Succulents are so fun to grow because of their unique shapes and sizes. But did you know there are tricks to help your succulents grow even bigger, even faster? In this article, I’ll share my top 7 tips for growing giant succulents in no time at all.
Use Well-Draining Soil
Succulents hate sitting in wet soil, which can cause root rot. Use a soil mix with lots of perlite, pumice or gravel for excellent drainage. I like to use 1 part potting soil, 1 part perlite and 1 part compost. This allows water to move through quickly while still providing nutrients.
Give Them Bright Light
Succulents store sunlight as energy for growth. The more light they receive, the faster they’ll grow. South or west facing windows provide the best conditions. Supplement with grow lights if needed. Direct sun is fine as long as you acclimate plants gradually.
Water Infrequently But Deeply
Water thoroughly until it drains out the bottom, then let the soil dry out between waterings. This encourages long, deep roots to develop in search of moisture underground. Frequent shallow watering promotes shallow roots instead.
Fertilize During Growing Season
From spring to fall, feed your succulents every 2-4 weeks with a diluted liquid fertilizer. I like fish emulsion or kelp extract which provide balanced nutrition. Fertilizer supplies the nutrients they need to grow rapidly.
Prune Off Offshoots For Propagation
Many succulents produce plantlets or offshoots which can be removed and rooted for new plants. This encourages the mother plant to put energy into new growth instead of offspring. The offshoots also grow into full sized plants quickly.
Give Them Space As They Grow
Repot into the next size pot as roots fill the container. Crowding inhibits growth. Bigger pots allow room for an extensive root system to develop and access more nutrients for bigger plants.
Hard Prune Leggy Stems
Some succulents get tall and leggy in low light. Cut off leggy stems down to the rosette and new compact growth will emerge. This shapes the plant fuller while encouraging vigorous new growth.
Use these tricks and watch your succulents take off! With the right care, even fast growing varieties like echeveria and haworthia can develop into massive specimens in just one season. Let me know if you have any other succulent growing questions.