What kind of fertilizer to use for succulents
Article Guide: Knowledge about succulents, what kind of fertilizer to use for succulents, the following editor will provide you with detailed answers
Succulents are different from herbaceous flowers, so many succulent plant enthusiasts do not know what kind of fertilizer to use for succulents, or whether to fertilize succulents at all. There is also a lot of information about succulent fertilizers on the internet. This article focuses on analyzing how to fertilize succulents from different perspectives.
Fertilizers are generally divided into three categories: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The effects are well known, and here's a brief overview: nitrogenous fertilizers promote the growth of plant branches and leaves, phosphorus fertilizers promote flowering and fruiting, and potassium fertilizers promote the robustness of roots and stems. Therefore, enthusiasts can check the ratio when buying fertilizers.
For succulents, it is enough to bury some slow-release flowering fertilizers or organic fertilizers at the bottom of the pot, plus regular potting and soil replacement. Slow-growing succulents almost do not require additional fertilizer supplements. Due to the characteristic of succulents growing a few leaves a year, they consume very little. With less consumption, they naturally require less nourishment, and they also have several months of dormancy throughout the year. Therefore, the nutrients in the existing soil are sufficient.
Advanced fertilization techniques for succulents:
In addition to base fertilizers, succulents can also be considered for top dressing at the right time. This situation is relatively complex because although they are all cacti, different species have different characteristics and significant differences. Moreover, succulents belong to different families and although they all have drought resistance, there are still great differences, and they should be treated differently and fertilized cautiously. For some robust species such as cacti, cactus balls, mammillaria, and strong spines, following the principle of "frequent application of thin fertilizers" during the growing season is perfectly fine.
For some slow-growing species like rock orchids, diascia, and Huagong, it is better to water less or not at all. This means that fertilization and watering should match the growth rate of these species. The slower the water requirement, the less fertilization is needed. However, some succulents are often fertilized with fast-acting fertilizers to increase temperature differences and promote growth, with significant results. Therefore, fertilization must be adjusted according to the growth of the succulents, which can create a virtuous cycle.
There is also a situation where fertilization is necessary, and that is when succulents bloom.
Plant flowering and fruiting require a lot of nutrients, not just the phosphorus fertilizers mentioned earlier. Flowering and fruiting are important life cycle events, and at this time, all parts of the plant will coordinate this important action to support the next generation, including thickening the stem to prevent the flowers and fruits from falling over, deepening the roots to absorb more nutrients, and some plants shedding leaves appropriately to avoid blocking pollination by insects and sunlight for the fruits.
In summary, succulents need more nutrients to support flowering and fruiting, which includes not only the accumulation in the early stages but also timely external supplementation. Wild species of Disocactus are not the same as those cultivated by humans. Although they may produce 3 or 4 flower spikes with several flowers, not every flower has a chance to be pollinated successfully, and often the ratio is even zero (determined by the structure of the flowers in the Liliaceae family). Home cultivation, on the other hand, has a much higher rate of successful pollination, sometimes resulting in up to 20 seedpods on a single flower spike. The situation with Aizoaceae is similar. Therefore, home-grown succulents require more additional nutrient supplements to meet the demands of hybrid pollination.
Flowering fertilizers should be mainly phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, with other elements as auxiliary, and it is best to apply them in liquid form for quick effectiveness. You can choose professional fertilizers like "Flower Friends" or "Flower More," or directly apply monopotassium phosphate. The application ratio should be controlled at around 1:2000, that is, 1 gram of fertilizer mixed with 2 liters of water. It should be noted again that some people think a 1:1000 ratio is more appropriate, but that is for greenhouse and greenhouse cultivation environments where plants grow vigorously. In home environments, plants absorb nutrients at a much slower rate, so it is better to keep it dilute.
Fertilization time should be during the flowering period, starting when the flower spikes appear, once every two weeks, applied together with watering. Continue until the seedpods mature. If you need to control the flowering period and coordinate flowering times, you can apply less or not at all.
It is not common for succulents to lack fertilizer, but over-fertilization causing root burn is often encountered. As mentioned earlier, the osmotic pressure of succulent roots is mainly aimed at over-fertilization, which often results in rotting with each application. However, to make succulents grow more beautifully and relatively faster (which is very rewarding), fertilization is a very important aspect. Once you can keep succulents alive, you should aim to keep them healthy. However, from a conservative perspective, it is better not to fertilize newly cultivated succulents. Since succulents are not very demanding when it comes to fertilizer, the trace elements in the soil are usually enough. Fertilization often involves liquid fertilizers, which can have side effects similar to improper watering. The main reason is that succulent plant enthusiasts often have a mentality of "rushing to grow" and "impatience." After all, succulents have their unique physiological characteristics, and although we can improve their growth rate to some extent by changing the local environment, we cannot fundamentally alter them, or we will fail.
The above is the complete introduction to what kind of fertilizer to use for succulents, for everyone to learn and understand!