Succulents benefit most from pruning at the start of their growing season, although you can prune them at any time. If you prune around the end of the growing season, new growth might not appear as rapidly, but it will develop gradually and accelerate once they begin to grow vigorously again.
There are numerous succulents that grow best in the summer, but there are also quite a few that grow best in the winter. To determine when your succulents are actively developing, check at this dormancy table.
My succulents are often pruned in the spring, after spending the winter indoors. Typically, they become quite stretched out and lose some of their initial beauty.
I can freshen the arrangement by pruning them without needing to buy new plants. It’s a fantastic approach to grow your garden!
If you cut a succulent, will it grow back?
If you intend to repot your plant, you can clip the roots of your succulents, though this is rarely necessary. The roots of a succulent plant don’t require much room and can thrive in confined spaces. However, it’s acceptable to cut your roots if you see that they are rotting.
When your succulent’s roots don’t appear to be growing properly, you might also want to think about pruning them. Succulents that grow very slowly occasionally have dead roots that need to be pulled out in order to allow for proper growth.
Before attempting to cut the roots of the succulents, first make sure that they have been growing for at least a year.
How To Trim Succulent Roots Successfully
Carefully remove the succulent from its pot before trimming the roots. Turning the pot upside down with your hand serving as a safety net for the plant is the most secure way to achieve this. A newly hydrated plant should not be removed because, in my experience, it is simpler to remove a dry plant for its pot.
Remove as much of the old dirt as you can after removing the plant from its pot. Any sick or overgrown roots should be chopped with a sharp blade or pair of scissors. To stop root rot from spreading if you have diseased roots, you should also clip a tiny portion of the healthy roots around them.
How To Know When Your Succulent Roots Are Rotting
By personally inspecting the roots or keeping an eye on your plant’s behavior, you can determine if your succulent has root rot. Rot affects roots when they appear black or dark brown and feel damp.
Alternatively, succulents exhibiting these signs may also require a cut:
- leaf tarnishing. The leaves will change to bright green or yellow.
- Fresh growth immediately withers.
- Weak. Use your fingers to feel the plant. The roots are destroyed if the plant sways readily.
How To Prevent Root Rot by Trimming
There are ways to prevent root rot from damaging your plant and your succulent further. Root rot treatment and prevention
First, take the plant out of the pot. Get a good view of the roots by removing any extra dirt that may be there.
3. Give the plant some time to dry. Keep the succulent out of direct sunlight and let it dry.
4. Empty and sanitize the pot. To clean the container and get rid of any potential bacterial or fungal growth, use an antibacterial soap or alcohol.
5. Replant the trimmed succulent in a cactus/succulent potting medium that drains quickly.
Cutting the diseased roots off one succulent, if you’re growing several in a pot, will also stop the others from contracting the illness.
Will the Succulent Roots Grow Back?
After being chopped, succulent roots will sprout again. Root pruning can promote the growth of new, healthier roots. It can take a few weeks before you notice a change in your plant if it is recuperating from a disease or root rot. Simply be patient and give it some time to heal. You’ll know the plant has grown new roots whenever you see it thriving and producing new growth.
How Do Healthy Succulent Roots Look?
You can check the roots for health after giving your plant some time to recover. The growth of new roots should be thin and fibrous. These indicate sound root growth. Roots that are thin and fibrous will absorb water and nutrients better.
Where do you prune succulent plants?
It’s great to watch the video and have a visual understanding of how I prune if you’re new to the lovely world of succulents. Panda Plant, Echeveria, Sedum, String of Buttons, Jade Plant, and Princess Pine Crassula are some of the succulents you’ll see me prune.
The nodes, or locations where a leaf or side stem joins to the main stem, are present on the majority of succulents that I am aware of. It is shown to you in the graphic in the link. Pruning should be done 1/4 to 1/2 inch below a node.
Depending on the type of succulent and your goals for trimming it, you should decide where to make the lengthwise cut.
It depends on you and the amount of trimming the succulent requires how much you cut off. I occasionally tip prune (pinch off the very end) and only remove a couple of inches.
