Take Care of Succulent seedlings

by Dawn
(New York)

Succulent Seedlings

Okay, so they germinated. Now what? They don't seem to be doing anything at all.

I thought I had done it right, and they would be happy, but they got to a certain size and now they are stalled.

Is there anything I can do to make them grow?

How long will it take for them to get to a size where they will make it on their own without me having to coddle them?

The seeds were collected from my other succulents, and I was thrilled when they started to show little green flecks. They all have several tiny (and I mean TINY) leaves, but it's been several months since they got to this stage.

Comments for Take Care of Succulent seedlings

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Getting there
by: Jacki

Good call on the mulch, by the way. That is exactly the right thing to do. Pebble mulch helps stop the soil from drying out completely and gives those tiny roots somewhere to find moisture. After all, the roots haven't traveled very far yet.

This little plant looks very healthy and contented, so it's only a matter of time before it gets its act together and takes off.

What to do in the meantime; give it bright filtered light, either near a window with a sheer curtain in front of it, or under a grow light. Keep it on a 12 hour cycle - twelve hours of light, then twelve hours of darkness. This cycle is important for all succulents, but especially for young ones.

Water it by spraying lightly an inch or two away from the stem. Keep the leaves dry.

In summer, if you can, get it outside on a covered porch or other sheltered area, and start to drip a tiny amount of compost tea or other dilute fertilizer, again, an inch or two away from the stem. This will prevent the fertilizer salts from burning the delicate tissues of the stem. Putting it a distance away will encourage the roots to grow in that direction.

Be patient - in a month or two, this little guy will reward you with new sturdy growth.

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