Last Updated on June 17, 2020 by Kimberly Crawford
The unique thing about succulents is that they require low maintenance and are easy to propagate. Repotting is a major process in propagation but it is also an important maintenance activity for succulents.
When do we really have to repot? How much water does a newly potted succulent require? How do we repot succulents from cuttings? In this article we will talk about the when, why and how of repotting succulents. So if you are someone who is genuinely interested about these stuff, you are in for a treat.
When to repot succulents?
It is known among succulent growers that repotting must be done ideally, every after two years for one basic reason: they need fresh fertile soil with new sets of minerals that they can thrive on for them to grow better especially if it has acquired root rots and pest infestations through the years.
Specifically, repotting is best done when the growing season starts which is basically spring. Repotting during this season will give your newly transplanted succulent a leverage for survival.
In doing this process, you need the best soil mix for your transplanted succulents, one that offers good drainage. By best we mean, any soil mix that is labelled cactus mix.
The next thing to do is choose the appropriate pot which would be pots with drainage holes. After this, gently shake and squeeze the succulent out of its plastic pot, remove it when it has loosened and transfer it in its new pot with 3/4s cactus soil mix in it.
To secure its place in the pot, it is advised that you add more soil on top of the surface. As for watering after repotting, we will tackle that in the next section.
When to water succulents after repotting?
There are two answers to this question but first we must know the questions. How long has it been since you last watered your succulent when it was still in its old pot? At the same time, is it necessary to water succulents right after repotting them?
Let us first take the first question. When the interval between the last time you watered your succulent in its old pot has just been two to five days before you went to repotting, it is recommended that you must not water it yet because there is a good chance that it still has enough water stored in its stem when you propagate the stem and the leaves when you repot leaf cuttings.
If the interval is more than nine days, you can water it as long as the new soil is completely dry. With these answers, we have also gotten the answer to the second question which is no because it is not always necessary to water succulents right after repotting them. Succulents need to adjust to their new soil too so it is advised that you water them two to five days after repotting.
Repotting succulents from cuttings
If you are repotting using cuttings, you need to master the art of gently cutting the parts to be propagated. First, you need to gently clip off the leaves or stems that are growing directly out of the succulents rosettes if your succulents have rosettes and the small twig-like stems or the small leaves leafing out from the stem if your succulents do not have rosettes.
Make sure that the base of the leaf and stem remain intact even after you clip them out from the main plant.
The next thing to do is to let dry the cuttings for one to three days until the cuttings look calloused. After this, you need to grow them baby roots before you could engage into repotting.
In this case, you need to soak the cuttings in a jar with ¼ water. You will have to change the water in the jar after every two days until they grow small roots. As soon as they grow new roots, you are now ready to repot the cuttings in new pots and new soil mixes.
Repotting succulents in winter
Honestly, you can repot anytime even during the winter but because wintry days offer dormancy, you will not see that much growth after you repot succulent cuttings.
However, if you do so, there are no changes in the repotting process. You still need to clip off some cuttings when the stem gets too leggy or has too many tiny stems and leaves and then dry these cuttings off (although it would take more time during the winter), soak them in water and wait for the small roots to grow. After the roots grow, you will have to transplant them in a well-drained pot, in a fast draining soil.
See also: How to care for Succulents in winter
How to repot succulents into water
In other terms, repotting succulents in water is called water propagation and to be honest, we have been discussing this since the third section. So water propagation refers to that phase when you soak the cuttings in a jar of water and wait for the roots to grow.
It is not as simple as that though. To ensure that this will happen, the jar of water where the cuttings are soaked in must be placed under bright light. When the roots start appearing, change the water once every two days. When there are enough roots for repotting, transfer the water propagated cuttings in the pot.