Last updated on September 26th, 2022 at 12:30 pm
Growing succulents doesn’t involve any severe stress. It’s almost the same requirements for growing normal plants. Thus, you may wonder whether you’ll need to apply fertilizers to them too.
Well, just like every other plant, succulents need nutrients to grow healthy. With that in mind, fertilizers help provide certain nutrients when they can’t get enough from the soil. Therefore, succulents need fertilizer.
What Nutrients Do Succulents Need?
Majorly, the nutrients succulents need are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). In addition, you may need to add calcium (Ca), carbon (C), and magnesium (Mg).
Succulents, just like other plants, survive on nutrients, water, oxygen, and carbon (iv) oxide. Without these basic elements, succulents may die off, grow unhealthily, or develop the disease.
For your succulent to grow properly, you need to provide it with every nutrient it requires. Also, adequate water would be perfect. Not too much, not too little.
However, there are specific nutrients that are necessary and will help your succulent plants a lot. Some of these nutrients are major and cannot be avoided. Others can be used as additional nutrients even though the succulent can survive without them.
Do Indoor Succulents Need Fertilizer?
Indoor succulents need fertilizer. However, they do not require an excessive amount of fertilizer. Also, they do not need fertilizing too frequently.
A moderate amount of fertilizer applied once in a while is perfect for succulents.
Generally, outdoor plants have different requirements from growing plants indoors. This situation is the same for succulents.
Indoor plants usually require more of whatever outdoor succulents get. This is because they are limited and can’t get enough of whatever they require on their own. This also means they require more care, more sunlight, more water, etc.
When Should I Fertilize my Succulents?
You can fertilize succulent plants during early spring when their growth is beginning to pick back up. Also, some succulents find summer fertilizing well for them.
As stated earlier, it is best to avoid over-fertilizing your succulents. Particularly, avoid fertilizing too frequently. It’s hard to give a general time for fertilizing succulents due to the variation in species.
However, there is one season that seems to agree with most succulent plant species. Even if you follow this season, a general rule is to stick to at least once a month when fertilizing. This is because you only need to fertilize your plant a few times a year.
Another tip is to fertilize succulents when the soil is moist. Fertilizing when the soil is dry may cause the succulents to burn or dry up. If the soil is not moist enough, you can mix the fertilizer into the water when watering the plants or add the fertilizer immediately after watering.
What Fertilizer Is Good for Succulents?
Some brands of fertilizers are very good for succulents and serve different specific purposes for succulents. Some of these fertilizers are: organic worms, Dr. Earth Premium Gold Pure & Natural Fertilizer, Grow Better Organic Succulent Fertilizer, manure tea, and Miracle-Gro Succulent Plant Food.
Generally, succulents require a balanced fertilizer with low nitrogen concentration, like a ratio of 15:15:15, 10:10:10, or 8:8:8 (the ratios represent N:P: K). However, a proper survey has been carried out to give specific results.
1. Organic Worms:
Some gardeners get scared when it comes to fertilizing. Due to the toxic contents of fertilizers, they feel things might get out of hand. Therefore, they resort to organic fertilizers.
Organic fertilizers are never too much. They don’t harm plants in any way.
The best organic fertilizer to use on your succulents is Worms. Worms release waste which we like to call worm castings. These wastes are filled with nutrients.
Worm-castings have about 60 nutrients present. These include major nutrients like calcium (Ca), carbon (C), magnesium (Mg), and nitrogen (N).
Other than providing nutrients, worm castings help to balance soil pH. When soil nutrients are balanced, succulents can easily consume soil nutrients.
If you are planting your succulents in a pot, you should mix the worm castings in the soil.
With this, if you are strictly for organic fertilizer, organic worms or worm castings should be your first option.
2. Dr. Earth Premium Gold Pure & Natural Fertilizer
Most times, succulents suffer from chlorosis (yellowing of leaves) when not taken care of properly. If you suspect chlorosis in succulents, opt for Dr. Earth Premium Gold Pure & Natural Fertilizer.
This fertilizer has a perfect 10:10:10 of NPK. In detail, this means it has 10% of nitrogen (N), 10% of phosphorus (P), and 10% of potassium (K). Every nutrient is in equal proportion.
The nitrogen content is mostly for the leaves. Phosphorus helps the roots grow healthy. Also, phosphorus enables flowers to bloom.
Finally, potassium helps succulents fight against diseases. There’s a tip to make use of when using Dr. Earth Premium Gold Pure & Natural Fertilizer. Mix a teaspoon of the fertilizer in a gallon of water. Use the mixture when watering succulents.
Dilute the fertilizer to prevent it from being too concentrated. When this fertilizer is too concentrated, it burns the plant, thus killing it.
3. Grow Better Organic Succulent Fertilizer
Grow Better Organic Succulent Fertilizer is an example of a slow-release fertilizer. Its major function is giving food to succulents for a long time.
This fertilizer, once applied, takes about two months before it exhausts all the nutrients it contains. In detail, during two months, it is constantly feeding your succulents. Also, the roots are kept healthy during this period.
With a slow-release fertilizer, your succulent plants can survive healthily through their growing season. The best part is, both indoor and outdoor succulents accept this fertilizer. In addition, it is good in any soil.
This fertilizer is well known because it isn’t picky and can work well in diverse circumstances.
You can use the Grow Better Organic Succulent Fertilizer in two ways. For succulents in pots, mix the fertilizer with the potting soil. Secondly, you can decide to add fertilizer to your top dressing.
4. Manure Tea
Authentic Haven Brand Manure Tea is one of the best manure teas for your succulents. Most times, we get tempted to make our manure tea. However, it’s best to go for already made quality manure tea like Authentic Haven Brand Manure Tea.
This manure tea has a perfect concentration and will not burn your succulents. It is balanced.
The process for preparing this manure tea for application is similar to preparing normal tea. Soak it in some water for the nutrients to spread out. Please leave it in the water for about 24 hours (it can be for 48 hours for more effect).
When the soil of the succulents is dry, apply the brown mixture as though you are watering the plants.
You can use the tea twice. However, the second time requires letting the tea soak for a longer period than the first time.
5. Miracle-Gro Succulent Plant Food
For a drastic increase in the health of your succulents, try liquid fertilizers. Since it is a liquid, it easily moves deep into the soil.
That way, all the roots get enough of the fertilizer. Miracle-Gro succulent plant food offers lasting nourishment to plant roots. If you have succulents that seem dull and dry, try Miracle-Gro. You’ll be surprised at the instant boost the plants will get.
Within a short period, the health of the succulents is restored, and they start looking like their fresh selves again.
However, you should know that this fertilizer is made with high concentrations. Therefore, you need to be careful when applying the fertilizer. Avoid applying too much.
Always follow the instructions on the package. Make sure you have the mic in the right quantity before applying it to your plants. An excess amount of this fertilizer will kill succulent plants.
These popular brands of fertilizers are good for succulents. You can use some of them on normal plants as well.
Generally, when buying fertilizers for your succulents, go for NPK fertilizers with a 10:10:10 ratio. This type of fertilizer has the major nutrients succulents need for healthy growth.
Conclusion
Every plant needs a boost once in a while. Most times, it’s because they can’t access natural soil nutrients. Other times, it’s because the soil nutrients aren’t enough.
Succulents need fertilizers. Fertilizers serve different purposes for succulents. It could be for growth, restoration of health, or to fight off certain diseases.
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