Basic planting conditions for Mesembryanthemum plants
The editor will talk about the aspects of the succulent plant Mesembryanthemum, the basic planting conditions for Mesembryanthemum plants. Below, the editor will provide you with detailed answers.
Mesembryanthemum species mainly grow in South Africa and Namibia, especially in the western coastal areas with winter rainfall. Many Mesembryanthemums (Conophytum, Argyroderma, and Cheiridopsis) prefer the winter rainy season and are considered short-day plants. In the Northern Hemisphere, plants begin to grow after summer, with the season of rainfall and shorter daylight hours. Long-day plants (Lithops, Faucaria) have an additional growth period in spring.
Light
As most succulents in the Mesembryanthemum family require high-intensity light throughout the year, they should not be shaded excessively or grown in hanging baskets. Insufficient light during winter can cause a lack of pigments in the plant, making them very susceptible to sunburn from strong sunlight. In the first hot spring days with intense sunlight, plants can easily die in large numbers. Remember to shade your plants, but only for a few hours when necessary. Proper ventilation and watering can reduce the risk of sunburn.
Water
In the native habitat of Mesembryanthemum plants in Namibia, rainfall varies from over 2,000mm/a to almost zero. In particularly dry areas, plants survive on the moisture from morning mist. They can absorb water with their roots close to the soil surface. Only watering your Mesembryanthemum plants early in the morning is effective, as they need a few hours to absorb the water. Watering after 8 a.m. in summer is useless since the water quickly evaporates. Therefore, unless you get up at 3 a.m. to water your plants, you might as well lift the pot to check its weight. If it's completely dry, then water the plant. Watering during the resting period of Mesembryanthemum plants can cause significant losses, so it's best to keep them dry during this time.
Water should not contain calcium and should be close to the temperature of the growing medium. At night in summer, the water you provide should be around 25 degrees Celsius. Water from above a few times a year but generously, ensuring most of the water can drain out from the bottom of the pot. Otherwise, salts and toxic substances excreted by the plant will accumulate around the roots, which can affect the plant's growth rate and appearance.
Nitrogen
All Mesembryanthemum plants need nitrogen. All major elements (N, P, K) and trace elements (Mg, Fe, Mn, B) must be sufficient and soluble for the plant to absorb them directly from the medium. Adding trace elements to your planting pot is very beneficial for cultivation, and using low concentrations of nitrogen is easy. A few applications during the growing season are enough. Low concentrations of nitrogen solution allow the plant to grow continuously and evenly.
Diseases and Pests
The growing medium should be free of any diseases and pests. If any are found, they should be dealt with promptly. Treating your medium before planting can help reduce the occurrence of diseases and pests, especially root mealybugs. Imidacloprid has an unprecedented effect, and it has little odor and no side effects on humans. Compared to traditional pesticides (E605), it not only reduces costs by 10% but also completely eliminates pests with two applications per year. However, it is not effective against red spiders, but if you water from above, you don't have to worry about red spider damage.
The above tips about the basic planting conditions for Mesembryanthemum plants are hoped to provide you with some help after reading this article!