By the term "succulents" today we mean a group of plants that are not related by their origin, but have the same living conditions. In the natural environment, they usually grow in arid regions. These plants are characterized by good resistance to temperature fluctuations and lighting. In this article, we will look at how to care for succulents at home.
Transfer
What conditions does a succulent flower require? How to care for such a plant? First of all, after the purchase, you will need to transplant it. In this matter, special attention should be paid to the choice of pot. Try to choose the right size. It should be 2 cm wider than your plant. For flowers with fleshy stems and leaves (stonecrop, echeveria, pachyveria), small ceramic or clay planters are suitable. For succulents, wide but low capacities are usually used. Plants with a well-developed root system will need a regular drainage pot.
The best time to transplant succulents is spring and summer. If you bought a plant in winter, then experts recommend leaving it without a transplant until spring. For the procedure itself, you will need land and drainage. For the latter, fine expanded clay is best suited. As a substrate, use a store substrate for cacti and succulents. Coarse sand should be added to it. If you do not use the bulk from the store, then pre-heat on the stove. Also for the soil you will need a few pebbles such as expanded clay or gravel, charcoal and coconut substrate. High peat content is best avoided. The soil should pass air and moisture well, be light.
Transplant Procedure
How to care for succulents? Brief instructions for plant transplantation are given below:
- Before planting, all tools and the pot should be washed well in hot water.
- To get a plant out of a plastic pot, you just need to slightly press on the walls in a circle.
- It will be easier to remove the culture from the ceramic pot when the soil dries.
- Carefully turn the pot over and remove the plant.
- Large crops are best transplanted using transhipment along with an earthen lump.
- In small plants, remove the old substrate from the roots. For this purpose, they are washed in water.
How to transplant aloe vera?
Let's dwell on this in more detail. Aloe vera also belongs to the "succulents" variety. How to care for this plant at home? How to transplant? At the bottom of the pot intended for transplantation, drainage should be laid. If the capacity is high, it is necessary to put 5-7 cm of drainage. For a low pot, 2-3 cm will be enough. A prepared substrate is laid out on top. Tamping it is not necessary. A couple of centimeters should remain from the top of the pot to the soil level. After that, the plant is placed in a substrate and covered with sand with small pebbles on top so that they cover the roots. You can put on top a regular substrate mixed with expanded clay. Immediately after transplantation, the plant should be placed in a bright place, but not in direct sunlight. Watering the crop is not necessary. A couple of days, she must adapt to new conditions. Before transplanting, the soil should also be allowed to dry thoroughly.
Watering
So what do you need to know about this? One of the most important points in answering the question of how to properly care for succulents at home is watering. Water should not be allowed to enter the outlet and leaves of the plant. This can lead to rot. If there are holes at the bottom of the pot, you can use the lower watering technique.
Succulents should be saturated with moisture regularly. In summer, this must be done a couple of times a week, in winter - once every 21 days. Before watering, always check the condition of the topsoil. It must be dry.
For irrigation it is recommended to use settled water at room temperature. If there are no drainage holes in the pot, then the amount of liquid to be introduced should be limited. If you notice that the leaves of the plant have become soft, the amount of water should be increased.
Lighting
This aspect should be given special attention. Many beginner gardeners are interested in plants such as succulents. How to plant and care for these flowers at home? Pots with plants should be located on the south side. However, in the summer, despite the fact that succulents are well tolerated by sunlight, it is better to shade them. Immediately after the purchase, the plant should be gradually accustomed to bright sunlight. The same rule applies to adaptation after the cold season.
The color of the leaves of some types of succulents is directly dependent on solar exposure. For example, agave-shaped echeveria in the sun acquires a bright red color. The same reaction is shown by a stonecrop of Nussbaummer and Echeveria Pulidonis.
Humidity
Under what conditions do succulents grow? How to plant and care for such plants at home? Succulents like high humidity. But you should not spray leaves with water. It is better to use a special humidifier to maintain the required humidity level in the apartment. You can also just put the plant next to the aquarium. If it is not possible to maintain the required humidity level in the room, give the plant access to fresh air. For this purpose, you can simply open the window or take out the flower on the balcony. However, care should be taken here - succulents do not tolerate drafts.