I recently removed 3 and 4 stems from my Grey Fishhooks and Pencil Cactus. The damaged stems of the pencil cactus prevented it from standing up straight. It does not require staking due to the pruning.
Pruning was done on the Fishhooks to manage length, remove dead stems, and encourage new shoots at the top. Together with two other hanging succulents, it grows outside on the patio outside my kitchen.
Tucson summers are incredibly hot, and this is not the best time of year for fleshy succulents. If the trails are kept short, they perform and look better.
Where should leggy succulents be trimmed?
- The plant should be cut, leaving approximately an inch or so of stem at the base.
- For a day or two, or longer if your area is humid, leave the stem cuttings in a dry location away from direct sunshine to dry. Launder and seal the wound. To hasten the rooting process, it is optional to dip the cuttings in rooting hormone.
- Put the cuttings in a well-draining potting mix after the cut has healed. Perlite and a cactus mixture are my preferred combinations (1:1 solution). You can find soil and soil amendments here.
- Every few days or whenever the soil gets dry, mist or water the area.
- The stem cuttings usually take two weeks or longer to root.
- Avoid direct sunshine and keep watering every few days or whenever the soil starts to feel dry.
- When the plant reaches maturity, increase sunshine while reducing watering.
The portion of the plant from which the cuttings were taken will keep expanding and generating new growth. Rarely, the base will stop expanding and eventually disappear. However, if this occurs, hopefully you have already grown new plants from the stem cuttings.
Decide where to cut the plant. In order to conveniently put the plant you are cutting into soil and propagate it, you should ideally have at least half an inch of stem on the bottom of the plant.
When you cut the plant, make sure to salvage as many of the roots as possible. These already have roots sprouting, so they will thrive when replanted in soil.
What happens if you cut a succulent’s top off?
A succulent cannot return to its original compact height and shape once it has been stretched out. But don’t worry!
Start by using good-quality scissors to trim off the succulent’s top (I adore this pair so much! Definitely worth every cent! Leave 2-3 leaves on the base for at least an inch or two. If you leave a few leaves on the base to absorb sunlight, the base will thrive.
I’ve seen bare stems produce new offshoots, but it takes a lot longer than when I leave a few leaves on the stem. You can trim some of the stem to shorten the cutting if the cutting (the top portion you cut off) is too long for your taste.
Allow the base and the cutting to dry for a few days. You can plant the cutting in soil and start watering it once the cut end has calloused over (totally dried out and appears “scabbed”).
Cuttings do, in my experience, require a little bit more frequent watering than a fully rooted plant. To prevent the stem from becoming too soggy and rotting, use a soil that has a really good drainage system. Here is more information on how to grow succulents from cuttings.
Within a few days, maybe, but most probably within two to three weeks, the cutting should begin to give off roots. You should reduce watering as the roots take hold in order to put the plant on the same “schedule” as fully rooted plants.
Within a few weeks, the base, or original plant, will begin to produce additional offshoots. This plant can still be taken care of in the same manner as before the cut.
The leaves you initially left on the base plant can eventually wilt or drop off. Although highly common, this won’t always occur.
But if they do come off, don’t panic! Without the “parent leaves,” the young rosettes will still be able to develop.
Why is my succulent gaining height rather than width?
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Your succulent does it appear different? Are you perplexed as to why it is becoming so stretched-out, tall, and leggy?
Your succulent is experiencing etiolation if it is expanding vertically rather than horizontally. Your succulent needs more light, to put it simply.
Sadly, damage that has already been done cannot be undone. But it can bounce back. Your stretched succulent can be propagated, which will result in more plants. Win!
Let’s examine this stretched Crassula perforata more closely. Find out what caused this to happen and how to solve it.
Visit How to Grow Succulents Indoors to catch up on general care for succulents.
Can I cut a succulent’s stem?
It is simpler to cut stems than to carefully twist a succulent leaf off of its stalk. The leaf won’t be seriously harmed.
The time has come!
WARNING!. Because some succulents, like my Pencil Cactus, release an extremely toxic serum when cut, make sure to do your study on the propagation techniques for your particular succulent.
When I trim the stems off my Pencil Cactus and whenever I handle a new cutting, I put on latex gloves and safety eyewear.
