After a few years of vigorous growth, succulents can become overgrown and root-bound. Repotting them into a bigger container with new soil, pruning the leaves sparingly, and making sure the light and soil nutrients are ideal will all help them look better.
How to Repot Overgrown Succulents
- Gently remove each plant from the old container by gently pulling from the base of the stem.
- Partially fill the new, larger pot with a grittier, better-draining soil, such as a potting mix for succulents and cacti.
- With a fresh pair of scissors or pruning shears, remove any unwanted leaves, then position the plants in the new pot.
- Soil should be poured into the pot to the last bit.
- Optional: Apply a top dressing to the soil’s surface.
- Place in the Appropriate Lighting (see succulent product page)
- When the soil is totally dry, wait until it has been let dry for 3–7 days before deeply watering it again.
How can tall succulents be shortened?
Succulents that become too tall should be trimmed with a sharp knife to prevent the cut from being squished. Since most succulents are hardy, you can also use (pruning) scissors if you don’t have one on hand. To minimize the incision and any potential dirt accumulation, make the cut as horizontally as you can. A little hurt is preferable to a major one.
Cut a few millimeters below a node because there are growth factors and assimilates that are essential for the wound to heal and for the missing organs to quickly regenerate accumulate there. When looking at the succulent from above, behead it so that you have a rounded rosette.
Can you replace a succulent after cutting off the top?
Your succulent won’t appear as stretched out and leggy when you remove the top and transplant it in soil. Grab a good pair of gardening shears or a knife. Additionally, you should put on gloves. Succulents can irritate your skin since some have milky sap while others have thorns.
How do I deal with succulents that are too lanky?
When cultivated in the right lighting conditions, succulents adore the sun and thrive. However, you’ve probably cultivated or observed a lanky, stretched-out succulent. In the area you have, these lanky or etiolated succulents aren’t getting the proper amount of light.
Not just succulent indoor plants experience this behavior. You may have seen how your plant stretches to reach as close to the sun as it can by bending toward it. As they extend toward the sun, succulents get taller and spread their leaves farther apart.
The compact shape of etiolated succulents won’t return, but you can give them a trim and grow additional succulents from the cuttings.
How to disassemble the plant and begin reproducing it in order to try again is demonstrated in this video by Laura from Garden Answer.
- Clear the foliage. Cut the roots and wholesome leaves from the succulent’s bottom half with pruners or by snapping them off. Get a break that is as spotless as you can to promote new growth. Get rid of your leaf if it tears. Up to a little bit after halfway up, remove leaves. To understand how to cut the stem and transplant it with the remaining rosette at the top, see to step three.
- Dry the leaves. After removal, let the leaves dry for a few days or until the raw ends have calloused.
- Replant the stem. New roots will be able to sprout if the stem is planted farther below where the leaves were removed. Simply clip the stem 1-2 inches from the plant’s base if it is too long for the pot. It’s alright if you have no stem at all. Simply bury the rosette in the ground to prevent it from falling out.
- Prepare to expand. A tray, saucer, or other container containing Espoma’s Organic Cactus mix should have dried leaves on top of it. Avoid burying leaves in the ground. Put the container in a location that will shield it from direct sunlight.
- Spray the ground until it is damp but not soaked. When the soil seems dry to the touch, rehydrate it.
- Wait. There will be new baby roots that appear in about a month.
- Replant. You can replant your propagated succulents once they have established roots. Put them on display in a recycled planter.
- The roots should be examined every six months to determine whether you need to transfer your plants to a larger pot. Espoma’s Cactus can be used to routinely feed your succulents. For optimal results, use liquid plant food.
When your succulent becomes excessively tall, what does that mean?
We adore cacti. They look very charming in any room of your house, are simple to care for, and are understanding to those of us who lack a green thumb. They can withstand extreme dryness and heat both indoors and out, making them adaptable. They work well both individually and together in a container garden. It would be difficult to find someone who doesn’t gush about how lovely and simple these tiny plants are to maintain indoors.
However, nobody warns you that your succulent might begin to alter shape. Here’s some information on why your succulent might be growing taller if you’ve seen it.
Why It’s Happening
Etiolation is the process through which a succulent begins to develop a longer stem and paler, less densely packed leaves. Etiolation is most frequently brought on by a plant not receiving enough sunlight, which results in a change in the plant’s development, shape, and color. Since indoor succulents are rarely exposed to direct sunlight for lengthy periods of time, this problem most frequently affects them, however it can affect any succulent.
How To Fix Succulent Stretching
There are strategies to control the growth of your lanky plant even when it is impossible to make it again compact. Start by attempting to add extra light to its regular routine. Your succulent won’t be able to grow much longer if you do this.
Pruning your plants is the best technique to try and “recorrect” the growth. Take a sharp pair of shears, and make a cut directly above a row of leaves. Depending on the kind of succulent you own, the precise place will vary. You should leave the plant with a sufficient number of strong leaves so that it can continue to photosynthesize and survive. By doing this, you may get rid of a lot of the undesired, leggy growth without damaging the current plant. In addition, you can use the clippings to produce a fresh, healthy plant. After trimming your succulent, you should allow the cut end to completely dry in a well-lit place so that a callus can develop over the exposed end. Usually, this takes two to three days. The clipping can then be placed straight in the ground to produce roots over time.
For these new clippings and the freshly cut succulent, you can apply what you’ve learned about etiolation and how to prevent it in order to avoid repeating the same growth pattern.
Can you replace a succulent after cutting the stem?
