Succulents are favored by many plant lovers for their lovely appearance, diverse varieties and relatively low maintenance difficulty. However, even these hardy little creatures sometimes get into a dying predicament. But don’t worry, this article will give you details on how to replant dying succulents and bring them back to life.
Analyze The Cause Of Dying
1. Watering problem
Overwater
Overwatering is one of the most common causes of succulents dying. Succulents mostly have the ability to store water, and they originally grew in more arid environments. When the soil is watered too much, the soil is in a humid state for a long time, which will lead to a lack of oxygen in the roots, which will lead to root rot. This rot may start at the end of the root system and gradually spread upward.
Underwatering
Conversely, too little watering can put succulents at risk. Prolonged lack of water can cause the meaty leaves to shrivelle and go limp. The original full and juicy state of the leaves is lost, and in severe cases the entire plant will atrophy and stop growing. Some succulents may go dormant in order to adapt to water scarcity, but they may not be able to rejuvenate if water scarcity persists.
2. Lighting problems
Overillumination
Although succulents need plenty of light for photosynthesis, too much direct light can harm them. Especially in the summer high temperature, the strong sunlight will burn the fleshy leaves, so that the leaves appear brown spots, dry and even water phenomenon. These injured leaves are unable to photosynthesize properly, affecting the growth of the plant.
Underillumination
Lack of light can cause succulents to grow barren. They will stretch their stems desperately in search of more light, causing the plant to become loose and unattractive. In addition, succulents that grow barren have larger leaf spacing, lighter color, reduced resistance, and are more vulnerable to pests and diseases.
3. Soil problems
Soil Impermeability
If the soil used is poor in air permeability and poor drainage, it will cause the roots to breathe poorly. Such soil tends to accumulate water, increasing the risk of root rot. Some soils that are too dense, such as a mixture of common garden soil, will wrap the roots tightly, preventing oxygen from reaching the roots.
Soil fertility problem
Insufficient or excessive soil fertility can have an adverse effect on succulents. Lacking essential nutrients, succulents grow slowly and their leaves turn yellow and thin. Excess fertility, especially nitrogen fertilizer, will make succulents grow and leaves become fragile.
4. Diseases and insect pests
Insect attack
Succulent plants common insect pests are scale shell insects, aphids, red spiders and so on. Scale beetles attach themselves to succulent leaves and stems, sucking up juice, causing the leaves to turn yellow and wilt. Aphids congregate in young leaves and buds, also sucking juice and possibly spreading viruses. Red spider will form a web on the back of the leaves, making the leaves appear yellow spots, and in serious cases, the leaves dry and fall off.
disease
Diseases, such as powdery mildew, black rot and so on are more common. Powdery mildew forms a white powdery substance on the surface of the leaves, affecting photosynthesis in the leaves. Black rot is a devastating disease that usually starts at the base of the root or stem and spreads rapidly, turning the plant black and rotting.
Replanting Steps
1. Preparation
Tool preparation
A small shovel, tweezers, scissors, watering can, a suitable flower pot and other tools are needed. Small shovels for shoveling soil, tweezers for handling succulent roots and leaves, scissors for pruning roots and damaged leaves, watering cans can be used to spray water after planting, and POTS should be selected according to the size and variety of succulents to ensure good drainage holes.
2. Disposing of dying succulents
Dispot
Carefully remove the succulents from their original pot. You can use a small shovel to gently pry along the edge of the pot, and then remove the plant along with the soil. Try to keep the root system intact and do not damage the root system excessively.
Root clearing
Gently shake the soil off the roots of the succulents and rinse the roots with clean water to get a better look at the condition of the roots. Using tweezers and scissors, cut away rotten, dry roots. If most of the root system is rotten, be decisive in cutting off all the rotten roots, leaving only the healthy part, even if only a small section of the taproot. The pruned roots should be soaked and disinfected with carbendazim solution or potassium permanganate solution for about 15-20 minutes.
Treatment blade
Examine the leaves of succulents and remove those that are badly damaged, yellowed, or discolored. For some leaves with diseases and pests, it is also necessary to remove them in time, and separate them from other garbage to prevent the spread of diseases and pests. For leaves with a small amount of pests and diseases, you can gently wipe clean with a damp cloth.
