CRYSTAL SUCCULUM

Crystal succulents have an impressive and extremely eye-catching appearance. Therefore, the plant is widely used in decorating living and working spaces. However, to maintain the beauty of this plant, you need to know how to take care of it properly.

1. Crystal succulents and their special origin

Crystal succulents (scientific name is Graptosedum Francesco Baldi) originate from Mexico and Arizona. It belongs to the Crassulaceae family, a hybrid between two types of succulents Graptopetalum paraguayense and Sedum pachyphyllum. Because of the hybridization, this succulent possesses the outstanding characteristics of the two types of succulents mentioned above.

2. What outstanding characteristics does Crystal succulent possess?

Crystal succulents are able to adapt to many natural living conditions, so they have some outstanding characteristics as follows:

- Leaves: The leaves are elongated, shaped like crystals, slightly pointed at the top of the leaves. The leaves overlap to form a very beautiful flower bed.

- Stem: The stem is succulent, the bark is bright green, often different from the color of the leaves. The size of the Crystal succulent is usually quite large, the average height reaches 12cm, the canopy can cover the entire pot. The plant tends to branch and spread in all directions. When grown for many years, the height of the plant can reach about 15cm.

- Roots: The plant has a cluster of roots with many root branches that can cling deep into the soil to absorb nutrients.

- Flowers: The flowers of the Crystal succulent grow on branches that extend about 15cm from the plant.

3. How many types of Crystal succulents are popular today?

There are many types of Crystal Succulents, below are the 7 most popular types.

- Purple Crystal Succulents

This plant is the most popular in the ornamental plant market today. They have long, slightly pointed leaves at the tip of the leaf, the leaf blade is light purple, creating a noble and mysterious appearance, so it is called Purple Crystal Succulents. The plant attracts attention because of its unique color and symbolizes depth and sophistication. This is a type of plant that is often grown to create artistic highlights in the ornamental plant space.

- Green Crystal Succulents

Green Crystal Succulents have long, slightly pointed leaves at the tip of the leaf. The leaves are bright green, the leaf edges do not change to another color.

Short-leaf Crystal Succulents

This plant has overlapping leaves, the canopy is not wide and their size is usually smaller than the long-leaf type.

- Long-leaf Crystal Succulents

The plant has longer, tapered leaves than the short-leaf crystal succulents, the wide canopy can cover the entire pot.

- White Crystal Succulents

They have long, oblong leaves with slightly pointed tips, and the leaf blades are lighter green than the stem. The surface of their leaves is covered with a layer of white powder, so they are called White Crystal Succulents.

- Pink Crystal Succulents

The leaves are bright emerald green, with light pink tips. In winter, they turn purple. This plant represents gentleness and purity.

- Red Crystal Succulents

This plant has long, oblong leaves with slightly pointed tips. Because the leaf blades are red, the color gets darker towards the tip, so they are called Red Crystal Succulents. They are one of the beautiful ornamental plants, heat-resistant and maintain beautiful colors, especially in hot climates.

4. Instructions on how to plant and propagate Crystal succulents

Here are some simple methods of planting and propagating Crystal succulents that you can do at home.

- Propagate Crystal succulents by leaf cuttings

Leaf cuttings are a very easy method to do at home that you can try. To ensure that the young plants grow well, choose leaves that are young and free of pests. After separating them from the plant, leave them in the shade for a while before planting them in the soil.

During the rooting process of the plant, it is necessary to ensure that the soil is moist enough. If the soil is too dry or too moist, it will limit the growth of the young plant. You can use organic fertilizer to increase the strength of the roots.

- Planting with seedlings

The pot for planting Crystal succulents should be made of terracotta because it has the effect of cooling the roots and draining well. Next, you need to prune the roots and prepare the soil. Succulents are succulents that love the sun, so the soil needs to be loose, porous, airy and well-drained. You can mix sand and organic fertilizer in a 1:1 ratio to make the soil rich in nutrients. Finally, place the plant in the pot and fill it with soil, then gently compact the soil to create looseness.

- Sowing seeds

Sowing seeds is one of the methods used to propagate succulents in general and Crystal succulents in particular. This method often requires more time than leaf cuttings and more careful care.

5. How to properly care for Crystal succulents?

Crystal succulents are very easy to care for. Here are some tips to help you care for the plant effectively and best.

- Soil

The soil for growing Crystal succulents does not need to be too fertile, but needs to be well-drained and loose. In addition, you can also mix rice husks, coconut fiber, coal slag, etc. into the soil mixture to grow the plant.

- Watering the plant

The Crystal succulent is a drought-tolerant plant. If you water it too much, it will easily rot the roots or become infected with pests. Therefore, you do not need to water the Crystal succulent regularly, you should only water it about 1-2 times/week. The most suitable time to water the plant is around 7-10 am or after 3 pm.

- Light for the plant

You need to place the Crystal succulent in a place with lots of light, open space and ventilation. This will create conditions for the plant to photosynthesize well and maintain its bright color.

If you plant it indoors, you need to take it out to sunbathe regularly. However, harsh sunlight and high temperatures will cause the plant to suffer from heat shock, so avoid exposing the plant to direct sunlight at noon.

6. Some notes when planting the Crystal succulent

In addition to planting the succulent properly, for the plant to grow well, you need to pay attention to the following issues:

Each season of the year, the temperature and humidity will be different. Therefore, you need to pay attention to watering seasonally to avoid waterlogging the plant.

To water the succulent, you should only water the soil. Avoid watering by misting, which can make the roots brittle and the leaves more susceptible to mold.

Keep the leaves clean by regularly wiping the dust on the surface, helping the plant grow better.

Make sure the plant has enough light to grow best, avoid leaving the plant in the dark or in low light.