Are you asking yourself, “Why is my succulent drooping leafing across the top of my pot?” While it can be tempting to pluck the plant and take it to your local pet shop for a transplant or cut off of the stem, you should resist the temptation. The reason for this is that the plant needs oxygen to grow, thus making it a good idea to transplant or remove the entire plant if the leaves are drooping or completely falling off. As well, the leaves on a succulent plant may not have completely set upon the pot as they age and will eventually die. Removing the leaves before the plant has completely fallen over is also an excellent preventative measure.
When you are preparing to transplant or move your succulent plant, it is important that you do not prune the leaves until the soil surface has completely warmed up. During the initial heating process, the moisture in the soil will evaporate, leaving behind a dry, warm surface. If you prune your jade plant before this process has completely completed, the leaves will not stay on the plant.
Many gardeners mistakenly believe that it is best to pinch off the top of a young plant to encourage new growth. This is not the most beneficial way to train a plant. Pinching plants encourages growth when the plant is young because it is more sensitive to sharp objects such as the leaf blades. Pinching young leaves encourages new growth, but this method causes the plant to produce more buds which, in turn, do not provide support for the plant’s health. Instead, leave the tip of the leaf intact so that it can continue to grow and provide the support for your plants needs.
To determine the proper amount of space that your succulents should be growing, place them approximately four inches tall in a shallow dish of water. This will be the ideal height for them to grow at, however, they may grow taller if they are left in their pots. The pots should remain at this depth throughout the season. During spring, they will need to be removed from the pots and placed on a sunny windowsill, approximately six inches deep. They will need to remain this depth throughout the summer, but only to allow for evaporation.
It is important to keep your panda plant very well watered. Do not let the soil dry out completely between watering. Watering once a week should suffice, but if you find that the soil is drying out too much, you may need to increase the watering. You should keep in mind that plants with a thick root system will soak up a great deal of water, so it is important to follow the direction on the packaging to determine how much water a plant should receive per day.
Another reason why some plants are drooping is due to extreme weather conditions. If your area has hard, dry summers, such as Nevada or Arizona, it is likely your chocolate soldier plant will experience much water stress and will droop much more than other plants. If you live in an area with higher temperatures, such as Florida, it is very common to see plants drooping and leafing upwards during the summer months.
Some reasons why plants will experience leaf loss and drooping is due to extreme dehydration, and you can easily recognize the signs of extreme dehydration by seeing wilting succulents on your plant. Wilted, overripe leaves on succulents are usually caused by extreme dehydration. As a matter of fact, wilted leaves on succulents is a common sign of extreme dehydration, and many plants will experience this when moving from the hot zones of the garden to the cooler zones of the garden. Wilted leaves on succulents are a common part of the process of acclimating your plants back to their true environment, so if you notice your plants drooping and leafing upwards, it is imperative that you water your plants quickly before they begin to wilt, and allow them adequate time to recover from the loss of water through their roots. You can help prevent wilted leaves on succulents by giving them equal amounts of water, but you should never let them sit longer than 48 hours without re-potting them, because the loss of water through the roots can make your plants extremely susceptible to root rot later on.
Other reasons why your succulents are drooping and looking like they’re about to die are due to too much light, too much watering or improper potting methods. To prevent your plants from looking like they’re ready to die, you should always water your plants properly, keep them well watered, and give them a chance to acclimate to their new surroundings before adding any additional lighting, and avoid letting the soil dry out between watering. If you find your plants are looking like they’re about to die, you should consider why your soil is so dry and look like it’s just dried up. If it’s only because the roots are trying to acclimate to their new surroundings, you can simply water your plants again until they’re comfortable again.
