Caring for the succulent plant "Fairy Cup"
About the planting of the succulent plant "Fairy Cup," and the experience in caring for it, let me introduce it as follows.
The "Fairy Cup" has many varieties, the most commonly seen ones are Chushuang, Baiju, Yujian, Bangye, and Luye, which are mostly clustering, with Xue Shan being the main single-headed variety. The origin is mostly from South Korea, with some also coming from the United States, and these are more expensive.
Fairy Cup prefers dry, well-lit places but is afraid of direct sunlight. It will hibernate in the summer and does not like humidity. Understanding the preferences of the fairies can help in soil preparation.
Soil preparation: LZ generally uses all-granular soil with 10% peat. Granular soil can be mixtures of maifan stone, iris stone, green boiling stone, or red jade. You can choose two or three types to mix together. It is not recommended to use deer fertilizer because it is often fake and prone to powdering, which is not conducive to water permeability and aeration. Then add 10% peat.
Pottery: It is recommended to use purple sand or rough ceramic pots. Ceramic pots are not recommended. Fully glazed inside and out, they are aesthetically pleasing but not very breathable. If watered heavily once, it may not dry for three to five days, and the roots can easily rot.
Now, let's talk about root development. Many people ask how to grow roots for the Fairy Cup. Some have no roots and are cut directly from the top. How to grow them? Some people don't even get roots for half a year. But I want to say, how do Echeverias grow roots? When the succulents arrive, trim the roots, let them dry, then plant them in slightly moist or dry soil, and water after a week. The Fairy Cup is also an Echeveria, so why doesn't it grow roots? How to grow roots?
In one sentence, Fairy Cup needs a lot of water to grow roots, a lot of water. After planting for three to five days, pour a large amount of water to saturate the soil. Place it in a place with soft light, as long as there is good ventilation, if it is kept outdoors, just leave it alone. After a week or five days, come back and check the pot. If the soil is dry, pour another large amount of water, and then you can do whatever you need to do. If it's a good season, not too hot or too cold, it will definitely grow roots in half a month to a month.
Please don't dig it out to check if it has grown roots. We also need to adapt to a new environment for a while, let alone plants. They are trying their best to grow roots, and if you pull them out, all the effort they've put in will be wasted. You have to start over, which is very tiring. So, the summary is: all-granular soil, breathable pot, heavy watering for root growth, dry and then water thoroughly, and there will be no problem with root growth.
After the Fairy Cup has grown roots and stabilized, it's time to start controlling the water gradually. The leaves of the Fairy Cup should be neat and compact to look beautiful. Too much water will cause it to stretch and grow long. It's easy to stretch, but hard to control it back. So, you must control the water a bit, and the old leaves will gradually consume and accumulate on the stem, with dried leaves and red leaves providing a contrast that is both weathered and eye-catching. This is the beauty of the Fairy Cup. Regarding the dried leaves, try to keep some to protect the fresh leaves.
About caring for the dormant period, when the temperature is above 30 degrees Celsius in the summer, the Fairy Cup starts to rest. Place it in a cool, well-ventilated area and leave it alone. Water it lightly around the pot once a month, and by the time autumn comes, they will look beautiful again. These are some of my own experiences in caring for the Fairy Cup, which I share with everyone.
That is all about the method of caring for the succulent plant Fairy Cup, which can be used as a reference for everyone.