How to Fertilize Succulents and Succulent Root Pruning Techniques

  Back when I used to grow cacti, I never repotted them, so root pruning was naturally out of the question, because I knew well how important roots are to plants. I was afraid that once I turned out the pot, even without pruning the roots, the plant would die. I always thought plants were like fish that cannot live without water, inseparable from soil……

  Why do we prune roots?

  Newly purchased succulents generally need root pruning. Because by the time the plant arrives home it may have been out of its pot for many days, and the fibrous roots may have dried up and died. If planted directly into soil, the dead roots will mold and deteriorate, affecting normal root development and the plant's normal growth. In addition, pests or eggs may be attached to the roots, so root pruning is still recommended for newly purchased plants. For plants with relatively weak roots such as Ariocarpus, root pruning can be skipped, and physical and chemical methods can be used to avoid the problem instead, including thorough sterilization of the planting medium and frequent use of fungicidal medications during the potting period.

  To sum up, no matter the reason, it all ultimately comes down to the plant itself. If the plant is growing at an ideal rate, has normal coloration, and blooms on schedule, I think there is really no need to prune, or at least not too aggressively…… By all means avoid subjective assumptions. Sometimes soil that feels extremely unbreathable still has cacti growing happily in it…… and after repotting they die instead. How embarrassing!

  For pruning the roots of seedlings, the professor suggests:

  1. Plant out within 1 month of germination, to avoid root pruning caused by overcrowding. The reason for choosing one month is that by then the roots are not yet very long, making transplanting easier. 2. Do not prune the roots too aggressively. 3. Do not prune during the growing season, otherwise, looking back, the seedling will not have grown for a year, which is very frustrating.

  The root system is everything to a plant. Whether a succulent is in good or bad condition and whether its leaves are plump all depend on the health of the root system. Good teeth mean a good appetite, good roots mean a plump succulent - that is roughly what it means! But be careful: if you see roots like the ones below, do not prune them!

  Most succulents in the Crassulaceae family have fibrous root systems, meaning there is no central taproot. The characteristic of a fibrous root system is that the more numerous and evenly sized the fibrous roots are, the higher the efficiency of water absorption.

  So for a root system like the one in the picture below, with many fibrous roots of even length and no dead or withered roots, this kind of root system does not need pruning.

  Some root systems look fine too, but the roots vary in length, which gives the longer roots more opportunity to grow and is unfavorable to the short roots. For this kind of root system, we should decisively prune off the longer portions, that is, snip with scissors at the position of the red line.