I am addicted to stone lotus. Enjoy. Curious. Passion.
Someone told me:
When you feel so useless, plant a tree. Not to purify the air or increase the feeling of love. It’s just that at least I’m breathing out the carbon dioxide that feeds the plants.
Because of this, I fell in love with stone lotus pots with all colors, shapes, and sizes. Stone lotus to me is not simply a tree.
It is an icon. A symbol of strong friendship, expression of eternal love.
From the desk, the dining table, the living room table, the balcony, the window,… All of those places in my house have a small, beautiful stone lotus pot.
In this article, I will share how to take care of succulents so that they are always fresh and never “sick” 😉
Element 1 – Light and Temperature
Stone lotus is a cool-loving plant. The location of the stone lotus pot should be the best to catch natural light. If you leave succulents on the desk, remember to let them “sunbathe” about 2-3 hours / day in the early morning or evening. If you leave your succulents on your balcony, make sure you have a shade screen around 12 noon. Absolutely avoid placing the plant in the hot sun, which will easily wilt the leaves and lose a lot of water.
Element 2 – Water
Absolutely avoid standing water on the leaves of succulents when watering. This is not known to everyone.
Stone lotus is a plant with many leaves, the leaves are often chalky. If watering plants according to the traditional method of pouring from the top, the water will not be able to escape, causing the leaves to rot easily. In case of excessive watering, there is a risk of washing away the surface protective chalk layer, making the leaves no longer as shiny as before.
So how is the standard way to water the succulents?
- As a general rule, water as close to the edge of the pot as possible. Sufficient watering according to the motto “it is better to die dry than to be waterlogged” :).
- The optimal way, using the “backflow” method. Normally, the bottom of the stone lotus pots often has a small hole to drain water when watering. Here we take advantage of this design to soak up the water from the bottom of the pot to the top. Place the potted plant in a basin of water that is 1/3 full of water. The time to soak such a potted plant is about 30-40 seconds, depending on the size of the large or small stone lotus pot. Hold the pot up, water until 1/2 heavier than the original is enough.
What is the watering intensity?
- In dry, sunny weather, water 1-2 times/week.
- In humid and rainy weather, watering is done every 2 weeks.
Element 3- Soil
When you buy succulents from the store, the pre-planted soil in the bags usually has a high moisture content, not suitable for long-term planting. It’s best to boldly replace the whole thing with new soil. Use well-draining soil. The recommended soil samples to use are as follows
- Ashes on dried cow dung in the ratio 1:1
- (Sand + Gravel + Dry manure), mix well.
- Mix according to the formula 45% small perlite + 45% small lava rock + 10% composted cow dung.
- The soil is crushed into small pieces and mixed with coal slag (crushed honeycomb) in a ratio of 1:1 .
- Crushed meat soil mixed with half of black sand or yellow sand
- Soil mixed with sawdust or coir mixed with a ratio of 1:1
Element 4- Selection of pots
- Terracotta pots: With good drainage holes, thick base, insulated from the outside => Keep the roots warm, good ventilation. This is the right choice for succulents. However, the aesthetic side is not attractive.
- Porcelain pots: Glazed very beautiful, luxurious. Suitable for decorating living room, desk. However, the moisturizing effect is reduced compared to terracotta pots.
- Plastic pots: The advantage is cheap, light. Aesthetically, it’s fine, but only for a short time. Easily brittle, broken when left outdoors for a long time. Suitable for short-term mass production.
Note:
If the pot does not have a drainage hole in the bottom, you should manually drill the hole yourself. Avoid waterlogging when watering.
Element 5- Nutritional application
Stone lotus is a plant that is famous for its intense vitality, but in order for the tree to stay healthy and green, it should also add nutrients to the tree. Fertilizers commonly used are slow-release fertilizers, foliar fertilizers (20-20-20), monthly dynamic fertilizers. In addition, every year you should change the soil for plants 1-2 times to ensure new nutrients for the plants.
