Do the leaves at the bottom of the succulent wither and need to be removed (clean and cut off the bottom leaves when they are dry)

Cleaning dried leaves is good for succulents

The process of leaf consumption of succulent plants is also the process of natural lignification of branches and trunks, slowly forming old stumps. Although most of the dead leaves can fall off naturally, some old stumps with thin leaves that are consumed faster still need to be manually cleaned appropriately.

Regularly cleaning up dead leaves can not only keep succulents fresh and neat, but also help the plants maintain good ventilation. It can also effectively prevent scale insects from hiding and other pathogens and pests from breeding due to water accumulation in dead leaves and poor ventilation.

Basic principles for cleaning dead leaves for succulents

① Clean up the dead leaves, mainly the outer leaves that are basically dry or completely withered.

   Such dead leaves do not require brute force and can fall off naturally with a gentle pull of tweezers without forming obvious wounds.

② Do not pull the leaves that are not completely consumed with brute force

   Frequent shaking can not only strain the branches, but also damage the root system. In addition, leaves that are pulled off directly due to unnatural consumption can easily form scars on the branches.

③ After cleaning up dead leaves on a large scale, it is not advisable to expose the area to rain or water it immediately.

   At this time, controlling water and maintaining good ventilation will help the wound dry and heal quickly.

④ Dormant period succulents

In midsummer, the outer leaves of dormant succulents may dry up. This is a normal phenomenon and does not require frequent or excessive cleaning. Appropriate dead leaves can prevent excessive evaporation of water in a high temperature environment and protect the heart of the leaves.

⑤ Newly purchased succulents

For newly purchased succulents, especially old clusters, you should try to clean up the dead leaves on the bottom before potting them up, so that you can detect whether they are carrying scale insects in time.

⑥ Remove dead leaves when growing multiple heads outdoors

Before the rainy season and summer, succulent plants grown outdoors need to be thoroughly cleaned of dead leaves to avoid water accumulation and poor ventilation after rain, which increases the chance of infection by scale insects and black rot.