Do I need to remove the dead succulent leaves?
One of the most enjoyable aspects of growing succulents, in our opinion, is getting to remove all the dried leaves from the area around your plant’s base. Most individuals find it to be quite calming and enjoyable since it is so enjoyable and genuinely healing.
Aside from that interesting fact, you should remove any dried leaves and blossoms for the sake of your plant’s health. You can maintain the happiness and health of your plants by carrying out this easy chore.
New growth, New plants, New Blooms
Energy can be recycled back into the plant by removing any spent, dried-up bloom stalks and dry leaves from your succulents. Your plant will be able to produce new growth, blooms, and occasionally new rosettes or pups if you do this. And who doesn’t desire succulents that are bigger and more numerous?
To remove, gently lift the plant’s healthy leaves, and then pull any dried-out leaves from beneath. They ought to be rather simple to remove. If they don’t, you can either leave them to dry out more or, if they are past their prime and unsightly, try to snap them off completely.
Good Air Flow
Humidity, wetness, and/or succulents make for a dangerous and occasionally lethal mix. You may provide your plants sufficient air circulation and make it easier for the soil to dry out by removing these dried leaves from beneath your plants. Removing these dried leaves will assist avoid the growth of rot, mildew, and/or illnesses, especially in humid or very rainy weather. Additionally, air circulation around the plant’s base is made possible by this procedure.
Less Pests
Succulents are susceptible to a wide range of pest attacks, just like most other plants. Getting rid of the dead leaves beneath your plant can also help deter pests. Little insects adore wet areas where they may hide and reproduce. A succulent’s compressed lower leaves are likely to retain moisture around the plant’s base, which will attract pests. Your plant has a higher chance of repelling these pests if you remove these leaves.
Another alluring nesting habitat for bugs, specifically aphids, can be bloom stalks. If you see that your blooms are starting to develop this bug problem, you can either completely remove the bloom stalk or treat the bloom with a mix of diluted rubbing alcohol and water. These bugs frequently spread disease to surrounding plants and flowers if the situation is left untreated. In order to remove bloom stalks from your plant, either gently wriggle the stalk back and forth or, if it hasn’t dried up yet, snap or cut it low.
Do we have any ASMR fans out there??
We made this little movie to demonstrate how to take these leaves off your plants, but since we adore succulents, it also serves as our take on ASMR. Am I correct?
(According to The Urban Dictionary, ASMR’s sole function is to help people unwind. The goal of ASMR videos is to relax the viewer by sending a tingling sensation down their spine or back.
How do you mend a leggy, succulent stretch?
It consists of these four simple steps:
- Trim the stem to a length that will fit in your new pot.
- Get rid of any extra leaves beneath the main rosette.
- Dry everything for a couple of days.
- Replant your succulents and cactus in new potting soil.
Step One: Cut
If you have a longer stem to deal with, that will assist it get nicely anchored into your new pot. You may truly cut the stem anywhere and it will start to sprout roots out of the sides and bottom after you replant it. You can just nestle the succulent’s base deep into the earth for replanting, or you can use a stem as short as an inch. To create cuts like these, always use clean, sharp pruning shears. These pruning shears look to be an upgrade of the ones I’ve had for ten years and use every day and adore.
Step Two: Remove Excess Leaves
Remove any leaves that are below that in order to form a wonderful rosette formation, similar to what you presumably had when you initially purchased your succulents. Save those leaves because they may be planted in soil and will each produce a new succulent plant.
Step Three: Dry
Any cuts or cracks you create in a succulent should be left exposed for one to two days. This enables it to sort of scab over and guards against bacterial infections that may happen if the succulent is exposed to any excess moisture. The chances are good that your freshly cut succulents will still dry out without first allowing them to air dry; however, it will take a little longer for the cuts to close up and you run a slight danger of something going wrong. But it’s up to you!
Step Four: Replant
Replanting your succulents into a fresh pot using cactus/succulent potting soil is the last step. This is quite simple. Simply poke a small hole with your finger and put the plant’s stem into the soil. The added benefit is that, while they adjust to their new surroundings, you don’t even need to water them for a week!