Should you cut off succulent flowers when they bloom? Here's the correct way to handle them

When a succulent at home suddenly blooms, do you feel both delighted and worried? Don't worry, succulent blooming is actually a natural phenomenon during the growth process. Below are a few tips so you can handle succulent blooming with ease next time.

Keep the Flowers for Enjoyment

If you come across succulent flowers with plump petals and vivid colors, you can keep them and enjoy them! During the viewing period, use a1000-fold diluted monopotassium phosphate solution and spray once every2 weeks. Remember to turn the pot toward the sunlight so the flowers color evenly. Pink, tender flowers paired with plump, chubby leaves instantly look stunningly beautiful.

Cut the Flowers to Protect the Plant

If you run into loose flower shapes, dull colors, or leaves starting to shrivel, cut the flowers without hesitation! Use sharp scissors sterilized with alcohol, cut at an angle right at the base of the flower stalk, and apply carbendazim powder to the wound. After cutting, pause watering for3 days to reduce the risk of root rot, and you will soon be rewarded with a pot bursting with side shoots.

Cuttings from Flower Stalks

Don't throw away the flower stalks! Let the wound dry for2 days, then insert it at an angle into a1:1 mix of vermiculite and perlite, water thoroughly to settle the roots, then place it in bright, indirect light. Mist a little water on the soil surface every day, and in15-20 days you will see tender white roots! Recommended varieties include Graptopetalum paraguayense and Pachyphytum oviferum, with a cutting success rate as high as90%

Pollination and Crossbreeding

Prepare a soft brush/cotton swab, and in the morning from9-11 o'clock, when the stamens have the most pollen, first brush pollen from varietyA, then apply it to the stigma of varietyB. After pollination, cover with a transparent plastic bag to keep it moist, and45 days later, once the seed pod splits open, you can collect the seeds!

Pitfall Prevention Guide

1.Always sterilize your flower-cutting tools! Bacterial infection will make the whole plant rot and turn black. You can keep a dedicated pair of gardening scissors and wipe them with alcohol pads before and after every use.

2.Don't let them get rained on after pollination! Moisture will make the seed pod rot prematurely. If it rains, promptly move the pollinated succulents indoors.

3.When taking cuttings, don't give in to the urge to pull them up and check! Frequent movement will break the roots. You can judge whether roots have formed by observing the leaves at the tip of the flower stalk. If the leaves become plump and glossy, that means rooting has succeeded.

4.Some succulents consume a large amount of nutrients when they bloom. Even if you keep the flowers, it may cause the plant to weaken or even die. For this type of succulent, such as Mountain Rose and Orostachys, even if the flowers are beautiful, from the perspective of the plant's health, it is recommended to cut off the flower stalks.