Can you pull off the yellowing bottom leaves of a succulent plant?
Let me share with you some introductions about succulent plants. Can you pull off the yellowing bottom leaves of a succulent plant? Let's follow the editor to see the specific content!
Recently, I've noticed that some succulent enthusiasts have asked this question: Can you pull off the yellowing bottom leaves of a succulent plant? Actually, it's a natural phenomenon for the outer leaves to dry out one by one and in circles. But why does this happen?
Firstly, we don't give the succulents too much water to prevent them from becoming leggy. If we water the succulents every few days, their bottom leaves will not turn yellow and will remain full, not only losing their shape but also continuing to grow taller. Some even 'wear skirts' because the new top leaves have nowhere to go. If the bottom leaves are not consumed, they will continue to push downwards. Of course, in many natural environments, the amount of water succulents can absorb is also limited, which is why they store water in their leaves for future use. Cacti are a perfect example. But if we don't water them much, what happens when they run out of water? They naturally absorb water from their leaves to survive. The yellowing leaves still contain some water that has not been fully absorbed. In fact, they still store a large amount of water for the succulent to absorb. If we pull off the leaves at this time, the plant will have to find a new source of water to absorb.
Secondly, those withered leaves actually still store some nutrients. Don't underestimate those soft, yellowing leaves. Sometimes, a couple of leaves may not seem significant, but over time, it adds up to a lot of wasted nutrition. Since succulents don't need much nutrition, the nutrients they produce are enough for their own use, so pulling them off is actually a waste.
So, when can you pull them off?
In fact, at a certain stage, you can pull off the old leaves to prevent them from affecting the appearance, but you need to make sure it's the right time. Generally, when the nutrients in the leaves are fully absorbed, the remaining leaves will become thinner and drier, and the older ones may even break at the slightest touch (usually seen in outdoor-grown succulents). Of course, we don't have to wait until they break to pull them off, but we also shouldn't be in a hurry.
The following image is an example where there is no need to remove the leaves.
This situation is one where you can remove them. You can clearly see that although the leaves are still a bit soft, they are actually dry.
This article shares the specific introduction of whether you can pull off the yellowing bottom leaves of a succulent plant for reference by netizens.