55 must-know tips for growing succulents, words of love and tears from a succulent grower with 20 years of experience!

getting Started

1. Getting started is a process from simple to complex. We are all novices at the beginning. It is best not to aim too high and buy a lot of expensive goods at once. Otherwise, you will regret it.

2. Don’t think that hobbies are just entertainment. If you have time, remember to visit forums and learn new knowledge.

3. Go out for a walk more often, even if it’s just to the downstairs of a residential building or to a stall at a morning market...you might find a surprise.

4. If you are ready to take the plunge, don’t choose summer. Spring and autumn are good times to buy succulents. For example, now is a good time to buy succulents.

5. There are many ways to buy succulents. Online shopping is a good idea, but you must compare prices from different stores to pick good, cheap and beautiful succulents. If you are worried, just go to the local flower market and buy it. It is fun to choose it yourself.

Prepare

6. If you are eager to try and want to grow a succulent plant of your own, it is recommended that you first choose succulents that are easy to care for and not delicate, such as Radiant Sunflower, White Peony, Black Magic, etc.

7. If you want to experience the beauty of a pot bursting with flowers, you can choose varieties that are easy to bloom in a short period of time, such as Sedum melongena, Sedum sphenanthera, and Sedum sphenanthera.

8. If you want to decorate the balcony windowsill, you can choose succulents with clear layers and strong three-dimensional sense, such as love vine, Buddhist beads, purple moon, etc.

9. For those succulent lovers who are busy with work and study but still want to appreciate the beauty of succulents, you can choose varieties that are tenacious and can withstand extreme heat, such as echinops and sempervivum.

10. If you want to enjoy the fun of breeding, you can choose succulents that are easy to produce young, such as Echeveria sempervivum and Echeveria truncatula.

container

11. You don’t need to buy a lot of colorful high-end pots at the beginning, because if you put too many of these pots, it will look messy, and many of them will end up being idle.

12. Prepare several hanging pots. It’s great to plant hanging succulents that are prone to bursting from their pots.

13. You need to buy several seedling trays so that they can be arranged neatly when leaf cuttings are taken, which is convenient for observation and maintenance.

14. It is best to buy a few ceramic pots or clay pots, which are more breathable, less likely to cause root rot, and are simple and affordable.

15. In fact, many things in life can be used to grow succulents, such as cans, plastic bottles, small cups...

Planting material

16. There are many materials that can be used as planting materials for succulents. You can use them locally and mix them yourself.

17. The most common combination is peat soil and perlite.

18. Finished soil is expensive, but it is convenient, simple and hassle-free.

19. Paving is a must, and Akadama soil or Kanuma soil is best.

20. It is also necessary to put something at the bottom of the pot. First, put a layer of expanded clay or gravel at the bottom of the pot, and then lay a layer of non-woven fabric or gauze to prevent soil loss.

Basin

21. Remember to trim the roots after buying it. (1) Clean the soil off the roots. (2) Check to see if there are any insects. If there are, soak the plants in Flower Protector. (3) Cut off the dry and overly long roots, leaving only 3 cm long.

22. After pruning the roots, don’t rush to pot it. Place it in a cool and ventilated place to dry for 5 hours first.

23. Put dry soil into the pot and water it thoroughly.

24. After potting, you can use some rooting water, which has a very good effect.

25. Avoid direct sunlight for 3 weeks after potting. Because succulents need a process to slowly grow their roots. You can sunbathe after 3 weeks.

Serve basin

26. After a period of time after the succulent is planted in the pot, you will find that the leaves at the bottom of the pot gradually wither. This is a normal phenomenon of acclimatization. When the leaves start to grow normally and regain vitality, it means the succulent has adapted.

27. Acclimating to potting is the process of succulents taking root and growing.

28. If you want to repot, it is best to do so in spring or autumn.

29. If you find that the succulent is growing crooked after potting it, you can use a bamboo stick to insert into the soil next to it to support it.

