Around the world, succulents are quite popular as plants. They are really simple to cultivate and maintain. Although they don’t require much care, they do occasionally require a little cleaning.
You need a soft brush, air blower, and tweezer to clean succulents. Then use a brush to gently wipe away the dirt from the leaves or use an air blower. To remove dirt or rock fragments from the succulents’ interior or bottom, use tweezers.
I regularly clean my sizable collection of succulents. Sometimes the fresh succulents are boxed when I deliver them.
When I open them, my plants are covered in dust and have a few small black and brown dirt stains. After being unpacked, these succulents require some cleaning and attention.
How can I make the leaves of my succulents shiny?
Have you ever noticed how each and every plant at the florist has unusually bright leaves? They just have a little bit of extra assistance when it comes to keeping the dust and grime away, not because they are healthier or better cared for than your indoor plants! You don’t have to be a skilled florist, despite what you may have heard, to grow plants with glossy foliage. Here are a few tips for maintaining your plants’ good health and appearance.
Surfaces all over your house might collect dust, so a couple of monthly wipe-downs are required to remove the build-up and stop more from happening. Every time you clean the house, you should wipe down the leaves of your potted plants because they are not an exception. The pores of the leaves might become blocked by dirt and dust, preventing transpiration, which could harm your plants and make them appear lifeless. Rub the tops and undersides of the leaves gently with a soft washcloth dampened with a little warm water and mild soap. By doing so, you’ll get rid of any dirt and deter bugs from living on your plants. Just make sure to rinse out the majority of the soap using a fresh washcloth and plain water later.
When it comes to giving your leaves sparkle, there are many possibilities. While some flowering plants, such as African violets, have fuzzy leaves that shouldn’t be polished, many other species have leaves with flat surfaces that are ideal for a light polishing. Although there are commercial leaf shining goods readily accessible at many different places, it is simple to produce your own products at home.
For instance, Reader’s Digest advises using mayonnaise to give your leaves shine, which may sound strange but is actually a skilled tip. Simply use a paper towel to dab some mayo onto the leaves, then sit back and watch them shine for weeks. Don’t be scared to rub some milk and water on the leaves after you clean them; this will help keep them bright.
Mineral oil also keeps your leaves glossy, but use it sparingly—only a tiny quantity once or twice a year. Additionally, you should keep your plants away from bright lights because the mineral oil might essentially fry their leaves! You don’t need anything else to keep your plants glowing and healthy all year long, just like those at a flower store.
How frequently should succulents be washed?
During the months that are not winter, when the temperature is above 40 degrees, you should water your succulents every other week. You should only water your succulent once a month in the winter (when the temperature falls below 40 degrees), as it goes dormant at this period.
A few situations constitute an exception to this rule. Because their tiny leaves can’t hold as much water as other varieties with larger leaves, some varieties of succulents need to be watered more frequently. In the non-winter months, feel free to give these small leaf succulents a water if they appear to be thirsty. When they are thirsty, succulents generally exhibit a wrinkled appearance. But always keep in mind that being underwater is preferable to being overwater.
How do you clean cactus leaves of dirt?
It’s difficult to simply brush or wipe off dirt and grime from cacti and succulents like you can with soft leafed plants, especially when dust collects in between the spines.
I’ve discovered that using a stiff eye makeup brush or artist paintbrush is the best way to get between those tight spines on smaller plants, and using a cosmetic brush and larger 1/2 inch soft paint brush for brushing dirt off larger plants and large leaves succulents. Avoid using cleaning chemicals that could damage or even kill your plants, and stay away from cotton wool wipes and buds as the tiny fibers get embedded in spines as the fine fibers can be very difficult to remove.
A strong water spray pump can perform wonders when it comes to particularly large, heavily spined cacti and succulents that are tough to reach with a brush since the strength of the jet spray will aid to dislodge any dust and filth.
It’s a good idea to clean succulents and other leafy plants with mild soapy water. PinkSun is a nice mild soap that is safe to use for cleaning plants and won’t harm the foliage. It’s also a good safe soap to use with natural horticultural neem oil as a pest prevention and treatment ( see more in the page on Pests and Diseases HERE )
Here is a video I prepared for my YouTube channel that demonstrates how to maintain your succulents and cacti clean and free of dust:
When at all feasible, use clean rainwater instead of tap water because the chemicals in tap water are frequently rich in lime and will generate lime splashes on the plants. I also advise using clean rainfall to water above plants if at all possible. Overhead watering is an excellent way to prevent spider mites as well as keep your plants clean and dust-free.
Mold can sometimes form on cactus in areas with excessive humidity. Due to the sticky honey-like secretion that ferocacti frequently produce on the areoles, they are vulnerable to mold growth, which is harmless but ugly. Due to the sticky secretions mealybugs leave behind, mold can potentially be an indication of them. Mold can be eliminated with soapy water or a little isopropyl or rubbing alcohol.
Below is a video I prepared for my You Tube channel that shows how to remove mold from cactus plants:
What is farina?
A waxy layer known as epicuticular wax, sometimes known as farina, produces a white or silvery-blue film on the leaves of succulent plants. All kinds of plants have it on their stems, leaves, and fruit, but succulents like Echeveria, Pachyphytum, Sedeveria, Kalanchoe, and Graptoveria, to mention a few, have it the most frequently. Remember that not all members of the genus examples featured here have powdery farina.
