Stone lotus - How to grow succulents and propagation techniques of succulents

Succulents also known as stone lotus, has more than 60 different types, they have a small and beautiful appearance, suitable for many spaces. Growing succulents is also quite simple

Stone lotus, also known as stone flower, interstellar, ... originated from Mexico to northwestern South America. When planted as an ornamental, succulents can be combined with many different materials to beautify the space.

As a plant that exists in arid climates, high temperatures, and little water, succulents are quite easy to grow and take care of. Besides, stone lotus also has many meanings, so its value is doubled.

1. The meaning of stone lotus

Stone lotus is known as a symbol of love, a flower that proves a stable, lifelong love that is not changed over time.

Like its pure rustic beauty and intense vitality, the stone lotus symbolizes a simple, unfussy love, ready to face all difficulties and challenges to walk side by side with one heart. , is still eternal.

Besides, there is also the notion that everything in life has its own solution, as long as we are brave and strong to face it. So always believe in life and be ready to fight like a stone lotus.

In addition, stone lotus also has meanings in feng shui. It helps bring wealth and luck to the owner. Growing succulents in the house, its green color will make the space more fresh, also gives the owner confidence in the change of prosperity and fortune.

2. Characteristics of stone lotus

Stone lotus is a perennial plant, belonging to the burning family, evergreen or deciduous. Sometimes, succulents look quite similar to herbs and shrubs. Stone lotus has no stem, the trunk disappears.

Stone lotus leaves are small, succulent, arranged in asterisks, like lotus flowers. Leaves often fall off the tree and can bud at the base to form a new plant. Inflorescences grow in leaf axils, with long common stalks.

Stone lotus is a sun-loving plant, easy to grow, has good drought tolerance, lives and grows in hot, dry environments, in nutrient-deficient soils. Currently, succulents are planted in small pots placed at the desk for decoration.

3. How to grow succulents

- Planting pots

When growing succulents, they should be planted in pots with good drainage holes because the plants are used to living in a low water environment, so they cannot tolerate waterlogging. Therefore, if you do not choose a well-draining pot, the roots will rot. It is best to use porcelain pots to grow succulents.

- Planting land

Should choose a well-ventilated, well-drained soil because succulents cannot stand in a wet soil environment for too long. It is possible to mix a mixture of sand mixed with ash and cow dung or rice husk ash mixed with cow manure in a 1:1 ratio.

More simply, growers just need to mix sand, gravel, sandy soil mixed with a little more.

Regardless of the soil mix used, as long as it has good drainage, the plant is not waterlogged.

- The technique of growing succulents

+ With the prepared soil, put in 2/3 of the pot and then gently place the succulent plant in the soil.

+ One hand holds the plant in place, and the other instead of adding soil to the pot until the pot is full.

+ Then, lightly press the ground to compress the soil to fix the stump.

4. How to propagate succulents

How to propagate as well as how to grow succulents is extremely simple. First of all, you need to choose a lotus leaf. It is best to choose the type of leaf cake or slightly old leaves to make it easier to grow seedlings.

+ After you have selected the leaves, place the leaves in a place with moist sand or moist soil, maybe in a place with shade and humidity.

+ Leave for about 1-2 weeks, from the petioles will grow new young shoots.

+ Growers can use these same sprouts to grow new plants in the well-drained soil environment mentioned above.

When planting, be very careful because these sprouts are very fragile. If you want to be safer and more effective, you can leave it for 1-2 months, wait until the sprouts become hard and then plant.

5. How to take care of succulents

- Utensils for watering

Absolutely do not use sprayers or misters to water the leaves of succulents, because this will cause water to stagnate on the leaves, causing leaf rot and the sprayer is not enough to moisten the soil.

So to water the sucrose, the grower can use anything, be it a bowl or a cup, etc. Can use watering cans for ornamental plants, but instead of misting mode, should turn to the watering mode or you can also use a dedicated long hose for succulents and cactus.

- How to water?

It depends on what tool you use for watering.

- If watering with a cup, pour it straight and the soil around the pot so that the water penetrates enough into the entire soil and does not stay on the leaves.

- If using a watering can, turn the nozzle of the can into spray mode and spray on the area around the soil, so spray lightly to avoid splashing water.

- You can also put the whole pot in a bucket of water, let the water cover up to 2/3 of the pot, after 1-2 minutes, take the pot out to drain. This method of watering is called infiltration irrigation, very effective to prevent water from getting on the leaves.

- And if you have a dedicated watering can for succulents, everything is much easier. This type of tank has a long spout that directs the flow, so just put the hose close to the base and pump water straight into it. The tank also has a volume display, so you can easily control the amount of water for irrigation.

- Change the soil

Although succulents do not require high nutrition, if you want plants to be healthy and beautiful and grow well, they should regularly supplement nutrients for plants with foliar fertilizers, slow-dissolving fertilizers or dynamic fertilizers. At the same time, every year should periodically change the soil for plants 1-2 times to ensure that the plants are not deprived of nutrients.

- The light

Like most succulents, it needs a lot of light. On average, it needs to be in the sun for 6-8 hours/day to be enough for the growth and maintenance of the green color of the plant. If the case is to put the plant in the room, it must be at least 2 days to bring the plant out to dry in the sun once so that the leaves do not wilt and fall off.

- Detection and control of pests

In fact, succulents have strong vitality and resistance no matter how they grow succulents, but that does not mean that the plant is not affected by pests and diseases, often succulents are also attacked by fungi and mealybugs. .

The most obvious manifestation is that the leaves are black rot, gradually spreading to other leaves and the whole plant. Usually this disease is easy to develop at the change of seasons, when the rainy season lasts.

If signs of disease are detected, the tree is usually removed. In order to minimize this undesirable situation, it is advisable to prepare and prevent the tree from disease early. If the disease symptoms of the tree are detected, it is usually necessary to cut it off. In order to minimize this undesirable situation, it is advisable to prepare and prevent diseases for plants early.

For mealybugs, it is advisable to eradicate ants, which is the most effective control measure because ants are the culprits that release mealybugs to attack succulents. Combine with mealybug insecticides to spread around the base of the tree.

In the case of succulent plants, first of all, do not keep the planting area wet for too long. When the plant is sick, remove all the leaves, use a knife to cut the rotten stem and keep only the healthy part. After about 3 days, proceed to replant. At the same time, combine spraying with preventive drugs such as Anzil, COC85, ...