Temperature
How to care for succulents at home? At what temperature will they grow better? Swings they tolerate well. This is especially true for changes in the daytime and nighttime. In daylight, the optimal air temperature will be +25 ... 30 degrees, at night +15 ... 18. In the warm season, the plant can be completely relocated to the terrace or balcony. In winter, you can keep the culture at a temperature of 15-18 degrees. At night in the cold season, a reduction to 13-15 degrees is permissible.
Fertilizer
How to grow a mix of succulents? How to care for these plants? Do they need top dressing? Succulents cannot be fertilized in winter. During this period they are at rest. Also, do not fertilize immediately after transplantation. It is best to apply nutrient fertilizers in the spring, during the growth period. For succulents, special dressings are suitable, which can be purchased at a flower shop. If you prefer to use universal fertilizers, then avoid an excess of nitrogen in their composition. This substance contributes to the decay of the roots. It is better to apply top dressing with a high content of potassium and phosphorus. Experienced growers recommend treating succulents with Pokon fertilizer. You can buy it at any flower shop. For a 250 ml bottle you will have to pay about 250 rubles.
Parasites
Succulents rarely suffer from pests. However, with improper care, nematodes and thrips can start in the roots of plants. Similar problems arise when the soil or filler was taken from the cottage area and did not go through the heat treatment procedure. There are two ways to correct this situation: propagate the plant by the apex or transplant the plant with complete cleansing of the roots from the previous soil and their disinfection.
Disease
Let's look at this aspect in more detail. How to care for succulents at home? What problems can arise when growing? Beginning flower growers often experience root decay. This disease can destroy the whole plant. To prevent the formation of rot, it is recommended to observe the watering regime. Also, when transplanting into the soil for a plant, charcoal must be added.
Often on the succulents forms the botrytis fungus. A clear sign is the appearance of brown spots on the leaves and shoots. In this case, to get rid of the problem, it is necessary to cut off the affected leaves. It is also recommended to leave the soil dry for a couple of days and reduce watering. After this, the plant should be treated with a fungicide solution.
The defeat of the erwinium bacterium is not to be confused with anything. In addition to brown spots on the leaves, it also causes an unpleasant odor. In order to cure the plant, it is necessary to completely cut off the affected parts. It is also recommended to reduce watering and treat the flower with a solution of potassium permanganate. For the prevention of succulents, it is recommended to periodically check for brown spots and rot.
A greenish or reddish coating may indicate the appearance of penigillosis on the plant. To combat it, it is recommended to treat the affected parts of the plant with an alkaline solution or potassium permanganate.
If the plant died without any external signs of disease, then the reason most likely is the infection of the root system with pests of nematoses. If at the same time the culture has healthy leaves, then you can try to propagate them. The dead flower should be thrown out with the ground. The pot should then be thoroughly disinfected. The next time you plant succulent, you should definitely add charcoal to the soil. It is also necessary to pay attention to the watering mode.
Sometimes you can see burns on a newly acquired flower. They appear due to non-compliance with growing conditions. Most likely, in the store the flower was in the open sun or after winter hibernation it was immediately put on the window. In this case, it is necessary to limit the effect of sunlight on the plant and accustom it to it gradually.
Conclusion
In this review, we examined in detail how to care for the succulents florarium. These plants, in principle, are unpretentious to growing conditions. The main thing is to choose the right place for their placement and water in a timely manner. Frequent soil moisture can destroy the plant. Also, succulents can not be sprayed. To maintain the required level of humidity in the room, it is better to install a special humidifier.
Succulents are generally slightly affected by diseases and pests. But if similar problems did occur, you should remove the affected leaves and shoots and treat them accordingly. Particular attention must be paid to the soil in which you plan to transplant the plant. It must contain charcoal. If you use the land from your own site, you must calcine it before transplanting the plants.