3. Replanting
Pelvic floor treatment
Line the bottom of the new pot with a layer of clay or gravel about 1/4 the height of the pot. This helps to increase drainage and prevent water accumulation.
Filling and planting
Fill a portion of the pot with prepared soil, then place the treated succulents in the center of the pot with tweezers, positioning them so that the roots stretch out. Then continue to fill the soil, gently lifting the succulents as you go, so that the soil fills the root space. Fill with soil about 1-2 cm from the edge of the pot.
Pavement treatment
You can lay a layer of paving stones on the surface of the soil, such as volcanic stone, medical stone, etc. The paving stone is not only beautiful, but also can play a certain role in fixing the plant and preventing the soil from splashing when watering.
4. Maintenance management
Water
Succulents should not be watered immediately after replanting, and should wait 3-5 days to allow the root wounds time to heal. After that, water with the principle of “dry and pour thoroughly”. You can insert your finger into the soil about 2-3 cm and water it if the soil feels dry. When watering, water thoroughly so that the water comes out of the drain hole at the bottom of the pot. Avoid watering “half water”, that is, only wetting the surface of the soil while the roots are still dry.
Illumination
Adjust the lighting according to the variety of succulents and their current state. Succulents that have just been replanted need to be placed in a place where there is plenty of light scattering, such as indoors near a window but away from direct sunlight. After the plants adapt to the new environment and the roots begin to grow, the light intensity is gradually increased. If it is summer, even succulents after adaptation should be properly shaded during the high temperature period to avoid direct light.
Temperature and ventilation
The suitable temperature for succulents is generally between 15-28 ° C. Avoid succulents in hot, stuffy or cold environments. It is very important to maintain good ventilation conditions, ventilation can reduce air humidity, reduce the occurrence of pests and diseases, and facilitate the respiration of succulents. Succulents can be placed on a well-ventilated windowsill, balcony or use a fan to increase air circulation.
Fertilize
In the short term (1-2 months) after replanting, fertilization is generally not required. Because the roots of succulents are still recovering at this time, the absorption capacity of fertilizer is weak. After the plant growth is stable and new leaves grow out, some thin succulent special fertilizer or organic fertilizer can be applied appropriately. The frequency of fertilization should not be too high, once every 2-3 months.
Late Observation And Adjustment
1. Observe the growth state
Lamina state
Frequent observation of the leaves of succulents is an important way to judge their growth. If the leaves gradually become full, shiny, and brightly colored, the succulents are growing healthily. On the contrary, if the leaves continue to dry, yellow, water, or new symptoms of pests and diseases, timely measures need to be taken.
Root growth
Although root growth in the soil is not easy to observe directly, it can be judged by some indirect methods. For example, if a succulent plant is able to absorb water faster after watering, and the leaves return to full shape faster than before, it may mean that the root system is gradually recovering and growing. In addition, when you need to change the pot, you can check the condition of the root system to see if there are new roots growing out and whether the root system is healthy.
2. Adjust the maintenance method according to the situation
Watering adjustment
If the leaves of succulents are found to be slightly shriped, but the soil is still moist, it may be that too much watering has caused root damage, at this time to reduce watering frequency, increase ventilation, and let the soil dry as soon as possible. If the leaves are seriously shriveled and the soil is dry, the amount of watering needs to be appropriately increased, but the principle of “dry and pour thoroughly” should still be followed.
Illumination adjustment
If the succulents appear barren, indicating insufficient light, they should be moved to a place with more light, but be careful to avoid sudden exposure to the sun, so as not to cause damage to the plant. If the leaves have signs of burning, shade or adjust the placement in time to reduce the light intensity.
Fertilization adjustment
If the succulents grow slowly and the leaves are light in color, the concentration or frequency of fertilization can be appropriately increased, but be careful not to over-fertilize. If the leaves are found to be barren or signs of fertilizer damage (such as soft leaves, black leaves), to stop fertilizing, and increase watering, dilute the concentration of fertilizer in the soil.
Conclusion
Saving dying succulents requires patience and care, and by analyzing the causes of their death, adopting the right replanting and maintenance methods, and continuing to observe and adjust, you can bring these cute little lives back to life and continue to add green and beautiful to your life. I hope the methods in this article can help you, so that you can avoid detours on the road of meaty maintenance.
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