Want to fatten up your succulents? I starved it for a few meals and it actually grew fat!

Why can Rourou grow into a fat boy by skipping a few meals?

Under suitable growing conditions, succulents will grow as tall as they want. They are so willful! If you starve it for a few meals, it will develop a sense of crisis due to lack of food and drink. When you feed it again, it will quickly store energy and will not dare to grow taller in a hurry.

Before you grow more meat, you must first strengthen the roots

Some flower lovers will certainly say, my succulents are already shriveled, who will be responsible if they starve to death after a few meals? Before starving the succulent, as long as you strengthen the roots, you don’t have to worry about the succulent dying of starvation! There are two steps to root care, come and learn!

1. Put it in coconut bran to grow new roots

Some succulents have few or no roots when they are first grown. Huahua recommends putting the succulents in coconut coir first, which is best for the succulents to grow new roots in the early stages of care. Just keep the coconut coir moist.

Why choose coconut bran to grow new roots?

Because coconut bran has relatively small pores, it can maintain the humidity needed for the growth of new roots for a longer period of time, allowing the roots of succulents to branch out earlier, and the new root system will grow denser and more numerous with a larger surface area.

2. Put it in river sand to grow roots

Grow the succulents in coconut coir for a while. When the roots grow thick and numerous, transfer them to river sand to grow the roots. If you don’t have river sand, you can use vermiculite. When nourishing the roots, the water and fertilizer conditions of the succulent should be maintained according to normal conditions.

Why choose river sand for root cultivation?

The particles of river sand are relatively large and have good air permeability, which is more suitable for the growth of roots that have grown strong enough, allowing the root system to grow quickly and well. If you grow succulents in river sand, you don't have to worry about them starving even if you starve them for a few days.

If the succulent plants are hungry like this, they will grow into fat people.

After about 1-2 months of roots growing strong in the river sand, you can then starve the succulent for a few meals. What Huahua means by starving here is controlling the water. How do you control the water specifically?

1. Don't water thoroughly, water in small amounts and multiple times

When reducing watering, do not stop watering all of a sudden. It is best to water in small amounts and multiple times. Do not water thoroughly. Just make the river sand slightly moist. After the river sand absorbs water, the moisture will spread quickly and evenly. There is no need for uneven dryness and wetness.

2. Water in the evening or at night

This is determined by the metabolism of succulents. During the growth period, the stomata of succulents will be closed during the day and will only start to absorb water in the evening. If you water the plants during the day, the river sand will dry up at night and the succulents will lack water, and they will starve.

3. It is best to use a deeper basin

A deeper pot is conducive to retaining water vapor in the lower layer of river sand, and is very suitable for growing succulents while controlling water. Although the river sand at the roots is dry, there is a small amount of water vapor in the lower layer to buffer the drought and protect the roots. If the pot is small and shallow, it will not be able to buffer the water for the roots.