Need advice for my succulents.
User
8 years ago
Hello,
I need some advice for my succulents. I just started to get interested en fascinated about succulents and bought some. I own them now for about 2 weeks.
I read a lot about caring for my succulents, but im not sure about how much water i should give and in which soil i should put them. I looked around in the stores in my city, but i wasnt been able to find any cacti/succulent soil. I just put them in regular soil, but do i need to change that? I am also afraid that im giving them too much water. How much would you advice?
Thank you!
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Comments (10)
bernardyjh
8 years ago
succulentsunshine
8 years agoHi Fannv, I agree with bernardyjh... You have to take time and consider answering the questions above. Succulents need fast and well draining soil... My Gasteria is in a ceramic pot and is in a south facing window. And I water it as much as I do with my Crassula/Jade Plants and other succulents...
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Need advice on watering succulents with new soil
Comments (7)Thanks all, for the input. No pics at the moment. I think either watering more often or including more pine bark, or adding such as turface or pumice is the answer. These are two-inch diameter trunks planted as a forest, and they had meager roots when I removed them from the old pot with poor soil, so I don't want to disturb them for a year or two. I will just water them more often and see what happens....See MoreMy Succulent Collection Needs Expert Advice
Comments (15)I can totally understand the confusion!! I actually started out looking for that form of DE, but could only find the powder format first. Most of my plants seem to retain the DE rather well. I have a few older cacti where I have added more to the soil (below a top layer of scoria) when I water, and because of the small size it sinks into the soil with successive waterings. In my organic mixes, the powdered DE stays much easier, and acts as a soil dryness indicator for me as well. I've always been afraid of handling pesticides, especially around rarer species. Stapeliads that maintain a "jumping stem" growth form in culture need finer soils a lot of the time. For instance, I recently purchased a Stapelianthus madagascariensis that needs fine soil around the fine, small roots it grows at its various rooting points. Typical large particle gritty soils will dry out its roots and kill it. In my opinion, the trick to having a good finer gritty mix is maintaining a diverse particle size range. For instance, the finer mix version I use still has 60-80 percent larger particle sizes that are traditionally found in gritty mixes. The fatter Pseudolithos species arent that picky about growing media in my experience. As long as 70-80% of the media is porous lava material of some kind, the rest can be almost anything that isn't too rich or wet. I have used finer inorganics, DE, coir, and even mechanically minced/small particle sphagnum peat moss, and the only rot I have encountered so far has been from errant sprinkler water kicking normal topsoil mud onto a part of one of my cubiformis plants, but that was it. And the main body of that plant was unharmed and continues to thrive in ~40% fine, gritty soil. However, I do live in Florida, which has the highest average UV index in the US as well intense heat and humidity for 6 or 8 months out of the year, compared to most other US states. For instance, it consistently hits 90 to 100 here with 100% humidity from May to September. The more south you go in FL, the larger this range gets. In my hometown 150 miles further south, it's very hot and humid from about March to the end of September. I also live in an area with great wind exposure and by a lake, so I have a constant humid breeze. As such, I haven't had a problem with drying out due to clogged soil pores or lower levels of absorbent material, but rotting due to standing water in fine mix has been a concern of mine. However, maintaining a diverse particle size range helps alleviate this problem by maintaining excellent drainage....See MoreMy succulents are suffering, I need some good advice on how to proceed
Comments (7)Hi, I see that many of your Crassulaceans (Sedums, Echeverias, etc.) are severely etiolated. Obviously they are in desperate need of increased light, but your setup seems sufficient. Do you know how potent your growing lamps are? How many hours per day they are on? How close they are to each plant? Knowing this would help because this seems to be a light issue over anything else. Do you have access to windowsills or the outdoors? All of my succulents are faced to western or southern windows (inside), and there have been no light problems (and I'm on the East Coast!). Also, you should not worry about overwatering-- it all depends on your soil mixture. Bonsai Jack (which you had mentioned) has a great gritty mix that was designed for succulents. It is good for beginners, as it is almost impossible to overwater while using it. Using your current setup, do NOT fertilize. Never fertilize when the plants are not getting sufficient sun, as they will grow more etiolated without proper light conditions. And in regards to the C. lehmanii, it is normal for it not to look instantly better overnight. I have many mesembs, and watering when they are severely wrinkled is a gradual process. They must have continual soakings (but let the pot air out before each one) to be restored back to turgidity....See MoreMy Succulents NEED any Advice, Please!
Comments (1)Both are very, very etiolated - not getting enough light. They also look too wet - succulents need excellent drainage (potting mix and the container) and should be watered only when potting mix is almost completely dry...Possibly both echeverias. It isn't recommended to fertilize with food - egg shells and tea bags should go in a compost heap and that should be used in garden, but not in pot for succulents. Do not fertilize with anything. They need to get healthy first. Get plants out of wet soil, replace with fast draining mix (cactus & succulent soil mixed 50/50 with sifted perlite would be much better) and give them much more light/sunlight....See More
User
8 years ago
ewwmayo
8 years agoUser
8 years agosucculentsunshine
8 years agobernardyjh
8 years agoUser
8 years agosucculentsunshine
8 years ago
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