Struggling to get your succulents to bloom? You need to do these things every month, and your succulent will bloom like crazy.
Though you may have gotten your succulents especially for their pretty foliage, we all want these beauties to flower once in a while, don’t we? But often, most succulents are quite tough to get to flower indoors as they need very specific conditions over weeks and months. Thus, we have compiled a list of the things you should do every month to make your succulent bloom like crazy.
Things To Do To Make Your Succulents Bloom Like Crazy
1. Location, Location, Location
One truth that you will need to make peace with when trying to make succulents bloom is that they will need bright sunlight. There is literally no way around this unless you are growing varieties that can tolerate shade (these are usually rare, like some Haworthias and Gasterias, which you will have to research specifically).
Basically, sunlight is essential for photosynthesis to fuel growth and reproduction in plants. You should aim for 6 to 8 hours of bright, indirect sunlight daily near a south or west-facing window. Do not bother with north-facing windows, as that can make your succulent thrive but not flower.
Most importantly, remember to rotate your plant pot at least twice each month for even growth and higher chances of blooming.
2. Fertilize and Prune
If you want flowers, you’ll have to feed your plant like you mean it. Use a low-nitrogen fertilizer—something like 2-7-7 or 0-10-10—once a month during the growing season. This shifts the plant’s energy from leaf-making to bloom-making.
Clean-up is just as important. Cut off dead leaves, remove leggy growth, and gently separate pups so the main plant can focus on flowering instead of babysitting. Skip fertilizers in winter, though. Plants rest during dormancy, and feeding them then only throws them off. Resume feeding when days get warmer and longer.
3. Photoperiodic Effect
So you may be nailing the lighting and watering, but there’s a catch. Succulents often need a period of dormancy and then a slow return to normal conditions, which triggers blooms. This is called photoperiodism, and it is best shown by succulents like Christmas cactus, Easter cactus, and Thanksgiving cactus.
Basically, they need cooler temperatures for over a month or two and even want longer nights and shorter days. This has to happen slowly over a few weeks, after which you will see bud formation.
Mimic these conditions indoors by controlling the thermostat and dimming/switching off the lights in the plant room for 14-16 hours over a month.
4. Warm Temperatures are a Game Changer
After you have maintained the time of photoperiodism for a few weeks, the next month will be about raising the temperatures slowly, again, over a month. The key to succulent blooming is essentially the right combination of light, temperature, and dry spells.
This is why when you start to give them warmer temperatures, it triggers the blooming cycle in them.
5. Resume Watering
So we have all heard of the famous method of “water stress”, which can trigger brighter colors in succulents. But can this method trigger blooms too? Unfortunately, the general answer is no. As mentioned in the previous point, it is crucial to meet all the care needs of your succulent when trying to make it bloom.
So, as you start raising the temperatures in your plant room, resume watering gradually so as not to shock the plant but also supply it with essential nutrients to bloom.
These are the things you must keep in mind when you’re trying to get your succulent to bloom like crazy. Do you know of any other tips or hacks? Let us know in the comments below!
