Expert Tips On How To Trim A Succulent

Last Updated on May 16, 2022 by admin

So how to trim a succulent correctly?

Learn some tips and tricks on how to trim a succulent. Trimming your succulents sounds scary. Who wants to take a sharp scissor to your favorite plant? 

Most of you are probably intimated in trimming your succulents. Who knows, they could die after trimming them? But your succulents can benefit from a light trim now and then – just like your hair!

You probably have a lot of succulents in your home that are getting too tall, leggy, or overgrown. If you want to give your succulents a fresh look, you should do some trimming.

Don’t fret – trimming your succulents is less intimidating than you think. We are going to guide you through the whole process. Let’s get the ball rolling!

Why Are My Succulents Getting Too Tall?

Before anything else, it is important to know why your succulents are getting too tall. There are many reasons why your succulents are growing tall.

You have to know these reasons because not all succulents that are tall need trimming. One of the common reasons is the lack of sunlight. If you have placed your succulent area with no access to indirect sunlight, they stretch out to get enough sunlight. 

In this case, your succulent would start to turn and bend toward the light source. As it grows, it will get taller with more space between leaves. Oftentimes, your succulents would appear untidy with small and lighter in color.

Lack of sunlight will also cause the succulent to turn green or lose the intensity of its original color. When this happens, you might need trimming and relocation. If you trim your succulents and still put them in the same place, you may not achieve what you want. 

When and How To Trim A Succulent

The best time to trim your succulents is at the start of their growing season. Most succulents grow faster during spring. If you trim your succulent during winter when they become dormant, you may not get your desired result. 

Spring is the best time to prune your succulents. So how to prune succulents? To start pruning, get a set of pruning shears. If you have thorny succulents, you should wear rubber gloves and put on some rubbing alcohol.

Start trimming from the with the longest stem. You can cut from the middle and spare the cuttings for planting. Succulents that bear branches like Echeveria, Crassula, Aeonium, or Graptopetalum tend to benefit a lot from trimming. If you have this type of succulent, you can trim its head. Once you remove the top of your succulent, you can replant the cutting in the soil. That way, it doesn’t look so leggy anymore. 

How To Trim Tall Succulents Perfectly 

When trimming your succulents, you need to be extra careful that you don’t trim at the wrong angle. Now take a look at your succulent and find the best spot to trim. Include an inch or two below where the rosette when cutting. You can also cut from the top growth of your succulent. 

Trim it straight across or slightly angled. Cutting it an angle decreases the chance of infection. However, we are not really scientifically sure how accurate it is. Keep the leftover stem. Don’t discard it because you can still plant it. Unless it has completely dried out there is a chance that the leftover stem will grow. 

The technique is to leave them to dry for a few days. Once they have dried, you can plant them in succulent soil. Use a spray bottle to mist the soil. Do not pour water directly because they might die. 

Spraying or misting will encourage them to grow some roots. After a few weeks, you should be able to see some roots.  

Pruning Succulents: The Real Benefits

Whether your succulent is getting too big or has a weird brand, trimming can be a useful solution. The following are some well-known benefits of trimming your succulents. 

Trimming your succulents can make them more attractive. 

• You can shape your plant and train it grows the way you want it. This will work best for succulents that normally grow multiple stems. Once you trim your succulents on schedule, you will have beautiful succulents growing in your garden. With some tips on how to trim succulents, you now know how to do it well for sure. 
• It helps your succulents recover. When your succulent becomes leggy, you need to place it in areas with indirect exposure to sunlight. However, you also need to trim its stem. This way, you can expect succulents to concentrate their growth on what is left. It makes it easy for succulents to recover. As with the leftover, you can replant them. Still, you can have some new succulents growing. 
• Trimming is the best way to propagate succulents. If your succulents are thriving and you want to propagate them, you can choose a healthy succulent to trim. After trimming, you can dry out the cuttings for a couple of days before replanting them. Cuttings have 80% more success of growing than succulent seeds.

• Succulent seeds are too small and are easily carried away by the wind. Moreover, you need to be careful with buying seeds because not all online sellers offer original succulent seeds. 
• Trimming succulents pave the way for the growth of new rosettes. Just make sure you don’t remove more than 1/3 of the plant at a time. Over-trimming will also cause your succulents to wither. 

How To Trim A Succulent

We hope that this article on how to trim a succulent has been helpful. Whether you are new to succulents or have been collecting some for some years, you have to remember that the key is not trimming 1/3 of the whole plant. Moreover, some succulents can have allergens in their sap. It is always best to wear rubber gloves when trimming. This is for your own safety.

There you go! If you find this article on how to trim a succulent helpful, please feel free to share it in any of your social media accounts.