What should you do when you receive a succulent by post?

When you receive a succulent, put it in slightly damp soil (not too wet). The plants will grow new roots within 3 weeks.  After the new roots grow, you can then cultivate them as normal.

 

How to make succulents beautiful?

Succulents need both UVA and UVB from sunlight. UVA can turn succulents from green to pink or red, etc. The UVB in the sun makes the  succulents shape compact and improve resilience. If you intend to keep succulents under glass, please note that UVB cannot penetrate through glass, and as such the plants may slowly lose their bright colors and compact forms. The technical term for this is etiolation. 

 

Watering frequency.

I usually wait 5 days after the soil is completely dry before watering. This method is suitable for most crassulaceae.

 

Lithops watering method: When you see your lithops starting to pucker or getting a bit shrivelled you should water them. However, it is important to remember to only water them after all of the old leaves have dried up and to also stop watering before the flower dies (If you water them when they shed their skin, it could kill them). The old leaves act as the sole source of water for the new growth, so watering the plant during this time can cause root rot. Once the old leaves have dried up, give your lithop a deep watering.
Note:  The soil must be completely dry, not just surface dry.

 

Do I need to water during the dormant periods

If you notice the leaves get dry and wrinkled, your succulents are asking for water. Otherwise, in most cases, you don’t need to water them at all. I usually don't water all winter. When the winter temperature is lower than  5°C, succulents may begin to enter a dormant period. Succulents may also become dormant when  summer high temperature exceeds 32°C .

 

Can I grow Indoor and outdoor?

In general, succulents that have bright colours (such as reds, purples and oranges) don't do well indoors. They require some direct sun and more light than is generally available indoors. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't grow them indoors. Plant lights can work well as decent substitutes. N.B. that when using plant lights indoors, succulents will not become dormant in winter.

 

About fertilizers

Nitrogen fertilisers : promotes the growth of branches and leaves of plants and is favorable for chlorophyll synthesis (Nitrogen fertilizer will fade succulents to green, but their biomass will grow faster.)
Phosphate fertilisers: promote flowering and promote anthocyanin synthesis
Potash fertiliser : promotes the growth of rhizomes, especially roots