On clearance succulents

[Zig1969]

This is my first year growing succulents but I'm a master gardener outside and I know what to do with plants that are in bad shape on the clearance rack. However I'm not sure what to do with succulents from the clearance rack.

I have read several articles that say don't do anything with the new plants but I always thought they were talking about healthy, good potted plants.

So my basic question is, should I clean these plants up by cutting away the bad leaves/stems and if the roots look bad, cut them away and put them in new soil (I have a succulent mix) and a new clay pot? It seems like an easy question but I feel like it isn't an easy question. Any help would be great.

[anttisepp]

I say: YES! More, I care each new plant with insecticide and put it in carantine for a month.
Having some hundreds of pots it's much easier to prevent than care invasion of all collection.

[bbarv]

Agree with anttisepp.
Also with any signs of root millies on a new succulents like sedums, echeverias, Aeoniums I would cut and reroot plants.

[Zig1969]

I say: YES! More, I care each new plant with insecticide and put it in carantine for a month.
Having some hundreds of pots it's much easier to prevent than care invasion of all collection.

Thanks for the help. I will definitely do some repotting because I have several that need it.

[Zig1969]

Agree with anttisepp.
Also with any signs of root millies on a new succulents like sedums, echeverias, Aeoniums I would cut and reroot plants.

Thanks that makes things much easier and simple.

[Steve Johnson]

Agree with anttisepp.
Also with any signs of root millies on a new succulents like sedums, echeverias, Aeoniums I would cut and reroot plants.

That's root mealies.

The following quote from Cactus Nursery in the UK should be instructive:

"Root mealybugs (Rhizoecus falcifer) are among the worst pests of cacti and other succulents. They live almost exclusively on roots and the parts of the stem that are below the surface. They are similar to stem and spine mealybugs in that they also secrete whitish, woolly, or powdery wax. Root mealybugs prefer dry substrates. They multiply particularly rapidly during the dry winter dormancy period. Affected plants look pale, become sickly, and gradually die. Plants damaged and weakened by root mealybugs are especially susceptible to fungal diseases."

Dry winter dormancy applies to cacti and summer-growing succulents, although I'm pretty sure that roots mealies can also attack winter-growing succulents. Zig1969 -- for summer-growing/winter-dormant succulents with a root mealy infestation in the fall/winter period, the only thing you can do is soak the roots in a 2% soap solution (insecticidal soap is best). Since the roots of winter-growing/summer-dormant succulents are active during that period, you can apply an Imidacloprid soil soak that makes the plant's juices toxic to mealies (gives you about 6 months of protection). Go with Bonide's Annual Tree & Shrub Insect Control liquid concentrate available through Amazon here:

https://www.amazon.com/Bonide-037321006 ... 220&sr=8-7

The Bonide product contains 1.47% Imidacloprid, dilute 1/4 cup per gallon of water or 1 tbsp. per quart for growers who have only a few plants they need to soak. Just be aware of the fact that the concentrate doesn't dissolve quickly, so here's a "how to":

• When you pour the concentrate into your container of water, make sure you have the its cap on tight (but not too tight!), and shake like the dickens. After a couple of minutes, take off the cap and see if the Bonide is thoroughly dissolved. If it's not, put the cap back on, and shake like the dickens again, then take off the cap to see if it's thoroughly dissolved. If it's still not fully diluted, either go through the process again or let the container sit for an hour, and give it a final shake-shake-shake. The point is to make sure that you don't have clots of Bonide concentrate floating around in the water when you apply your soak.

The carbonates in hard tap/well water will interfere with Imidacloprid uptake through the roots, so it's best to do soil soaks with rainwater or distilled water whenever possible.

If you're not sure whether your succulents are winter-dormant or summer-dormant, this should help:

https://succulentsbox.com/blogs/blog/su ... rmancy-101

[Zig1969]

That's a lot of help. Thank you very much.

[Steve Johnson]

That's a lot of help. Thank you very much.

You're welcome!