough nutrition can be absorbed from the soil. This is also why repotting the soil is needed. However, if a nutrient solution can be provided to it, then it is also fine not to change the soil~ (Yes, exactly, I am just that lazy, hehehe)

Pest prevention

The most annoying thing seen on succulents is scale insects. Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl... white and powdery. If they did not bite my succulents, maybe I would even think they were kind of cute... The scale insects on succulents are roughly divided into two kinds. One is commonly seen on leaf surfaces, does not lose much powder, and is white and plump. This kind likes to eat newly emerged tender leaves, as well as new leaves on flower spikes. These are the most delicious places on succulents~(≧≦)/~ la la la. So when flower spikes appear, be sure to check~ Usually also pay attention to pest prevention, and check whether these annoying little creatures are lurking in the leaf centers and on the backs of leaves.

So the best way to deal with scale insects is - hand picking ╮(╯╰)╭, because only in this way can you check as thoroughly as possible... (Is this a good way to lose weight!) Use small tweezers to directly pick them out and crush them to death, "pop!" Isn't it super satisfying! Of course, for those who do not have time, you can use Huahuashen, Muteiwang, carbofuran, soil insect pills, little green medicine, blah blah blah... Hmm, yes, their order is from less to more toxic ╮(╯╰)╭

Another kind of scale insect is called "root mealybug." They lie dormant on the roots and produce a fine, sticky, web-like substance that sticks to the roots. It is! Very! Disgusting! If you find them, then con! grat! u! la! tions! From then on, you and this thing will be entangled for a lifetime, because there is basically no way to wipe them out completely. When you repot and find root mealybugs, first immediately discard the original soil! (I do not recommend reusing it; even if you remove the insects, you cannot remove the eggs!) Wash all the plant roots clean, then prune the roots, then soak them in clean water for half an hour, wash again, then dry for 1-2 days, and repot after they are thoroughly dry. The original flowerpot also needs to be cleaned again, preferably scrubbed 360 degrees with a brush~ Of course, this is a very troublesome method. If there are too many at home and you need to use chemicals, then the currently most effective chemicals include "Jie Bizhi," "Supesha," "Bayer little green medicine," "carbofuran," blah blah blah (actually the same as before). They can all kill the insects, but~ the eggs cannot be killed, so, get ready to fight them to the end~

Misconception: carbendazim, potassium permanganate, and these things cannot kill insects~

Besides scale insects, there are also red spiders, ants, aphids, blah blah blah, countless pest sources, but these guys are much easier to deal with~ Acaricides such as diflovidazin can handle them. In addition, there is another annoying thing called fungus gnats. Personally, I have not seen this thing, but a succulent grower said that "Fungus Gnats Die Die Die Sticker" is very useful~(づ￣ 3￣)づ hahahaha~

Sterilization

The general manifestations of fungal damage are black rot, rust spots, black spots, and so on. Among them, black rot is the most common and also the most explosive, a sharp weapon that may dissolve a plant overnight! The pathogen is said to be Fusarium. As for this, I am not sure whether there are concurrent bacteria!

The main prevention and control method is not to keep the whole plant overly damp, especially the soil. Usually watering should be controlled, and the soil must not have standing water! If an infected plant is found, first isolate it, and second handle it. Beheading, pulling off leaves to preserve the variety, and so on are all necessary measures. Especially for precious varieties, also look carefully at the pulled-off leaves to see whether the wound is infected, and isolate them for a period of time to observe! Thinking back to that Romeo that dissolved overnight for me~~~~(>_

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