Do I need to prune the roots of succulents planted in winter? (Do I need to prune the roots of succulents planted in winter?)

Growing succulents in winter is still very challenging. It is more difficult to grow succulents in low temperature seasons than in high temperature seasons, especially for succulents bought in winter. It still takes some effort to grow them well.

Among them, root pruning of succulent plants must be done whether you are repotting them at home, during the growing season, the season with high temperatures, or the season with low temperatures. As long as you want to repot or replant them, you must prune the roots .

The best time to repot and prune the roots of succulent plants is in spring and autumn:

Most succulents have their main growing season in spring and autumn, and only a few have no obvious dormancy period or can withstand short-term low temperatures below 0°C.

In addition, it likes sunlight and is drought-resistant, so it needs sufficient sunlight, a relatively dry breeding environment and a temperature difference of more than 10°C to color itself. Therefore, autumn and early winter are the most beautiful seasons of the year for succulents!

The high temperature and high humidity in summer are the peak period for diseases and pests of succulents, as well as their dormant season, so it is also the clearance season for succulents.

Since succulents need to go through an acclimatization period after repotting and root pruning, the repotting and root pruning of succulents are generally carried out during the vigorous growth season in spring and autumn, which is conducive to rapid acclimatization.

When pruning the roots of succulents in winter, you need to pay attention to these issues:

Try to keep the ambient temperature above 5℃. If the ambient temperature is too low, the succulents will be in a semi-dormant state and the acclimatization period will be prolonged.

It is recommended to prune the roots of succulents on a small scale in winter, just trimming off some fibrous roots, empty roots, and rotten roots.

After pruning the roots, try to soak them in a solution of carbendazim to sterilize and disinfect them. After the wounds are dried, use moist soil to pot them and place them in a warm, ventilated and diffused light environment.

The acclimatization period for succulents generally does not exceed 2 weeks. During this period, pay attention to controlling the humidity of the potting soil and keeping the ambient temperature no lower than 5°C. Even if you trim the roots and repot in winter, the plants can still acclimate normally.

Compared with summer, in winter, as long as the local ambient temperature is not lower than 0℃ and the potting soil is relatively dry, even if succulents do not grow much, they will not be as prone to leaf drop, leaf waterlogging and black rot as in summer.

However, they are prone to fading and growing too tall if they are exposed to low temperatures and lack of sunlight for a long time, so even if you bring succulents indoors in winter, you should still place them where they can receive scattered sunlight.

In cold and humid areas, you may also consider using fill lights for a short period of time, which can provide both fill light and warmth, killing two birds with one stone.