I make a lot of movies and posts about succulents because I have a lot of them in my yard. They are perennial gifts, so to speak. You can simply cut them to acquire more.
Because the vast majority of succulents spread in the same manner, I wanted to write one post that you could refer to whenever I write about a particular succulent. These are the two incredibly simple methods.
Let me demonstrate how to grow succulents:
I usually divide succulents using stem cuttings. Ensure the sharpness and cleanliness of your pruners. Simply trim the stems to the desired length, remove the bottom third of the leaves, and then wait 2 weeks to 4 months before planting them to heal off (the cut end of the stem will callus over).
I either plant them straight in the ground or in a pot with planting mix for succulents and cacti. I use one that is made nearby; it’s also good. Succulents require a loose mixture so that the water can drain completely and prevent rot.
I rarely use individual leaf cuttings to propagate succulents, but it’s still simple. Lay the leaf on top of the mixture after removing it from the stem, making sure to remove the entire leaf all the way to the stem. Off the cut end, there will be a new plantlet.
I suppose I could propagate succulents in my sleep because I do it so frequently! Although many succulents make excellent houseplants, mine all grow outside. If you have just one or two of these bizarre plants, you can easily grow more using these simple methods.
Aloe Vera must be multiplied by division, which involves removing the pups from the mother plant.
Your Succulent Isn’t Getting Enough Light
All plants require light, but succulents particularly crave it. Your pal may be leggy if you don’t provide a sunny area where they can soak up the light.
Insufficient sunshine causes succulents to develop lengthy stems. They begin to turn and spread out in search of light during a process known as etiolation, which gives them a “leggy appearance with a long stem and smaller, spaced-out leaves.
It can be challenging to determine how much light your plant needs right immediately because every plant is unique. Try transferring the succulent to an area where it will receive more light if you find it starting to grow a long stem without adding more leaves. You might want to think about buying a tiny tabletop grow light if your house doesn’t have a place where the sun shines.
Can I cut my succulent’s stem?
Succulents require more than just sunlight and water to thrive. To encourage healthy growth, some individuals advise cutting a succulent’s leaves, stems, and roots. However, can you get away without trimming your succulents or is trimming truly necessary? Can you cut the leaves, stems, or roots of a succulent first?
A succulent’s roots, stems, and leaves can all be pruned. The major purpose of this is upkeep. Maintaining your plants can help them grow better, resist rot, and live longer. Succulents also require trimming to keep their shape and grow sturdy stems.
When to trim the roots, leaves, or stems, as well as what to do with the clippings, are all covered in this article. You will also learn the proper techniques for planting your clippings to begin cultivating new succulents.
Can succulent cuttings be planted directly in the ground?
What is there to love other than a succulent? Obviously, a full garden of succulents! Fortunately for us, it’s simple to propagate a variety of these resilient, vibrant plants at home. We can’t wait to see succulents growing all year long in containers around the house and garden; there are various easy ways to reproduce them.
Propagating by Division: Plants that have gotten too leggy perform best with this method, which produces new succulents from cuttings. Start by delicately removing any leaves that may be attached to the stem below the rosette; be sure to preserve the leaf’s base while you do so. After all the leaves have been eliminated, cut the rosette with shears, leaving a brief stem intact. The cuttings should be let to dry in an empty tray for a few days until the raw ends have calloused. The cuttings can then be rooted in either water or soil.
Soil: After the stems have calloused, set the cuttings on top of a shallow tray filled with well-draining cactus/succulent soil. From the base of the cuttings, roots and little plants will start to emerge in a few weeks. Once the roots start to show, water sparingly once a week; take care not to overwater. The parent leaf will eventually wither; carefully remove it while taking care not to harm the young roots. Your propagated succulents can be replanted once they have established roots. As soon as the plants are established, keep them out of direct sunlight.
Water: After the stem has calloused, place a cutting with the end barely visible above the water’s surface on the lip of a glass or jar filled with water. Pick a sunny location for your glass. The incision will eventually produce roots that extend toward the water. Once roots have sprouted, your new succulent can either be replanted in succulent potting soil or allowed to remain submerged in water as illustrated above.
Offsets are little plants that develop at the base of the main specimen, and many species of succulents, such as aloe, hens and chicks, and some cacti, will generate them. Check for root growth after an offset has developed for two to three weeks before carefully twisting, cutting, or using a sharp knife to separate it from the main stem. Be cautious to prevent destroying any already-formed roots. Follow the directions above for propagating in soil or water, letting the offsets dry, establish roots, and then repot when they have had time to callus any exposed regions. Removing offsets has the added benefit of enhancing the health of your current succulents and redirecting energy into the growth of the primary plant.
To replant succulents, where do you cut them?
While the soil must remain fully dry while the cuttings callus off and develop roots, this method is perfect if you want to start your own potting nursery for numerous cuttings at once.
Spend a few weeks working on the propagation process, experimenting with different approaches, and documenting outcomes. Maintaining records in a gardening diary is an excellent idea.
An Important Note on Cactus Propagation
Succulent propagation is simple and enjoyable. You can expand your collection of these lovely creatures by beheading, dividing, or splitting leaves.
We are aware that barrel types produce individual pups that can be picked and planted. Additionally, the individual leaves of Christmas cacti can be clipped, calloused, and rooted. What about other types, such those found in columns?
Simply make an incision in the top or side of a columnar cactus and take out a portion with a diameter of about an inch. Put it somewhere dry where it won’t be disturbed, and leave it alone for a few months.
If it stays dry during this time, the cutting will callus off and start to grow roots. After that, planting is ready.