by Amjad
(Amman,Jordan )
Hi Jacki,
Are plant food stakes good for succulents?
that is during the growing season ?
Thanx
Amjad
I wouldn’t use plant stakes for any kind of plant.
For succulents, there really is no point, they don’t need that much fertilizer, and there is also the chance of burning the roots by using them.
For any kind of fertilizer, you only use it when the plant is actively growing. The side effects of using plant food of any kind when the plant isn’t actively taking up water and nutrients is that it builds up in the soil.
Echeveria in particular are prone to an issue called ‘soil sickness’ which some experts consider to be caused by a build up of fertilizer and possibly pathogens in the soil.
The problem is that it’s so hard to pin down; generally, the plant just doesn’t thrive, which isn’t really a distinct symptom. The mistake that a lot of people make is to continue to try and ‘perk it up’ with yet more unnecessary feeding.
See my post about worm castings (which are my preferred form of nutrients for succulent plants) here Worm Castings; dry or liquid? for more discussion about feeding your plants.
Hope that helps,
Jacki
