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Suppose you have brought a very beautiful succulent from a nursery and you want to shift the plant into another pot that you have specially purchased for your tiny succulent. But as soon as you re-pot the succulent within few days it starts dying. As a beginner in growing the succulents, this hurts.
When I was new at it I had no idea how to re-pot the succulents. Often after a few days of repotting my succulent plant used to die. After speaking to many of the expert gardeners and taking their advice and by doing some research I was able to re-pot the succulents correctly. I have come across many people who have this issue and often wonder Why is my succulent dying after repotting?
The reason that succulent die after repotting is that while repotting the plant roots get damaged as they are very fragile and we often forget to give them a little water to help them go through transition after repotting.
These are the most common mistakes everybody makes but there are other pit holes too that you might be falling into while repotting your plant. In this article, I will walk you through the correct process of repotting the succulents.
How To Re-pot Succulents?
It is very important to re-pot the succulents properly, a single mistake during this process might end up ruining the plant’s health. Therefore you need to follow all the steps correctly.
Step 1
The first thing you should do is collect all the required stuff for repotting. Things you might need are:
A Pot (with drainage hole)
Potting soil
Scissors
Rocks or Pebbles
A stick or spoon
Moisture meter ( optional)
Gather all the above things in one place so that you can do this process quickly and easily. It’s up to you to use a moisture meter for the process. We will be using it just for the sake of checking the moisture in potting soil.
Step 2
Take the new pot in which you are going to plant a succulent. Now put a few pebbles or rocks at the bottom of the pot. That will help to flush away the excess water from the pot. Then add a small layer of potting soil over the rocks that will make The surface even. By keeping d rocks at the bottom will help the soil to absorb the required amount of water.
Step 3
Take the succulents out of the old pot gently. Once you have taken the succulent out of the old pot now with the help of your fingers gently take away the soil around the roots. Be very gentle so that you will not damage the roots. While doing this make sure to keep the plant on your palm. So that the succulent leaves will not get damaged.
Then try to spot the roots that may seem to have dark spots or darker color over them. If they have these types of spots then there is a very high chance that it will die due to rotting once you repot a plant. This is one of the most common mistakes you can make. The roots that have dark spots over them need to be cut very carefully with the help of scissors.
Step 4
Now plant the succulent in a new pot, do it very gently. Then add another layer of the soil to it till their roots are fully buried. Then take a spoon and gently make the surface even with the help of a spoon and gently press this soil around succulent. That will help the roots to hold the soil properly.
Step 5
Now that you have planted the succulent in a new pot it’s time to check the moisture in the soil so that we can get to know about when to water the succulents. You can check the moisture with the help of a moisture meter and if you do not have then there is a simple trick you can do. Just sprinkle a few drops of water that will help the root to hold the soil properly.
Then add another layer of pebbles or rocks, what we call a top dressing to the plant. This is done just for decorative purposes. Topdressing gives a very elegant look to the succulents overall. It just looks very nice and attractive.
This is how you should try to re-pot the succulents so that they will not die after repotting them. Succulents need very little care but that little care must be done correctly and on time.
There are a few common mistakes that you can make while repotting in the succulents. It is important to avoid those mistakes to help your beautiful succulent to thrive. Here are a list few common mistakes:
1. Damaging roots
As I mentioned earlier there is a high possibility that while repotting the succulents you might damage the roots. Therefore it is very important to handle the plant very carefully. Be very gentle when you handle the succulent, keep the plant on the palm so that leaves won’t get damaged. And more carefully remove the excess around the roots.
It is also very important to identify the roots that may have dark spots as that is the sign of root rotting. If you plant the succulents without cutting them then they might die within a few days after repotting. Also, make sure that the scissors you are using are neat and clean.
2. Not Using good quality potting soil
Another common mistake you can make is not using good quality potting soil for the succulents. Potting soil is one of the most important ingredients in any plant’s growth as it provides all the essential nutrients to the roots.
There is a lot of debate about whether to use the pots with drainage holes or without. But what I prefer is pots with drainage holes. These pots are so essential for the healthy growth of the succulents that they flush away all excess water from the soil. That avoids overwatering and also avoids rotting of the leaves which are caused by the overwatering. See how these all things are interdependent.
Therefore, it is very important not to make any mistake while growing the succulents. One small mistake can completely ruin the health of the succulent.
4. Excess watering just after repotting
Once you have repotted the succulent then many people make the mistake of watering the plant immediately. But as I have mentioned earlier it is important to water the plant but just a few drops, not more. That helps the roots to go through the transition phase properly and also will nurture the growth.
Water the succulents after a week of repotting till that time succulent has already gone through transition and got used to the new surroundings and soil. This will promote healthy roots and eventually grow a beautiful vibrant succulent.
Frequently asked questions:
Why are my newly planted succulents dying?
The main reason that newly planted succulents might die is because of not getting proper care and attention. It is very important to water the succulents once a week and also give them direct sunlight or partial sunlight every day. Do not overwater or underwater the plant as that can harm the succulents.
Final Thoughts on why my succulent is dying after repotting.
Succulents need a bit of care and attention and it is very important to do everything correctly to ensure that they grow healthy. It is also important to avoid making any small and silly mistakes as you know everything is interdependent. Therefore while repotting the succulents do it very carefully and correctly.
Finally, I hope you have found this article very helpful if you have any questions then make sure to leave a comment. I will get back to you as soon as possible.
