The 4W Rule for Fertilizing Succulents
Summary: This article shares experience related to succulents, the 4W rule for fertilizing succulents. If there are any mistakes, please feel free to correct them!
Many succulent enthusiasts have questions about fertilizing, such as how to fertilize succulents, what kind of fertilizer to use, liquid fertilizer or slow-release fertilizer, and so on. To address these doubts, some enthusiasts have summarized the 4W fertilizing rule.
1. "What" kind of fertilizer to use?
① Special slow-release granular fertilizer, which releases its nutrients gradually as the temperature rises, without burning the roots directly.
② Nitrogen fertilizer, which promotes tree growth, increases chlorophyll, and strengthens nutritional growth. Too much nitrogen can lead to soft tissue, stem and leaf elongation, vulnerability to pests and diseases, reduced cold resistance; insufficient nitrogen results in small plants, yellow-green leaves, slow growth, and no flowering. Nitrogen is mainly derived from atmospheric nitrogen, dissolved in rainwater through oxidation. If there's too much rain, succulents may overgrow. This includes ammonium bicarbonate, urea, nitrate, ammonia water, sodium chloride, sulfate, etc.
③ Phosphate fertilizer, which makes the stems and branches of trees tough, promotes bud formation, results in large and colorful flowers, and helps succulents grow well, develop new roots, and improve cold and drought resistance. Phosphate deficiency can lead to slow tree growth, small leaves, reduced branching or tillering, small flowers and fruits, late maturity, and yellowing between the veins of the lower leaves followed by purple-red discoloration. Phosphorus mainly comes from tap water, and although the content is low, it's enough for succulents unless you're breeding them for flowering. This includes common superphosphate, calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer, etc. Animal bones are also rich in phosphorus, so mixing a small amount of bone meal into the potting mix can promote root growth in succulents.
④ Potassium fertilizer, which strengthens the stems of trees, improves resistance to pests and diseases, cold and drought, and prevents lodging. It promotes root development, enlarges bulbs, and helps fruit expansion with good color. Potassium deficiency causes necrotic spots on the leaf edges of trees, first on the lower older leaves, followed by yellowing of the leaf edges and tips, then necrosis. Excessive potassium can lead to shortened internodes, dwarfing of the whole plant, yellowing leaves, wilting, and even death. Potassium mainly comes from akadama soil, volcanic rock, and other granular soils. Currently, it is not used much, with main varieties including potassium chloride, potassium sulfate, potassium nitrate, etc.
2. "When" to fertilize?
Generally, fertilizing is done during the growing period and flowering period. Fertilizing during flowering starts when the flower spike appears, once every half month, applied together with watering. Continue until the seedpods mature. If you need to control the flowering period and coordinate the flowering time of individuals, you can fertilize less or not at all.
3. "Where" to fertilize?
Basic fertilizer: Mixed directly into the soil during planting, commonly used materials include wood ash, bone meal, shell meal, and decomposed animal manure. Since most succulents prefer soil with a certain amount of lime, bone meal, eggshell powder, and other lime materials can be mixed into the soil.
Top-dressing: Succulents have a high demand for nutrients at certain periods (flowering period) to supplement the basic fertilizer's insufficiency. This should be done according to the differences in varieties and growth stages.
Slow-release fertilizers and organic fertilizers can be buried in the soil or placed on the soil surface, while liquid fertilizers need to be sprayed on the leaves or poured on the roots.
4. "Who" to fertilize for which variety?
Fertilizing succulents needs to be done according to the differences in varieties and seasons.
In the summer, most succulents from the Agave, Cactaceae, Apocynaceae, and Asclepiadaceae families are in their peak growing season. However, "winter-growing" succulents such as the Lithops, Conophytum, Pleiospilos, and Haworthia mausima from the Aizoaceae family and the Sempervivum family enter a dormant or semi-dormant period, with growth completely halted or extremely slow, requiring few nutrients. Therefore, for "summer-growing" types, ample water and fertilizer (G-Y) should be provided, while "winter-growing" types should stop fertilizing to avoid root rot. In September, "winter-growing" succulents gradually start to grow and should be fertilized to provide adequate nutrients for plant growth. "Summer-growing" succulents enter a dormant state and should stop fertilizing.
5. "How" to fertilize and how much?
Fertilizing is generally lighter rather than heavier, and if needed, it can be applied multiple times. The amount of fertilizer per application can be roughly equivalent to the amount of water used for watering. The soil should be basically dry before fertilizing, and loosening the soil before fertilizing can achieve better results. The type of fertilizer should be chosen based on the type of plant and growth stage, with nitrogen fertilizer preferred during the seedling stage, and phosphorus and potassium fertilizers during the bud differentiation and flowering fruiting stages. Nitrogen fertilizer can be more in the spring, and less before winter. Succulents with more leaves can use slightly more nitrogen, while stem-like succulents and spherical cacti should focus on phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Flower fertilizers should mainly contain phosphorus and potassium, with other elements as supplements, and it's best to apply them in liquid form for quick results. Professional flower fertilizers like "Flower Friends" or "Flower More" can be chosen, or directly applying monopotassium phosphate. The application ratio should be controlled at around 1:2000, that is, 1 gram of fertilizer per 2 liters of water. It should be noted again that some people think a 1:1000 ratio is more suitable, but that is for greenhouse and greenhouse cultivation environments where plants grow vigorously. In a home environment, the speed at which plants absorb (S-Y) nutrients is far less than that in greenhouses and greenhouses, so keep it light if possible.
6. "Look" Precautions?
① Do not fertilize newly potted plants, those with poor growth, root damage, leaf wounds, or plants affected by red spider mites that have turned completely rust-colored.
② Organic fertilizers must be fully decomposed before use.
③ Do not fertilize young seedlings that have just emerged from the soil within the first month.
④ Do not use smelly fertilizers in the city.
⑤ Do not use salty meat broth, vegetable juice, and fresh milk or soy milk as fertilizers.
⑥ Do not place fresh eggshells on the potting soil as fertilizer.
The above is the related explanation of the 4W rule for fertilizing succulents, hoping to bring a little help to your life!