Succulent Root Pruning Tips: How to Prune Succulent Roots

  Back when I used to grow cactus balls, 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 the pot out, the plant would die even without pruning the roots. I always thought plants could no more do without soil than fish can do without water……

  Why do we prune roots?

  Newly purchased succulents generally all need root pruning. This is because the plant may have been out of its pot for many days by the time it arrives home, and the fibrous roots may have dried up or died; if planted directly into soil, the dead roots will mold and rot, affecting normal root growth and the plant's normal development. 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, you can skip root pruning and use physical and chemical methods to avoid the problem instead, including thoroughly sterilizing the planting medium and frequently using fungicidal drugs during the potting period.

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

  As for pruning the roots of small seedlings, the professor suggests:

  1. Plant out within 1 month of seedlings emerging from sowing, to avoid root pruning caused by overcrowded housing. The reason for choosing one month is that by then the roots are not yet very long, making transplanting more convenient. 2. Do not prune the roots too aggressively. 3. Do not prune during the growing season, otherwise when you look back, the seedlings will not have grown for a year, and that will be very frustrating.

  The root system is everything to a plant. Whether a succulent looks good or bad, and whether its leaves are plump, all depend on how healthy the root system is. Good teeth mean a good appetite; good roots mean a plump succulent. That is roughly what it means! But note: when 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 main root. The characteristic of a fibrous root system is that the more fibrous roots there are, and the more even they are, the more efficient water absorption becomes.

  So for a root system like the one in the picture below, with many fibrous roots of even length and no dead or dried roots, there is no need to prune it.

  Some root systems look fine too, but the roots vary in length, which gives the longer roots more growth opportunities and disadvantages 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.