Reasons Why Succulent Stems Turn Purple

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In order to thrive, succulents require an excellent watering schedule and a lot of care. You cannot treat them as just another houseplant because they don’t need the same attention. If you were to do this, your succulents would die.

Succulents are not fit for all climates. They come from dry and hot temperatures, like one of a desert. But this does not mean that you should just give up on the idea of keeping a succulent. Succulents purple are gorgeous plants and stand out in almost any environment.

You can successfully house a succulent if you tend to it regularly. However, nature’s just not in our control.

Some succulent plants may show signs of rot, such as a purple—or even a black—stem.  Succulents contain a pigment known as Anthocyanin. When there’s too much of this pigment, you see it as purple or black spots on the plant.

This means that something is restricting the growth of the plant. Your succulent may have purple stems if:

  • It’s not being watered properly
  • It’s not getting enough or too much light
  • The soil is too compact
  • The temperature is not ideal

Any of these reasons prevent your plant from getting the necessary nutrients it needs to survive. That is what limits its growth and causes the plant stem to turn purple. But worry not!

The following guide will present four ways you can treat any of these problems.

Four Ways To Keep Your Succulent  Turning Purple

Water Your Plants Adequately

The first step is to maintain a watering schedule for your plants. Unfortunately, there is no set frequency for when you should water your succulents. You have to follow your instincts and what works best for you.

A proper frequency of watering is about 10-14 days. Overwatering is a slightly more significant issue than underwatering. Unlike underwatering, it’s a bit more challenging to fix overwatering.

One way to fix the overwatering problem is to get a pot with drainage holes. That will allow excess water to drip out instead of pooling at the bottom quickly.

It’s easy to tell when your plants are underwater. Along with purple stems, they may also get wrinkly and soft. Plus, the soil gets dry. One way to check this is to insert your finger into the soil slightly.

Keep Them In A Good Location

Keeping succulents in a good location means that they’re getting enough sunlight. Remember that these plants are suited for a warm climate and need plenty of the sun to survive. Always make sure that they’re getting at least 6 hours of sun in a day.

But a succulent that changes color may indicate too much light. Regulating sunlight is not as hard as you may think, and this is very important. Bear in mind that your succulent’s cells will become damaged if it is placed in an area with excessive direct light, which will result in the plant losing its ability to function.

You can tell if your succulent has been scorched if it has developed discoloration on its sun-facing side. It may begin to take on a purple, red, or bluish hue. Be cautious when placing plants because heat and light stress are serious and can cause a plant to die.

If you select a sweet spot for your plant, you won’t have to worry about switching it during the season.

Test Out The Temperature

Succulents get purple stems because their growth is being restricted in one way or another. One of the reasons this can happen is because of the temperature. Now, the temperature depends on where you live and what environment your plant is in.

Remember that succulents always love a warm climate. To recreate this, make sure they’re in a bright area. During the winter months, try to keep them in a warm place with lots of sunlight.

Keeping the temperature in check will assure a healthy succulent but is also ideal for other types of plants.

Make Sure You’re Selecting The Right Soil

Compact soil includes regular potting soil that you can grab from your nearest home depot. However, this soil is not ideal for succulents. It’s dense and contains way too many additives to support a succulent. The best choice is to buy a succulent-specific soil that you can also grab from your nearest nursery.

You can also make it yourself! Simply use two parts sand, two parts gardening soil, and one part pumice. This way, the succulent soil is beautiful and airy and allows for drainage.

You know exactly what’s in your soil, so you can improve it if needed.

Figuring It Out

The best way to fix a purple stem is first to figure out why it’s happening. The majority of succulents are green, but as they mature, they may also show hints of purple, red, or even blue.

While just the tips or inner corners may turn purple or red in some succulent species, others may experience the entire succulent leaves turning. For instance, the purple or reddish coloration of succulents such as Sedum, Crassula, some species of Kalanchoe, and more, is common.

To determine whether it is normal, make sure to look for images of your particular species of succulent. Once you firgure out whether it’s normal or not base on the specie, you can always read the guide above and think about what the reason might be.

Are you watering it enough? Maybe too much?

Perhaps you haven’t selected the right type of soil. Besides, plants can speak for themselves. If there is a potential problem concerning any of these variables, you can notice it for yourself.

Dense/dap soil means too much water. Wrinkly and soft stems mean too little water. All in all, make sure that you are caring for your plant adequately. Set it at the right temperature and monitor it regularly.

Regulating the temperature could also mean moving it to another location. Sometimes noticing the signs earlier can mean a healthier life for your plant.

And lastly, contact a professional if you have concerns at any point.

Why Will These Methods Work?

The guide above explains some of the reasons why your plant may have purple stems. While this is a common issue among succulent owners, taking care of your plant is vital. And you can only do this by knowing what’s best for it. First, recognize the issue.

Read every method carefully and check for signs in the plant or the soil.

In most cases, symptoms are not difficult to identify. Rotting is something that usually stems from water issues. However, check for every variable. You cannot care for the plant adequately if you don’t know what it needs.

Choosing the wrong solution can sometimes make matters worse. Thus, make a wise observation. Secondly, treat the plant accordingly. If watering is the issue, remember that underwatering is more accessible to fix than overwatering. However, if you feel as though the problem is too difficult to handle, start fresh.

Get a nice drainage pot and plant your succulent again. Monitor it regularly. Keep a careful eye out for it. Also, don’t hesitate to contact a professional for additional help. Sometimes they can help recognize issues that you can’t see for yourself.

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