30. Do not water too much during the acclimatization period. When you see the old leaves become dry and soft, you can give some water along the edge of the pot.

Maintenance

31. If you don’t take good care of a good breed, its quality will still be bad. If you take good care of ordinary goods, they can still become fairies. This shows the importance of maintenance.

32. Don’t be impatient. Growing succulents requires slow progress because they do not grow as fast as plants and flowers.

33. Sunshine is the most important. In spring, autumn and winter, succulents must be placed in a place where they can receive direct sunlight, such as a south balcony. Appropriate shade can be provided in summer.

34. Water comes second. Water thoroughly when the soil is completely dry. It couldn't be simpler. Note that you need to stop watering during the dog days of summer. If the pot for succulent plants is small, you can use the lifting the pot method. When you feel the pot becomes noticeably lighter, you can water it. Remember to save buckets of rainwater when it rains. It is good for growing succulents.

35. Pay attention to ventilation as well. It is best to place it outdoors, followed by opening a large window in the balcony, and then by a bay window.

Out state

In the period from late spring to late summer, leggy growth of succulents is sometimes unavoidable. It doesn’t matter, the leaves that turn into old stumps and sprout side buds in autumn are still beautiful.

37. Starting from the beginning of autumn, succulents can be prepared. After pruning the roots and repotting in autumn, sprinkle a few grains of slow-release fertilizer on the surface of the pot.

38. Mix some bone meal, potassium dihydrogen phosphate and carbendazim into the planting material.

39. Full-sun maintenance is recommended in autumn. Succulents outdoors get plenty of sunlight and have rich, bright colors. Glass blocks ultraviolet rays, so the color of indoor succulents is generally lighter.

40. Large temperature differences can easily cause the plant to grow out of condition, and it is best to grow it outdoors if conditions permit.

Leaf cuttings

41. Break off leaves in spring and autumn, and become a wealthy family by leaf cuttings. Just twist the blades and they will come off. It's very simple, don't be afraid of tearing them.

42. Be sure to choose healthy and full leaves, otherwise the chance of germination is small.

43. There is no need to prepare special materials for leaf cuttings. Just use ordinary soil without adding a surface. In greenhouses, most plants are planted at an angle, but it is better for us to place them flat to avoid rotting.

44. If you have waited for a long time but only roots or tumors have grown, just cut them off decisively and continue waiting for them to sprout.

45. When the small buds grow and the mother leaves wither, just pick off the withered leaves and throw them away. If it does not wither, you can pick it off and plant it in leaf cuttings again.

Beheading

46. ​​Late spring and autumn are suitable times for beheading. Choose a reasonable location and place the mother plant and the cut seedlings in a cool and ventilated place to allow the wound to heal.

47. After the wound heals, lay it flat on the planting material in a ventilated and well-lit location. It will take root in about a week.

48. After the roots have grown, you can plant them in pots. Carefully plant the succulents in the planting material, taking care not to break the roots.

49. There is an acclimatization period after potting. Please refer to the above paragraph on “acclimatization”.

50. After the plant has adapted to the pot, you can carry out normal maintenance.

Root rot

51. If the degree of rot is light, you can break off the rotten leaves and throw them away, apply carbendazim to the wounds, dry them in a cool place, and then maintain them normally.

52. If the rot is severe, for example, the root system is rotten. You can break off healthy leaves, apply carbendazim on the cross-section, dry it, and then do leaf cuttings.

Pests

53. Control of red spider mites. Red spider mites are quite stubborn, so you can increase the air humidity and spray them with ant insecticide.

54. Scale insects. Use 75% alcohol to repeatedly wipe leaves that attract insects. It evaporates quickly, leaves little residue, and can also kill larvae that are invisible to the human eye. You can also spray it with 800 times diluted Supusha.

55. Aphids. If there are a few, you can catch them manually. If there are a lot, you can use ant insect forest mixed with water to spray them.