You can be an eager and enthusiastic gardener with a penchant for succulents or you can be a complete novice who wants to dabble in succulent gardening. You either already have your hands on a Crassula Red Pagoda or are thinking of ordering one.
In both cases, it’s good to learn about how to look after this exquisite gem of a plant. Given the right nurturing in the beginning till your succulent is well-settled in its new home will be fulfilling for you in more ways than one.
Kinds of Soil
The Red Pagoda prefers well-drained soil; however, they can also sustain in improved clay soil or soilless mix. You can buy succulent potting soil that’s available at nurseries or you can make your own if you like. Take one part perlite (pumice), two parts sand (poultry grit works better) and three parts potting soil and mix them together.
This combination works as well as a store bought one for your beauties.
The not-so-lucky gardeners with clay soil can add well-rotted manure, humus or any other compost to their soil and thoroughly mix it in for uniformity. This improved soil will hold your red pagoda quite well.
A soilless mix is an option if you want to avoid soil related issues and other pests. You can add shredded coconut husk (coir), perlite and ground bark in equal amounts to create your soilless mix.
The husk and bark can be replaced with peat moss and coarse sand, though the former options are better.
You can use crushed granite, pumice, chicken grit, calcined clay or perlite instead of sand in all soil mixtures as these provide better aeration and drainage.
Crassula Red Pagoda | Click here to purchase
Exposure to Sunlight
Crassula Red Pagoda will put on its fiery show of red hue if it gets bright sunlight in the morning for four hours or more, though they will thrive in less light also. Direct sunlight at noon in extreme weather for prolonged hours can cause leaves to turn brown.
They can do well in the south-facing region of your apartment or garden as that area receives the best amount of sunlight. If your pagoda shows signs of wrinkled or patchy rosettes, then lessen the exposure to sunlight.
Infrequent Watering
People often make the mistake of overwatering their precious succulents; so, to avoid this, wait for the soil to dry completely. The finger method to gauge soil moisture is slightly irritating so get a humidity or moisture sensor for plants and dip it in the soil; if it points at dry, then water your succulent till the pointer moves to wet. Again, wait for the plant to dry completely, this can take a week in mild weather.
Crassula Red Pagoda | Click here to purchase
Propagation through Cuttings
You can easily make more copies of this exuberant succulent after two to three years. You have three options, which are cutting, offsetting and division. You can cut a leaf (apply fungicide) and plant it in the soil.
You can also plant with offsets. An offset is a baby plant growing at the base of the parent plant and can easily grow on its own after separation from the original plant. Another option is to dig out the whole plant and then divide it from the root with a sterilized knife and plant the two parts with their roots splayed out into the soil.
Aeration/Ventilation Requirements
Crassulas grow better if air can circulate easily around the plant. If you are a fan of terrariums (who isn’t), then it’s better to leave it open and don’t forget to keep it away from direct sunlight.
The glass gets heated too much and causes brown patches on the leaves. In case, you notice any patchy leaves, cut them from the stem and seal the wound with fungicide to prevent fungus.
Crassula Red Pagoda | Click here to purchase
Dressing
The gravel (you can choose pebbles) covers the soil and makes this succulent even more pleasing to the eye. You must however be cautious as it can trap moisture which can result in root decay. A good drainage system and infrequent watering are things to remember if you notice any moldy leaves.
Summary
As you can see you don’t have to spend a lot of time, energy or money on this luxuriant succulent. With just a bit of care, your Crassula Red Pagoda will spiral into red tinged rosettes.
Learn How to Make My Succulents Turn Red!
For Types of Succulents Care guide. Read more information here.
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