Many bagged cactus soils, often labeled as suitable for cacti and palms, contain a lot of woody material, mostly because these soils are lighter and more inexpensive to ship than the coarse sand that succulents require. Succulents etiolate or stretch, when they have a lack of sunlight. This is why succulents grown indoors can … Is your succulent growing strangely tall? When you do water your plants, give them enough time dry afterwards. Pruning and Maintaining a Succulent Arrangement Regular maintenance. Still other succulents in the family will produce flower stalks which are persistent and become ugly when dead. Sometimes this tells us that the plant needs sunlight and is stretching for more light. Trim ocotillo stems that have died or become too tall. Let both the cutting and the base dry out for a few days. You need to give the plants and roots time to adjust and heal following pruning. 3. The shorter one I believe to be an Aloe nobilis that has suddenly grown tall leaves. Don’t panic if your succulents are too tall for your liking. In the desert, where there is often a marked contrast between night and day, succulents thrive in colder nights, down to even 40 F. Ideally, succulents prefer daytime temperatures between 70 and about 85 F and nighttime temperatures between 50 and 55 F. How do I Trim the Stems of Succulents? You can also trim succulents, like jade plants, to keep them small. You can easily start it in a separate location and double your stock of your favorite succulents. Have a succulent that's not looking its best? Over time, the lower leaves of your succulent will dry up and die. It probably needs a little TLC to bring it back to life. Most succulents are thin enough that a pair of scissors will cut through the stems, but occasionally you'll need something a little sturdier (especially to behead Echeveria with their woody stems). To do this, you should cut back the entire plant. Prune your kalanchoe down after it has finished blooming for the year and remove all flower stalks to get it ready. You can remove up to a third of its size once a year in the spring. Try to remove the stem at a growth point. Clip the stems of long overgrown succulents in the places indicated by the red lines: a) These top rosettes will root quickly and give you many nicely shaped new plants for almost instant gratification - plant them right into a succulent planter for immediate impact. This happens when a plant isn’t getting enough light and it sta Still other succulents in the family will produce flower stalks which are persistent and become ugly when dead. The only thing you absolutely need for pruning is some sort... Beheadding succulents. Cut all of its branches back to the size you want, making sure your cuts are near a leaf or lateral branch. When a succulent does not have enough light it will try to get closer to where ever the light comes from. – you can cut it again into a more manageable size. Succulents are some of the easiest plants to prune and generally don't require too much maintenance. For a big job like cutting back a columnar specimen, use a saw and remove the main trunk at the point at which you would like to see branching or at the height you require the plant. Columnar plants, like totem pole cacti or organ pipe cacti, may simply get too tall or spindly and require a judicious beheading to force branching or simply thicker stems. The number of times people ask me how to work up the nerve to cut that bedraggled, scraggly overgrown thing in their succulent plant collection, and I'm brutal - just chop off its head! Trim the dead flower and foliage from hesperaloes. Succulent plants often need pruning to remove unruly or overgrown growth, and their dead or dying stems, leaves, and flower stems trimmed. When a succulent is dormant, it’s trying to survive, not grow. Hesperaloes are some of the succulents that don’t like regular trimming. Learn how to prune succulents the right way - it's not that hard, honestly. Removal of these will restore the beauty of the plant. At least 1 day without watering is ideal. Succulents stretching and growing leggy? The number of times people ask me how to work up the nerve to cut that bedraggled, scraggly overgrown thing in their succulent plant collection, and I'm brutal - just chop off its head!