This giant (for rather small succulents standards) of a plant is probably 7-8 years old. I grew it from a tiny little cuttings that had just a few leaves on and not a single root. In those years I gave away multiple cuttings to various people. I also planted some in other pots - most of the time because some little peace accidently got detached and I didn't have the heart to throw it away. I would put it somewhere else to grow and usually they do.
But this one desperately needs some TLC. I was gonna do it few weeks ago, but didn't have sand, then didn't have soil I use for the mix and the whole thing just kept being postponed.
Until today.
I had the right pot waiting, I had the soil and sterilized sand.
Crassula Perforata
It is a lovely and super easy to grow succulent. What's more it is also extremely forgiving and hardy. It blooms with a bunch of tiny (and stinky) flowers .
The poor thing was growing in this post for a few years. It got so big that the pot started to tilt, even though it is clay and filled with heavy, sandy soil and rocks. I had to make sure it leans over another pot so it doesn't fall.
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But the plant started to get very long and with the oldest part getting dry it didn't look so nice anymore. I wanted to get rid of those parts make it more balance. Repotting wouldn't be enough here, so I decided to cut the healthy parts and just get rid of the rest.
All the old dry stems are very brittle and I didn't even have to use any tools.
Here is a proof how hardy and hard to kill the plant is.
It will start growing roots from between the leaves as soon as bottom part of the stem is dead and doesn't provide ay water, or when the roots are dead (or when someone forgets to water it for a very long time and it thinks it will die).
Many of the cuttings I got had the roots so they will start growing in no time. Others will have to root, but that is usually quite fast too.
See all the fresh roots above the dead part?
I just got rid of the bottom dry part and had a bunch of healthy cuttings.
So from this big mess 👆..
I got this (this is a 13cm pot)👇:
I mentioned the soil: I make my own mix for the cacti and succulents. I take regular garden soil you can get in any supermarket, some sand with rocks and pebbles I pick in a park, add some perlite and lava rocks. I use the same ingredients for both, but for cacti I add more sand so the mix has less organic stuff.
The sand I use I sterilize it in a microwave (smaller portions) or in the oven (where there is a bigger batch) to kill all the insect eggs and seeds. I don't need those in my plants.
I probably should do that with the shop soil too as many times the bag brings little, annoying fungus gnats, but I was too lazy for that :p
It looks very dehydrated right now, but in a couple of weeks when all the cuttings start to grow roots it will plump back. I will also not water it for a couple of days so whatever wounds are on the stems or the new roots have time to heal.
The longer ones in the middle I staked, so they don't fall before they anchor properly. They are also a little greener - those actually come from another pot that I will be changing, so I got the cuttings already.
Here you can see the difference in colour between the ones that were grown in more shaded spot - they are more green, and the ones that were getting direct sun for a few hours a day - they get that lovely purple colour.
Besides that large pot I also got two small ones with the smallest cuttings I just didn't fit in the main one anymore. They are healthy and have those mini roots growing already so I just couldn't ditch them.
I will wait for those to root and start growing and will give them away.
Besides the Crassula I also repotted some other plants and cacti that needed it. Boring stuff so no photos.
Job done! 😀
Shot with Nikon D5500 + Sigma 105mm lens
All photos and text are my own.
