How to prune succulents after a long time (how to prune and maintain succulents to make them grow better)

How to prune succulents that have been grown for several years

(1) Cut off the flower stem

Most succulents can be propagated by leaf cuttings and branch cuttings, and there is no need to keep the flower stems.

Because succulents need to consume nutrients to bloom, the consumption of nutrients will also cause the leaves of succulents to become thinner and the distance between leaves to widen.

Therefore, for some varieties whose flowering is not very stunning, you can cut them off when the flower stalks just grow out. There is no need to wait until the flowers bloom and fall.

(2) Clean up dead leaves

Succulent plants do not have obvious branches in the seedling stage. In the later stage, they gradually form woody branches by continuously consuming the leaves outside the leaf disk.

Therefore, when dry leaves appear on the outside of the leaf tray, they can be cleaned up appropriately to prevent the accumulated dead leaves from accumulating moisture during watering and becoming a breeding ground for pathogens and pests.

In addition, regular leaf deadening can maintain good ventilation between the branches of the plant, stimulate budding and make the plant look clean and neat.

(3) Dwarfing and long branches

Succulents are very likely to grow tall due to long-term lack of sunlight or excessive watering. Not only do the branches and trunks of these succulents have low woodiness and green leaves, but they may even have aerial roots at different degrees at the nodes.

Not only is it unsightly, it will also fall over due to lack of support.

Therefore, it is necessary to cut off or prune some of the overgrown branches, which not only has the effect of dwarfing and beautifying the tree, but also breaks the apical dominance, which is conducive to promoting new branches.

   It is also a good idea to use the trimmed leaves or branches for cutting propagation, which not only helps control the shape of the succulents, but also reproduces offspring.

(4) Root pruning and repotting

If succulents that have grown into old stumps have not been repotted for a long time and have thin leaves, slow growth or are basically stagnant, it proves that the root system is aging and the potting soil is lacking in nutrients. You can repot and change the soil in time, and do appropriate root pruning when repotting.

Pruning off some obviously aged and rotten roots is beneficial for stimulating the growth of new roots and inspiring the regrowth of old stumps.