How to fertilize succulents? Practical tips explained in one article

Fertilizing succulents has always been one of the difficult problems for flower enthusiasts, such as when to fertilize succulents, what fertilizer to apply, what to pay attention to when fertilizing, and so on. Faced with these questions, some flower enthusiasts have summarized the 4W 1H 1L rule, let's read on and learn about it~

The 4W 1H 1L rule of fertilizing

1. “What” What fertilizer to apply?

1. Special granular slow-release fertilizer. This kind of fertilizer gradually releases its fertility as the temperature rises and will not directly burn the roots.

2. Nitrogen fertilizer promotes lush growth of trees, increases chlorophyll, and strengthens vegetative growth; too much nitrogen fertilizer will lead to soft tissues, leggy stems and leaves, susceptibility to pests and diseases, and reduced cold resistance; a lack of nitrogen fertilizer will make the plant small and thin, with yellow-green leaves, slow growth, and inability to bloom. Nitrogen mainly comes from nitrogen gas in the air, which dissolves in rainwater through oxidation reactions. If it is exposed to too much rainwater, succulents will become leggy. It includes ammonium bicarbonate, urea, ammonium nitrate, ammonia water, sodium chloride, ammonium sulfate, etc.

3. Phosphorus fertilizer makes tree stems and branches tough, promotes flower bud formation, large and brightly colored flowers, and can make succulents grow and develop well, produce more new roots, and improve cold and drought resistance; insufficient phosphorus fertilizer makes trees grow slowly, with small leaves, fewer branches or tillers, small flowers and fruits, late maturity, and the veins between the lower leaves first turn yellow and then appear purplish red. Phosphorus mainly comes from tap water. Although the content is low, as long as you are not growing succulents for flowering and breeding, it is enough for succulents. It includes ordinary calcium superphosphate, calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer, etc. Animal bones are also rich in phosphorus, so mixing a small amount of bone meal into the bottom of the pot can promote root growth in succulents.

4. Potassium fertilizer can make tree stems strong, improve resistance to pests and diseases, cold, drought, and lodging, promote well-developed roots, enlarge bulbs, and promote fruit enlargement and good color; potassium deficiency will cause necrotic spots on the leaf edges of trees. Initially, spots appear on the lower old leaves, the leaf edges and tips begin to turn yellow, and then scorch and necrosis occur; excessive potassium fertilizer will cause shortened internodes, dwarfing of the whole plant, yellowing of leaf color, wilting, and even death. Potassium mainly comes from granular soils such as akadama soil and volcanic rock. At present, it is not applied much. The main varieties include potassium chloride, potassium sulfate, potassium nitrate, etc.

2. “When" When to fertilize?