Succulent Sword Handling Tips | Handy Succulent Reproduction
Hello everyone! Today, I want to talk to you about the “succulent sword” which is loved and hated by countless meat lovers! As soon as spring arrives, my succulent babies will collectively draw their swords as if they have an appointment, and I believe that many of my friends have encountered this problem: Should I cut them or not? How to cut the safest? Cut down the sword can still be salvaged? Don’t worry, this nanny tutorial allows you to easily master the whole process of flower sword processing!
What’s the point of a flower sword anyway?
Succulent flowering is actually a natural law, just like human beings to fall in love! However, the main reason we keep succulents is for their looks, so unless you want to play “succulent cross-breeding”, you’ll be doing your own succulents a disservice if you keep the flower swords~!
Here’s an interesting piece of trivia: by pollinating pistils and stamens of different species, you can produce unique hybrid succulents! For example, if you cross “Silent Night” with “Chihuahua”, you may be able to produce a pink cutie with red edges… (but this requires professional equipment and patience)
Top 3 Reasons Why You Must Cut Your Foils
1️⃣ Nutritional Bandit: Foils can rob the mother plant of 30%-50% of its nutrients! My ‘Peach Eggs’ were reduced to eggshells after blooming last year, and it was heartbreaking!
2️⃣ Pest Alert: Nectar attracts an army of aphids, which wiped out my neighbor’s bearberry last week!
3️⃣ Face Killer: Have you ever seen a ‘yucca’ in bloom? It’s like Sleeping Beauty with a hen’s nest.
Golden time to prune ⏰
Remember this mnemonic: the three look principle!
✅ Look at the length: the flower sword pole more than 1cm over the leaf before cutting
✅ Look at the state: the bottom appears to be lignified (hard to the touch)
✅ Look at the weather: choose continuous sunny days to prune, to avoid infection during the rainy season!
Lesson learned: Last time, I was in a hurry to cut the sword of “Ikaruga”, but the scissors slipped and cut the leaves, and there is still a scar now 😭!
Four Steps to Perfect Trimming ✂️
- Sterilization tools: medical alcohol scissors/knife.
- Slant cut: cut at 45°, 2cm from the mother plant.
- Wound treatment: sprinkle some cinnamon powder (natural fungicide)
- Post-care: water 3 days after cutting, apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizer.
A guide to recognizing foils vs. side shoots 🔍
The two easiest to confuse for newbies:
Location: side shoots are mostly on the stem, swords are often in the leaf center
Speed: Foils grow 1cm per day, side shoots are very modest
Morphology: Foils with small buds, side shoots look like miniature succulents.
If you are not sure, wait 3 days! My “Ice Berry” had me stumped for a week, but I realized it was a twin side bud, and I almost hurt the cutie by mistake!
Foils to Treasure Tips 🌱
Don’t throw away cut flower swords! Teach you to play around with three propagation methods:
[Leaf insertion method
Choose healthy leaves with buds
Dry in the shade for 3 days
Place in a mixture of vermiculite + perlite (2:1).
Spray to keep moist
Success rate: 60%-70
[Stem insertion method
Keep 5cm healthy stem section
Soak in rooting water for 1 hour
Insert aerated granular soil
Moisturize with a bag (1 hour per day)
Success rate: 80% +
Hydroponics
Fix the flower sword with a narrow-mouth bottle
Water level touching the stem 0.5cm
Change water every week + add nutrient solution
Suitable varieties: Jade hanging bell, longevity flower
My Exclusive Care Tips
Three Avoidances’ for freshly pruned succulents:
➤ Avoid bright light: put it in diffused light for 1 week.
➤ Avoid rain: prevent stagnant water before the wound heals.
➤ Avoid fertilizer: wait for new shoots to emerge before supplementing nutrients
Common QA:
Q: Will cutting the flower sword cause succulent death?
A: Not at all when done correctly! My “Mage” has been cut for 3 years in a row, and now it has grown into an old stump!
Q: Do all succulents need to be cut?
A: All succulents will die after blooming, so you must cut them in time!
Q：Can the cut flower sword bloom?
A: Yes, in hydroponics! My “Mountain Rose” bloomed in water for 2 weeks!