You undoubtedly noticed a small mark if you’ve ever unintentionally brushed against your succulent’s powdery leaves. In reality, what you’re doing is eliminating the bloom, which, depending on the species, may be permanent. If it regenerates, it doesn’t go back to its previous level.
Epicuticular wax, named as such because it develops above the cuticle on the epidermis, is actually a small number of microscopic crystals that develop on the cuticle of a plant’s surface and aid in the plant’s ability to repel water. It’s also sometimes referred to as “farina,” which is what I’ve always named it. This is referred to as being “glaucous” on succulents, which is simply defined by Webster as “having a powdered or waxy coating that provides a frosted look and tends to rub off.”
Does removing the epicuticular wax harm your plants?
It serves as a hydrophobic covering that helps shield the plant from the sun, water, infections, and insects, therefore you should avoid removing it. Simply put, hydrophobic means that it repels water.
Avoid using pesticides (which you ought to attempt to do anyway!). Fungicides and plant-based oils, such as neem, can eliminate all of the farina from a mixture. Consider systematically treating plants that have both pests and farina as a soil drench. For mealy bugs, I’ve also successfully misted leaves covered in farina with a mixture of 50 percent rubbing alcohol and water. To prevent burn, always try the product first and let it completely dry in the shade.
Use a very soft makeup brush or blow it away to remove soil from your plant’s leaves. Avoid using your fingers since they may spoil the powdered effect due to skin oils.
Farina helps keep the leaves clean, which is one aspect of it that I especially like on succulents. Dirt, microorganisms, and other particles are caught in the water’s surface beads, which roll them away. The Lotus Effect is the name for this. Last but not least, the waxy covering helps keep water inside the plant, allowing succulent leaves to stay lovely and plump.
Farina-based succulents come with an all-natural sunscreen, raincoat, antibiotic, and bug spray built straight in!
Every portion of the plant, including the stem, leaves, and even the flowers, develops farina. The quantity can change based on the species, as well as within a single species, depending on the region of growth (both in cultivation and in the wild). Unlike soft, fuzzy succulents that can’t be removed with a wipe, farina can.
A healthy plant has an even covering of epicuticular wax. If you observe a mottled appearance, it can be caused by a sickness or by high humidity. This is why it’s crucial to routinely inspect your plants (I have no idea why I’m even bringing this up because I already know you spend hours staring at your plants, OR IS THAT JUST ME? Don’t respond to it.
I can still clearly recall my first time using farina. It was really thick near the base of a flapjacks paddle plant, and I simply knew it was some kind of mold or disease. Can you see why I was concerned? It was so heavy that it was coming off in pieces. It turned out to be epicuticular wax exclusively.
So how do you tell the difference between farina and powdery mildew?
Well, farina is more evenly distributed across the surface of the plant, whereas powdery mildew begins splotchy and steadily develops since it is brought on by fungal spores. Your plant will also start to become sick from powdery mildew, which will result in leaf deformation and aesthetic harm. Another reason to keep an eye on your plants’ health is because of this. You want to stop things like this before they spread to other people.
It’s almost hard for plants to arrive in the mail without having some of the farina washed away. It is displayed below in the Echeveria Lauii. Waiting for it to grow out is the only option (this one did, and it looks wonderful now!). When this occurs, there is absolutely no reason to be alarmed, and the sender is not at fault. It’s merely a step in the procedure. THERE WILL BE GROWTH!
Another specimen of an Echeveria pollux is seen below. This one started out without farina on nearly all of its leaves, but it has since grown out. They gradually climbed to the bottom as time went on and fresh leaves sprouted from the middle. As the plant matures, the first leaves will eventually wither and die (which is totally normal).
While investigating farina on succulents, I came across some information about Giant Chalk Dudleya (D. brittonii) that grows in fissures on steep volcanic rocks that I thought was intriguing. (Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of one, but you can still admire this crest.) Depending on where they grow, there are two types: one has a thick, glaucous coating, while the other does not. The UV reflectance of the Brittonia that does have farina is astounding, at 83 percent, more than that of any other plant species. (Wait, what?) However, the same species’ non-glaucous variants only provided 10% reflectance!
If you have a succulent that has had its powdery farina removed (perhaps because you accidentally cleaned the entire plant with horticultural oil like I did), it may be best to keep it shaded from the sun until it is acclimated again. This is because powdery farina is not only attractive, but it is crucial to plant health. Keep in mind that farina on succulents doesn’t return to how it was before, so be careful not to rub it off!
You’ve probably seen plants regrow their farina. If so, tell us in the comments section below!
Can you clean plant leaves using baby wipes?
Frequently, misting your plants won’t be sufficient to ensure that dirt and dust are removed. The majority of horticultural professionals advise cleaning plant leaves gently. These are a few of the most useful advice:
- Use a soft-bristled cosmetics brush or paintbrush to more readily remove surface dust from plants with fuzzy leaves. To avoid clumps of mud sticking to the leaves, don’t use water prior to doing this.
- Plants with smooth leaves can benefit from a mild misting and a soft cotton cloth wipedown. Avoid using baby wipes and other cloths that have been treated with chemicals. The delicate plant leaves might suffer severe damage from the pollutants.
- It could be time to give your plants a shower in your sink or tub if a substantial amount of dust has accumulated on them. You may get good results without hurting your plant by using a low setting and cold water with the spray attachment on your sink.
- Put plant saucers or cork plant mats under your pots after washing or spraying them to catch any water that may still leak from the leaves or soil. Any decor can benefit from clear plant saucers. Additionally protecting your interior floor coverings at your home or place of business is possible with this.