Cultivation and management methods and key points of succulent plants

The best time for planting and transplanting is the end of dormancy period and before the arrival of vigorous growth period. According to different climates, it is advisable to hibernate from early March to late March in winter and from late August to mid-September in summer. However, newly introduced plants, plants that are not growing well, and plants that are too crowded to be divided into pots are not restricted, as long as they are not in hot summer and winter.

Cultivation soil should be prepared in advance. Steam disinfection should be spread out to dry slightly, and those exposed to the sun should spray water or medicine to make it moist but not wet. Wash the washbasin and the broken washbasin pieces at the bottom of the basin, and soak the new clay basin in the water. Except for a few plants with fleshy roots, flowerpots should be as shallow as possible. If the shallow basin area is too large, how many plants can be planted in one basin. When large plants are potted, more drainage should be put at the bottom of the basin, and several layers can be put according to the particle size of drainage, and the largest one should be placed at the bottom. After drainage, put coarse-grained culture soil first, and then put fine-grained culture soil. After placing the plants, slightly lift the plants and add soil to stretch the roots. Don't add too much soil at a time. Tamp evenly along the edge of the basin with bamboo sticks, and finally level the basin soil with several light piers.

Plants planted or transplanted must carefully check their roots, cut off dead roots and half-dead roots with nodules and hairless roots, and cut off healthy roots appropriately. For many spherical cactus varieties, all the roots can be cut off, only the roots can be left, and then the roots can be dried for a few days before planting, which can make more hair roots and the absorption capacity of new roots stronger. Some roots are better to be a little dry, and don't water them immediately after planting. Rooting will be faster in wet soil. However, it is necessary to keep the air humidity and shade it properly. When you need to water, you should water it all at once. If the bottom of the basin leaks immediately after watering, it means that there is a hole in the basin soil. After drying, you can insert it with a bamboo stick. If there is no water coming out of the basin bottom, it may be that there is too little water, but it may also be that the basin bottom is too tightly padded and needs to be turned over.

There are advantages and disadvantages of spreading gravel on the surface of basin soil. After spreading gravel and watering, the pot soil will not pollute the plants, but it is difficult to judge whether the pot soil is wet or not. When sleeping in summer, succulents should be covered with gravel to reduce the temperature of the basin soil. It is best to spread thick leaves, droop leaves and rot in water. It can be laid temporarily during photography during the exhibition, but it is generally not necessary to lay gravel.

2. Water and spray:

Succulent plants must be replenished with water in time to meet the needs of growth and development, which is by no means what some people think is "rather dry than wet". Of course, for plants planted in the ground, the number of watering can be less. Most succulents and cactus varieties cultivated by themselves are difficult to master watering, mainly in the timeliness of watering.

To master the watering technology of succulents, we must first understand the dormancy habits of various species. Watering during dormancy can easily lead to plant rot. For example, watering the dormant raw stone flowers in summer will cause the plants to rot immediately. If watering in winter, cactus varieties that are dormant in winter will cause root rot or be easily frozen. Although winter may not rot, spring will rot.

Secondly, we should carefully observe the growth of each plant. Some people think that some plants are short of water when their leaves are red and their tips and old leaves are dry. In fact, this phenomenon may occur when the light is too strong, the basin soil is short of water for a long time, the root system is destroyed, the root neck is rotted, and the root neck is automatically repaired and scarred after being bitten by insects, resulting in poor water transportation. Therefore, mastering watering technology is very helpful to be familiar with the growth of plants. Generally, plants with particularly strong growth and plants in flowering bud stage have higher requirements for water, so they should be watered as soon as possible; However, some old bulbs with basically stagnant growth need to be watered less frequently.

Finally, watering should consider temperature, air humidity, ventilation, the size and material of the basin, whether the roots extend down to the sand bed, etc. To help judge whether the basin is short of water. When cultivating other potted flowers, it is generally possible to decide whether to water them according to whether the soil on the surface of potted flowers is white, but in succulents, this judgment will lead to errors, because the cultivated soil of succulents is generally mixed with sand, vermiculite, pebbles, shell powder and other substances, which is easy to cause the surface of potted flowers to be white. Especially in the case of a large proportion of these substances, the surface of the basin soil is often white the next day after watering, and the basin soil below is not short of water at this time. Some experts pointed out that when the surface of the basin soil is dry at 1 cm and the lower basin soil is still wet, the absorption of fleshy roots reaches the maximum. If you water the soil as soon as it turns white as usual, it will cause too much watering and affect the growth of plants.

The watering time should be early morning in summer, before noon on sunny days in winter, and in spring and autumn. In general, don't spray water from above, otherwise there will be ugly spots on the sphere after a long time, the hair of hair column type will be easily polluted and bonded, and the accumulated water at the growing points such as Cui Hua palm will cause rot. Pond water tends to grow algae on plants, which is as ugly as moss. Under normal circumstances, watering must be sufficient, so loosen the soil frequently so that the basin soil can absorb enough water evenly.

In addition to timely watering, the air humidity in the cultivation area is very important. Some cultivators use fish tanks or glass boxes for closed cultivation, watering them 2-3 times a year, and some even turn over the pots to water them once a year, but the air in the boxes is very humid and foggy, and the glass is full of condensed water drops. In this way, plants will not feel short of water and grow well. Of course, this practice only applies to certain types. There are many ways to increase air humidity, such as putting a reservoir or water storage tank in the greenhouse, sprinkling water on the aisle, or spraying it directly on plants. Rain is the best water for spraying, tap water should be kept for one day, and other water is best not to be used. The water droplets sprayed should be very fine, and the amount of water sprayed should be controlled. Do not let the water droplets gather on the epidermis of plants, but stop when there are tiny water droplets on the surfaces of hair, thorns and leaves. Spray it several times a day in particularly dry weather.

3. Fertilization: