By Jennifer Poindexter
A Mexican snowball succulent is a gorgeous plant that’s native to Mexico, as the name suggests. It belongs to the stonecrop family which is frequently described as being as easy to care for as a pet rock.
There are over 1400 species in this family, but it’s hard to miss the Mexican snowball. It’s a small plant with light colored foliage and has pink tips when given plenty of direct sunlight.
The plant also blooms in spring and summer. During this time it produces a pink or yellow flower. This is why the plant is also commonly called the White Mexican Rose or a Mexican Gem.
If you’re interested in adding this plant to your home, you’re in the right place. I’m going to walk you through everything you should know on how to care for a Mexican snowball succulent:
Caring for the Mexican Snowball Succulent
1. Provide Adequate Growing Conditions
The Mexican snowball succulent is a perennial in planting zones nine through eleven. In all other areas, this plant must be kept as a houseplant.
Thankfully, aside from deciding where to grow the plant in your planting zone, the other growing specifications are few.
This plant needs to grow in a location where it receives full sunlight. This means you should select an area which receives bright, direct light for at least six to eight hours per day.
If you don’t have an area like this around your home, consider adding grow lights to the location to ensure the plant receives what it needs.
The next specification involves the soil. It should be sandy and well-draining. As we’ll soon discuss, this plant cannot tolerate being left in an oversaturated state. Therefore, drainage is very important.
Finally, ensure the plant has room to grow. Once it reaches maturity, the Mexican snowball succulent should be approximately one foot wide and a half foot in height.
Once you’ve met all of these specifications in a growing location, you should be ready to start the growing process for your Mexican snowball succulent.
2. Don’t Overwater the Mexican Snowball Succulent
One of the most important things to remember when growing a Mexican snowball succulent is to not overwater this plant.
Like most succulents, this one thrives on neglect. It’s used to growing in a desert climate and can go months without water.
If you’re someone who worries about caring for a plant because you may not have the best track record, this is a plant that you’re more likely to kill by overwatering than underwatering.
Therefore, it’s a great plant for beginner gardeners.
With this in mind, be sure you don’t water the Mexican snowball succulent until the soil is fully dry. You’ll know this by inserting your finger into the soil.
If it’s dry to your second knuckle, it should be ready for more water. When winter arrives, reduce the amount of water the plant receives even further as it requires even less water during periods of dormancy.
Humidity is another big factor in raising this plant. When being raised as a houseplant, regular room temperature should be fine.
However, be mindful of which rooms of the house you place the plant in.
For instance, bathrooms and areas of your kitchen may have higher humidity because of the water from a shower or a pot on your stove.
You should also avoid placing the plant in drafty areas. This includes spaces like in front of a vent or near a door. This is especially pertinent during the cooler months.
By being mindful of how much water you apply to this succulent and ensuring it isn’t grown in a humid area of your home, the Mexican snowball succulent should do well in your care.
3. Understand How to Fertilize a Mexican Snowball Succulent
The Mexican snowball succulent doesn’t need regular fertilizing sessions. Instead, it should only be fertilized once per year during the spring.
Be mindful that you utilize the appropriate fertilizer. There are options on the market meant specifically for succulents.
This is what you should use when performing your yearly fertilizing duties for this plant. Provide the plant the boost of nutrients it needs as it heads into its blooming season, and it should do well under your care.
4. Understand the Pruning Process for a Mexican Snowball Succulent
You shouldn’t need to prune your Mexican snowball succulent unless it becomes lanky. If this occurs, simply cut off the upper stem.
Don’t toss this cutting. Instead, utilize it to create another plant. Pruning your Mexican snowball is one method of propagating this plant.
You may place the cutting in a new container once the sliced portion has scabbed over. This may take up to 24 hours.
Don’t water this cutting until the new roots have formed. Be patient as this can take up to a month, but this is an excellent way to care for your first plant while creating a new one.
5. Know When and How to Propagate a Mexican Snowball Succulent
There are multiple methods for propagating Mexican snowball succulents. We discussed one in the previous step.
Other ways to propagate new plants is by utilizing the offsets produced by the mother plant and also propagating via leaf.
When you propagate from a leaf, twist healthy foliage from the plant. Be mindful to twist and not pull as this can tear the plant.
Place the leaf in dry soil in a location with bright, indirect lighting. It should take approximately one month for roots to form.
Spray the roots with a spray bottle of water and continue to provide regular care to the new plant.
Should you propagate from offsets, remove them from the mother plant and place them in their own growing container with all the right growing conditions.
Give the offsets time to develop a root system and then begin watering and caring for the plant as you would any other mature Mexican snowball succulent.
These are a few methods to create new plants from the current Mexican snowball you may be growing.
6. Protect Your Mexican Snowball Succulent from Pests
Mexican snowball succulents aren’t prone to many issues. There are no real diseases you must be aware of.
The pests which might impact this plant include mealybugs and aphids. Both of which may be treated with an insecticide.
Be sure to treat this issue promptly to avoid major infestations which could seriously damage your plants over time.
7. Repot Your Mexican Snowball Succulent at the Right Time
The last thing you must do to care for the Mexican snowball succulent is to repot the plant as needed. This plant can handle being root bound, so you shouldn’t need to repot it frequently.
However, when the roots are growing from the bottom of the container, it’s time to move to a larger pot. Increase the pot size by approximately three inches.
From there, remove the plant from the previous pot, transplant it into a new container with fresh soil, and provide care as you would for any other mature Mexican snowball plant.
You now have seven different ways to care for your Mexican snowball succulents. By providing adequate care it should help your plant thrive.
Plus, you should be able to enjoy vibrant colors the plant produces when given the right conditions to grow in. Take care of your Mexican snowball succulent and enjoy its radiance around your home.
More About Mexican Snowball and Other Succulents
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/echeveria/
https://extension.wvu.edu/lawn-gardening-pests/indoor-plants/succulents-101
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