Do you struggle to keep plants alive? Do you live in extreme weather that usually stresses plants? If this is the case, then you’ve probably thought about growing succulents.
These are hardy plants with fleshy parts that are able to hold moisture in arid conditions. Despite being almost maintenance-free, a few things might surprise you if you’re growing succulents for the first time. So, you might be asking yourself, why is my succulent growing a long stem with flowers?
Your succulents might grow a long stem with flowers as a natural phase in their growth cycle. Some succulents bloom multiple times, while others will bloom only once before they die. Your plant might also do that to reach out for a light source, especially if you’re growing it inside.
Seeing a long stem with flowers growing on your succulent shouldn’t be alarming. So, in this article, we’ll discuss why it happens and what to do about it.
Why is My Succulent Growing a Long Stem with Flowers?
Seeing a long stem growing on a succulent can be a little inconvenient, especially if you choose a compact plant for your space. This doesn’t mean that your plant is in danger. Here are some reasons why this happens.
Your Succulent is Blooming
You’d be surprised to know that almost all succulents have the ability to bloom. However, growing flowers is highly dependent on providing the plant with the right growing conditions.
It’s true that succulents are not needy plants, and this makes them great for indoor and outdoor gardens, especially if you’re a beginner gardener. However, when they’re provided with the right mix of soil nutrients, water, and sunlight, the plant will be able to direct some of its energy toward growing flowers.
Your succulent will repeatedly bloom if you provide it with more fertilization. Once you see the flower buds growing, you can also expose your plant to more sunlight.
In more challenging growing conditions, your succulent won’t be growing a blooming stem that carries flowers on its end because they deplete the plant’s energy. Instead, it will direct most of its energy to produce food to help it survive.
Some succulents will bloom only once when they reach maturity. In some cases, this can be after decades, like in the case of agave, which blooms once after 80 years of being planted. In this case, the bloom is called a death bloom, and the plant will die.
A death bloom causes internal changes in the plant’s hormones, so it won’t be able to survive. It has already finished its mission and has created enough seeds to guarantee its survival
The stem of the death bloom grows from the center of the succulent, signifying its near death. The flower will stay in bloom for a short period, and after that, it will wilt, and the whole plant will die within days or weeks.
The length of the death bloom stalk varies between plant varieties. The sempervivum tectorum death bloom stalk is short, with a height between 8 and 12 inches tall. The agave Americana succulent can grow a stem that reaches up to 30 feet tall.
Related: Why Do Roses Have Thorns?
Adjusting to Receive More Light
A succulent can grow a long stem in its center to maximize the amount of light it receives. This usually happens when you’re growing succulents in an indoor pot.
This can be a little inconvenient if you’re growing your succulent in a small area. In addition, the stem might touch other plants or other objects in your indoor or outdoor garden setup.
A succulent can grow a stem if the light source comes from one direction. For example, if you’re not placing your plant close to a window where it can gain access to the sunlight, it might extend a long stem from its body to receive more light.
What Should You Do if Your Succulent is Growing a Long Stem with Flowers?
Understanding why your succulent is growing a long stem is crucial, as this will help you decide what to do with your plant and how to provide it with optimum care.
Caring for Blooming Succulents
If your succulent has bloomed before, it will probably bloom again as long as you’re growing it in the right conditions. In this case, you’ll need to provide your plant with more food and sunlight as this will support its growth. In addition, taking more care of your succulent might encourage early blooming, more frequent blooming, or might even help the flower last a little longer.
Most succulents bloom in late spring or late summer, although some types bloom in the fall. Echeverias are known to be spring and summer bloomers, while kalanchoe plants bloom in the fall and winter. Some types of aloe vera will bloom in different seasons, depending on the climate and the amount of care the plant is receiving.
Providing your succulent with a phosphorus-rich fertilizer is recommended, as the blooms need this nutrient to survive. Adding a weekly or monthly fertilizer will provide your plant with enough energy while it’s growing flowers.
Although succulents can last a lot without water, you’ll need to water your plant more often when it’s blooming. Add more water to the soil when the first 2 inches are dry, and spray the plant and the blooms with water to keep them moist and hydrated. Then, continue to water more often until the blooms fade.
After the bloom has wilted and died, you should follow the initial care schedule of your succulent, as providing too much water or fertilizer can stress the plant. You can continue to provide the succulent with monthly fertilizer or even avoid fertilizing it after the blooms fade.
Dealing With a Death Bloom
If you have a non-blooming succulent that suddenly grows a long stem with flowers, then this is probably the plant’s death bloom. Plants like the tree houseleek will only bloom once when they’ve reached maturity, and seeing the blooming stem signifies that the plant is approaching the end of its life.
The only difference between a stem growing with a death bloom and any other stem growing out of your succulent is that the stem will be longer. The bloom is usually white, yellow, or pink, and once the bloom dies, the plant will start to wilt.
Once your plant has grown a death bloom stem, there’s nothing to do about it. You can just wait until the bloom has faded and the plant has died because this is part of its natural growth cycle.
Provide More Light
A stem stretching out of your succulent because it’s not receiving enough light won’t kill your plant. It only shows that your succulent is trying to maximize the food it produces to survive.
When You notice a long stem growing from your succulent, you can adjust light exposure by increasing the amount of sunlight your succulent receives by periods of 30 to 60 minutes.
You can move your succulent pot closer to a window or even leave it outside to receive more light. If you’re growing your succulent outside, you can look at the nearby plants and cut off any longer branches that might obstruct the sunlight.
Watch your succulent because too much light can turn the leaves brown or show brown spots. This happens because the plant is scorched after providing it with too much light.
Succulents need time to adjust, but the stem won’t disappear. Instead, once you’ve provided the succulent with enough light, it will stop growing stems to maximize the amount of light it receives.
Encourage New Growth
Propagating your succulent might be the answer if it’s not growing healthily. If you’re unable to move the plant from its current location, it might be a good idea to take some cuttings and plant them in a new pot or location in your garden.
Using a clean and sharp pruning tool, you can make clean cuts along the body of the succulents and let the cuttings heal for a few days. Then, remove the lower dead leaves to make sure that the plant will direct all its energy towards new growth. Make sure that you also remove any bent stems, as the straight ones will be easier to grow.
Using a special soil mix for succulents will be an excellent idea as it will encourage new growth. You can also apply a layer of compost to help the plant get established at its new location.
It might be a good idea to leave your succulent cuttings to settle for a few days before watering them for the first time. After that, make sure that they’re receiving enough light and nutrients to help your plant survive.
Also Check: Why Do Plants Produce Flowers?
Wrap Up: Why is My Succulent Growing a Long Stem With Flowers?
A succulent can grow a long stem with flowers because it’s blooming. The blooming season of the succulent depends on its variety, and some succulents will bloom multiple times in the same year when the growing conditions are optimum.
A stem growing right from the center of the succulent can be a death bloom which signifies that the plant is approaching the end of its life. Unfortunately, there’s nothing to do in this case.
Your succulent might be growing a long stem to receive more light. In this case, you can adjust its location to guarantee that all its needs are met.