Succulent plants are plants that are very beautiful, especially for those who have just seen it feel like to have it as an ornamental plant at home. However, for lovers of ornamental plants, this plant is familiar with it because maybe they already have it at home as decoration to beautify the rooms in his house. Before we discuss how to grow succulent, we first know what a succulent plant is, knowing that we will be able to take care of it.
Succulent Plants Definition
The general definition of succulent is a plant that can withstand drought because usually the roots, stems, and leaves have tissue that can store water reserves. The physical characteristic of succulent plants is the ability of succulent plants in storing water making them look more fat or thick compared to other plants.
Succulent Plant Habitat
Many succulent plants come from arid regions such as semi-desert, steppes, and desert. High temperatures and low rainfall maximize water storage for survival in prolonged dry conditions.
Some cactus species can survive for months without rain. Succulents sometimes experience epiphytes, which grow without soil in other plants, hang in the air, depending on the ability of each type to store water and obtain nutrients in other ways, for example in Tillandsia plants.
Once we know about succulent plants, we have a view to caring for them, with the hope that our succulent plants can last long and remain good.
We continue to discuss how to grow succulent plants and care for them. Broadly speaking there are 2 ways to grow succulent plants, first growing succulent plants from seeds and propagation of succulent plants. Immediately, we review one by one.
Growing Succulent from seed.
1. Use good seeds
Before you plant succulents, the first thing you need to do is buy succulent seeds (if you don't have seeds). Use good seeds and spend time expiring. If you are confused looking for it, you can search on amazon.com. Because all materials and equipment for growing succulents are available at the store, You just need to find the materials and equipment you need. And don't forget to check the reputation of the succulent seed seller and the buyer's reviews.
The last and most important thing when you want to buy succulent seeds when trying to grow succulent plants from seeds is to consider the time of germination because each variety requires a different time. You have to match the temperature of the season when you are about to start growing succulents, moderate spring and autumn are suitable for you to learn to grow succulents yourself because in this season succulent plants can grow optimally.
2. Succulent plant media
- Coconut Coil
- Succulent Soil
Succulent seeding requires constant moisture and water requirements for optimal growth. There are many choices that you can use as a planting medium, but I chose coconut coil because it can be used even when they are large.
3. Seed Trays and Succulents Pots.
For those of you who have a busy time my advice is to use the seed tray like in the photo, the advantage is that you can easily monitor the succulent seeds germinating. How to monitor if the water in the white tray runs out you can refill as needed (fill up to half the tray or until it touches the bottom of the black tray). As for succulents pots, use according to plant growth.
Note: If you are confused about finding the materials and equipment needed to learn to grow succulents from seeds, you can find all of them and get them at amazon.com.
After everything is ready, we can start growing from succulent germination to transferring succulent seeds to planting pots. An easy guide how to grow succulents plants from seeds can be followed step by step as below:
How to grow succulents from seed:
- Fill the seed tray with coconut coir media.
- Plant seeds about 1 cm in the germination media, place 1 seed in each hole of the seed tray. If you grow more than 1 species, I suggest separating it in the other seed tray, this is done to make it easier for you to monitor it.
- Cover the germination media with a transparent tray like in the photo above, place it in a location that is sufficiently exposed to sunlight but not directly.
- Keep the media moist but not wet, you can follow my advice above (in the seed tray paragraph) how to set it.
- Maintain air circulation in the seed tray. You can open and close the transparent tray about 2x a day, but if you are not afraid of the seed tray being damaged then you can perforate the transparent tray to taste (Optional).
- Monitor seeds until they germinate. Depending on the type of succulent seed that you plant, humidity, temperature, and sunlight in your place. Of the many types of succulent plants at the time of germination can take from 1 week, month, to a year the time needed to germinate (you can see information on the packaging of seeds that you buy).
- After waiting for germination then leaves appear on your plants, then you can open the transparent tray. Keep from the wind because the seeds are still small and very vulnerable to falling.
- When your plants grow about 2 weeks after germination, you must maintain the moisture of the growing media and ensure good drainage. Because this is the time their roots develop until their roots are established and ready to be moved to succulents pots.
- After the plant has a minimum size of 2 inches, you can move the plant to a growing pot and don't forget to adjust the succulents pot according to the size of the plant.
- Use succulent soil to fill the planting pot (fill 2/3 the size of the pot), move the plant carefully not to damage the roots, then place it in the planting pot, and press slowly around the roots to make the plant-strong.
