Friends' viewpoints on fertilizing succulents
If you want to learn about succulents, here are some friends' viewpoints on fertilizing succulents. If there are any mistakes, please correct them!
After reading several posts discussing soil and maintenance, they all mentioned the issue of fertilizing (nutrition) for succulents. Some say to add some organic fertilizers, others say to add some slow-release fertilizers. I have some personal opinions on this, which I would like to share and discuss with everyone.
We all know that soil is the foundation for cultivating plants. It not only fixes the plant, but also serves as the main source of nutrition. High-quality potting soil can not only provide the nutrients needed for the growth and development of succulents, but also coordinates the relationship between water, nutrients, air, and heat in the local environment, creating a comfortable environment for the roots. Specifically for succulents, simply put, the soil should be loose and breathable, well-drained, and have a certain granular structure, providing sandy loam soil that can provide the necessary nutrients during the plant's growing period.
In order to provide a better growing environment for succulents, I have also studied soil issues. I downloaded and read several papers on succulents from Beijing Agricultural College and specifically searched for the native environments of some succulents, obtaining the following information:
Lithops: Native to the gravel of southern Africa (various stone flowers).
Echeveria: Native to the Gobi region of Mexico, requiring a certain amount of humus layer. (Black Priest, Jade Dragon观音, etc.)
Albizzia: Mainly distributed in South Africa and Namibia. Perennial herbs, small plants, difficulty flowering after severe drought, often seeds not easily collected (various named as Albizia or Tianzhang succulents).
Sedum: Mainly produced in Mexico, also distributed in China, mainly growing in mountainous areas with humus layers (Snow莲花, Chihuahua, Black Prince, Pi's Sedum, Purple Pearl, Frost's Dawn, Dahe Jin, Lina莲, etc.).
From the native habitats of the above succulents, it can be seen that the characteristic environments of most common succulent varieties are warm, dry, sunny, mountainous or Gobi regions (convenient drainage), and the soil is loose and relatively poor.
So we ask a question, what principles should we follow when raising succulents? Needless to say, it is to choose an environment similar to the native one. Here, let's focus on whether or not fertilizers need to be applied.
My answer is: no, at least most of them don't need it (greenhouse succulents are unknown and not within the scope of discussion).
The reasons are as follows:
1. Succulents have adapted to a porous, loose, and poor growth environment over the years and do not need too much nutrition to grow normally.
2. The nutrients provided by the potting soil for raising succulents are already sufficient (especially the peat soil, which contains more than 60% organic matter).
3. The culture medium (such as peat soil) itself is a gentle fertilizer with high efficacy and long duration. Moreover, the various granules added to the succulent culture soil (such as vermiculite, perlite, and red jade soil) have large pores, which can regulate the release rate of fertilizer efficacy. They are all minerals, with some having high mineral element content, which can fully meet the growth needs of succulents.
4. Never randomly add untreated organic fertilizers to avoid introducing pests and diseases (I am quite familiar with fertilizers due to my work).
5. Of course, if someone insists on adding fertilizers, I am not against it, but I suggest adding a small amount, especially for propagation by cutting.
The above is only my personal opinion. Welcome everyone to discuss.
Here are some pictures of my succulents. I have never added any fertilizers, and they are growing exceptionally well. The pots are not good enough, and I plan to change them.
The above sharing is the complete content of the friends' viewpoints on fertilizing succulents. Have the green plant enthusiasts understood it?