How to care for succulents
Today's focus is on how to care for succulents and sharing 6 techniques to make succulents bloom in a pot. Let's follow the editor to see the specific content!
Previously, I discussed some tips on how to keep succulents healthy, but some meat friends commented that they don't like overly controlled growth and want to see the succulents bloom in a pot. Filled with joy and a sense of harvest is also a kind of beauty! Spring is the growing season for succulents and the easiest season to make them bloom. By doing a good job of caring for succulents in spring, a few simple techniques can help the plants grow dense and full.
1. Repotting. To make succulents bloom, they must first grow well, and then the roots need to be healthy. "Caring for the roots first" is the most common saying. Because most of the roots of succulents are capillary roots, they can die during controlled growth, dormancy, or excessive watering, and new roots cannot grow well due to the obstruction of dead roots, leading to insufficient nutrients for the succulents or even causing the plants to become stiff.
Therefore, if succulents haven't been repotted for a long time, it's necessary to trim the roots and repot them in spring, and choose a slightly larger pot based on the size of the plant. Trimming the roots can stimulate rapid growth of the succulent's roots, and a slightly larger pot provides enough space for root growth. With healthy roots, it's not difficult to make the succulents bloom in a pot!
2. Watering. Watering succulents has always been a difficult issue. Excessive watering can cause etiolation or even black rot, while too little water can affect their growth. Therefore, mastering the rhythm of watering is very important. To make succulents bloom, watering should be slightly more than controlled growth. Only when they are well-fed can they quickly produce lateral buds and achieve the effect of blooming in a pot! The specific watering methods have been introduced in previous articles, so I won't elaborate here.
How to care for succulents
3. Fertilizing. Fertilizing is also crucial for making succulents bloom, as the various trace elements needed for their growth must be supplied through fertilization. Spring is also the best time to fertilize succulents, and you can add base fertilizer and slow-release fertilizer during repotting and watering. The specific fertilizing methods have also been introduced in previous articles, so I won't repeat them here.
4. Cutting off the top and pinching. After ensuring the healthy growth of succulents, if they still don't produce lateral buds, you need to consider whether it's due to the variety or use some techniques! Cutting off the top and pinching is one method. By removing the apical dominance, it promotes rapid production of lateral buds and creates a blooming effect in a pot.
Compared to cutting, the scar from cutting is larger, but the top can be used to propagate a new succulent. Pinching leaves a smaller scar and looks more natural. The choice depends on your own situation.
5. Plucking leaves. This technique is gentler compared to the others. After removing the bottom leaves, the stem part is still tender, and there is a chance to produce bud points, achieving the blooming effect. Especially for succulents that have grown too tall, after removing the leaves, they look more beautiful and are more likely to produce lateral buds. Even if no lateral buds appear, they will gradually form an old-stump appearance.