- Finished, and you only need to succulents care, you can water them with a small portion of water but don't take too long for the planting medium to dry.
Note: You can learn on your own while experimenting when growing succulents if you are still confused you can discuss here.
Succulent propagation vegetative method is another way you can do to grow succulent. This method is commonly known as growing succulents from leaves or growing succulents plants from stems. This method is the easiest way to grow succulents, do not bother like growing from seed, the most important is that all the ingredients are ready. If you don't know what preparation is needed when you want to grow succulents from leaves or stems, then you can follow the steps step by step below:
Growing succulents from leaves or stems
Material:
- Knife.
- Succulent plants are mature and healthy.
- Planting Pot
- Succulent soil (Get it on amazon.com).
- Knife cleaner (alcohol to clean the knife)
How:
- Clean and sterilize the cutting tool that you will use (knife or razor blade).
- Look for mature and healthy succulent plants, then slice the stems or leaves using a razor blade or sharp knife about 8-12 cm. Do not cut it with garden scissors or directly by hand. So that the base formed perfect pieces.
- The cut stem is then dipped in a growth hormone.
- After dipping, then sprinkle with fungicide powder to avoid fungal and fungal infections
- Put the sliced stems or succulent leaves in the shade and dry and covered with a dry tissue
- Wait until the base (slices) dry and a little wrinkle.
- While waiting, you can fill the planting pot with succulent soil (fill about 2/3 the size of the pot).
- If it looks wrinkled, the seeds are ready to be planted in a pot. Be sure to plant immediately if you have started to see leaves or stems that have begun to wrinkle and do not wait for a total wrinkle to occur.
- After the succulent seedlings from the leaves or stems have been planted, the next step is to place the succulent plants themselves.
Additional:
1. To determine the location of succulent plants in outdoor or indoor, then we should recognize the characteristics of the types of succulent plants first. For succulent plants that have a red or purple color, it will be difficult to adapt to environments that are less hot, so it is more suitable to be placed outdoors. While succulent plants with a bright green color will still be able to adapt to cold environments and lack of light, so it is more suitable to be placed indoors.
Although placed in the room, you still have to provide a supply of sunlight to photosynthesize the succulent plants, you can place it near the window glass or alternatively, you can use photosynthetic lights near the plants.
2. Because these succulent plants grow optimally in hot environments, do not place these succulent plants near air-conditioned rooms that will cool the ambient air temperature. But if you do use air conditioning in the room, then you can anticipate by using a pot of cement or clay mixture. The color of the pot should also be black.
3. Place the black ornamental stones on the soil surface in a pot around the plant. This stone will help absorb heat. For plants that outdoors make sure to get direct sunlight at least 3 or 5 hours a day. It would be better if you could be exposed to the sun all day. In the rainy season, the indoor plants you should facilitate the heating of the air (indoor heaters), while for plants outdoors must be ensured to stay dry and not be exposed to rain for too long. You can move the pot or make a shade.
Success tips for growing succulents.
- Succulent plants should not be watered directly at the base of plants or potting soil. The right way to water a succulent is to spray it using a spray on the leaves and stems. You can do it in the morning and evening, if you want to water the bottom of the base then still use spray and do not flush directly. Although the plant will not die immediately, the original color of the plant will fade if there is too much water and has the potential to rot on the rooting area. Maybe you can water the roots once a week.
- If your succulents plants want to be stimulated growth, then spray Growth Regulatory Substances such as Auxins such as indole Acetic Acid (IAA) and GA (Gibberellic acid) together in the area of leaves and stems.
- If you want your succulent plants to remain in a small state, then spray Abscisic Acid or inhibitors hormones. This method is done to suppress plant growth and keep it dwarfed so that the plant will continue to look tiny. For the use of succulent hormones be sure to read the instructions on using packs and extend the reach of children and pets.
- Use variations of various types of succulents in order to get a unique and beautiful blend of plants as ornamental plants at home.
Note: All the materials and equipment for growing succulents that I have reviewed above such as seed trays, succulent pots, succulent soil, succulent hormones, or even adult succulents can be found on amazon.com
Thus my review of the easy guide to growing succulent plants from seed. I hope my writing is easy to understand and you can practice it at home. Succulent planting is indeed required accuracy and patience to produce succulent plants that are beautiful and beautiful to look at. However, with this review, you will be successful in growing succulent plants. If there is still something that cannot be understood, we can discuss it here, please write the discussion material that you will ask in the comments column provided.
Source:
Photo from amazon.com