(Source from Lefair blog)
Since succulents are attractive and rustic, many people like to plant them in their homes and workplaces. Succulents, with their delicate and colorful leaves, as opposed to cactus, are better suited for growing as ornamental plants inside, on a working desk, or on a balcony. But it is easier said than done. Succulents need to be carefully cared for even though they prefer to grow in arid climates. If you recently purchased some succulents, check out these 4 simple steps to becoming a true succulent farmer!
Step 1: Get the soil and pots ready. You must put together a soil mixture consisting of rice husk ash, Pumice stone, and Perlite stone in the proportions of 4:4:2 before placing the newly purchased plant into the pot. To create a light, porous soil mixture, you can also combine rice husk ash and broken honeycomb charcoal. To ensure that your succulents have the room to flourish to their full potential, you need to take special care while selecting pots for them. The best option is a terracotta pot because it dries out quickly and prevents water logging.
Step 2: Transfer the plant to the pot. Start by carefully brushing off the soil that is still clinging to the succulent's roots after you slowly remove them from the old pot. After that, fill the pot with the prepared soil and cover the leftover soil surface with gravel. If you have a medium-sized pot, you can mix a variety of succulents to give it a dynamic, adorable look.
Step 3: Watering should begin only one day after replacing the soil. Always water succulents at the root rather than sprinkling or spraying water straight on the leaves. Although seeing water droplets on the leaves gives one a sense of freshness, in reality, doing so just causes the plant to rot more quickly and become more soggy. Allow the plants to soak up some sun after watering, and only rewater when the soil seems dry.
Step 4: Sunbathe Our succulents probably enjoy this stage the most. The fresh succulents should be air dried for 1-2 hours before 9 am or after 3 pm. To encourage healthy development and stunning color, you can increase the time to 3–4 hours per day after about a week. If you decide to keep plants in the room, make sure to take the pot outside every day to prevent wilting.
Additionally, succulent farmers should be careful when planting these because they can have small but severe issues. Yellow leaves: this is not an indication of pests. Simply said, your succulent plant is growing and needs space for new leaves to sprout. Waterlogged plants: If you overwater your plants, your actions as a caregiver will immediately backfire. You can readily observe that the leaves become fragile and turn yellow or black, and that they stop producing new roots. At that point, you should assess your watering technique, determine whether the soil is suitable, remove any wet areas, wait two to three days for the soil to dry, and then replant. Sunburn: Despite its love of the light, the succulent plant can get sunburned if exposed to the sun for too long, especially in the midday sun. Move the plant to a cool location when you notice the leaf margins wilting and becoming black so the plant may recover and grow new leaves. Aphids and fungus attack: When the seasons change, aphids and fungus can attack your succulent plant and cause it to decay, get white spots, or have the leaves at the base fall off and readily split. You must do some research to identify the type of fungus and choose the proper insecticide to treat the disease.
If you keep these in mind, you can confidently bring home a variety of succulent children. Good luck to the succulent farmers!