How to Make Succulent Plants Grow Fast

Conditions that alter the growth rate of succulents.

1. The daily dry matter accumulation of succulent plants is positively correlated with the number of photons available for the process of photosynthesis.

2. The dry matter accumulation of succulent plants also relies on the water content in the root zone. When succulents take up water from the soil, their epidermal respiratory pores open to facilitate C02 uptake. As the soil progressively becomes drier, the opening of the respiratory pores will also decrease accordingly, thus affecting CO2 uptake and resulting in reduced amounts of dry matter accumulation.

3.  The concentration of fertilizers in the soil is also interconnected with the dry matter accumulation in the soil within a certain range, researchers conducted a fertilization follow-up study on fruit cacti and agave grown in South America and found that dry matter accumulation increased with the increase of fertilizer in the soil, but after reaching a certain concentration, this promotion became insignificant.

4. The greater the difference between the day and night temperatures, the greater the dry matter accumulation and this is the same for ordinary plants because low-temperature respiration consumes much less energy than in high temperature.

5. The daily dry matter accumulation of succulent plants is also related to the CO2 concentration in the air. Researchers and their students suggested in another paper that the dry matter accumulation of succulent plants is about 1.7 times more when the CO2 in the air is twice as much as the original.

6. The dry matter accumulation of succulents is effected by the air humidity at night because succulent plants carry out the gas exchange at night. The greater the air humidity, the greater the opening of epidermal respiratory pores, thus increasing CO2 intake and dry matter accumulation.

Secrets shared by gardeners for fast growth in succulents:

　　1. Illumination: It is necessary to place succulents where it can receive sunshine for the longest periods. These succulents can be placed at a site where it can receive morning sunlight. The evening sunlight is harmful to succulents as this source of light can burn the succulent leaves.

　　2. Watering: The soil needs to contain moisture because when the moisture levels are very low in the soil, the pores of the succulent leaves close as they have to prevent transpiration which is also the main source of water loss from a plant. So it is best to water succulents once a week.

　3. Fertilization: Most succulent cultivation books on the market say less or no fertilization is required for succulents but this is not comprehensive. Nitrogen fertilizers should be properly applied, otherwise, the plant will grow slowly, or even stop growing. Organic fertilisers are the best as the decomposition of the organic materials release C02, which will then promote the growth of plants;

　　4. Air humidity: Should increase the air humidity at night and reduce the air humidity during the day. High air humidity at night helps in the intake of CO2 by succulents. For succulents in open-air cultivation, it is good to spray some water over them at night.

        5.Temperature difference: Unless placed in a greenhouse, or air-conditioned room, it is difficult for us to change the temperature difference. Don’t think too much about this.

　　6. Flowerpot: As far as possible, we should use flower pots with ventilation all around, such as clay pots. If plastic pots are used, the pot must be big and must contain large soil particles. Research shows that by sowing plants in pots the first leaves of the succulent are smaller than the first leaves in the field, so it is thought that the air permeability can solve this problem.