How to care for a Crassula ovata »Gollum»?

The succulent known as Crassula ovata it has become one of the most cultivated in the world. It is a small shrub, of which there are different varieties, depending on the shape, size and color of its leaves. OROne of the most striking is, without a doubt, the one that receives the common or popular name of Shrek's ears, alluding to the ears of the grumpy but endearing ogre created by DreamWorks.

And, like them, the leaves of our protagonist are thin and long, a characteristic that makes the plant look very curious since its youth. But, How to take care of a Crassula ovata "Gollum"?

What does the »Shrek Ears» cruss need to be fine?

La Crassula ovata »Gollum», scientific name for »Shrek's Ears», is a non-cactus succulent, or if you prefer a crass plant, which reaches a height of approximately 30 or 40 centimeters at most. Its trunk is thick, about three centimeters, but the truth is that it can take a long time to form. In fact, it may take a few years from when a young specimen with some tender twigs is bought, until we finally see its trunk develop.

Therefore, one of the things you need is that we have patience. This is very important, because if we are not patient we could make the mistake of paying more than the account, or change it several times trying to find the ideal place for it. But this is not the only thing. You will also want:

• Natural light. It can be direct or filtered, but in the latter case it must be in a place where there is a lot of clarity.
• Light, well-drained soil. If it is going to be in a pot, it is recommended that it be indicated for cacti and succulents; and if it is going to be in the ground, then it should be planted in those sandy areas where puddles do not form easily. Buy it here.
• Water, but only once in a while. It is a plant that withstands drought, but does not like to have waterlogged roots.
• Fertilizer for cacti and succulents, and following the manufacturer's instructions. It has to be paid in spring and summer, generally every 15 days but it can vary depending on the type of fertilizer used and the brand. You can buy one here.

What are the care we should give it?

La Crassula ovata »Gollum» is very easy to care for. If you take into account what we have said so far, it will be very easy for us to keep it healthy and precious throughout its life. In any case, we are going to see in more detail how it is cared for:

Indoors or outdoors?

Ideally, it should be outside. It needs a lot of natural light, so it is preferable that it is outside. But if the temperatures in your area drop below 0 degrees, you will have to bring it at home. In this case, it must be in a room where it is very bright, and without drafts.

You can also choose to always grow it indoors. According to Feng Shui, it is a plant that attracts abundance, which has to be put on a table or near the window. But really, as long as it doesn't lack light and it's not near fans or air conditioning, it's going to be fine.

When and how to water?

The plant »Shrek's Ears» It should be watered only when we see that the land is dry, using a watering can or, if it is still very small, a glass. Of course, you have to add water until we see that the substrate is wet; otherwise, we could fall into the error of thinking that it has been watered well, but no, since it would not have reached the roots that are below well.

Do you have to change the pot?

Yeah right. We cannot always leave it in the same pot. It grows slowly but It is important that every 3 years we look to see if roots grow out of the holes in the pot, and in this case plant it in a larger one It is highly advisable to choose a clay one so that it can root better, although if it is made of plastic it will also grow well. This will be done in spring, or early summer at the latest.

Be careful: it may be the case that you need a larger pot but still do not have roots growing out of the container. This is common to see in those specimens that are watered very occasionally. The substrate is compacted and with it also the roots. For this reason, if you have doubts, you have to press the pot a little so that the soil "detaches" from it, and then pull the plant up, just a little, enough to see if the soil crumbles or not. If you see that the root ball comes out whole, then you can plant it in another pot.

When to plant in the garden?

The crásula »Shrek's Ears» can be beautiful in a rockery or in a succulent garden, along with cacti and / or other succulents. So why not plant it in the garden? For that, the only thing to do is to dig a hole of about 30 x 30 centimeters, and fill it with substrate for cacti and succulents. This will help it to root more easily.

Note that it does not resist frost, so if there are any in your area, we advise you to plant it in the ground without removing it from the pot, so that when the cold arrives you can take it out without damaging its roots. Of course, first of all, transplant it to a pot about 5 centimeters larger, in this way you will give it the opportunity to grow more.

What pests can it have?

Fortunately, very few. The one that most often affects you is the mealybug, but taking into account that the plant is small and its leaves fleshy, it is easy to remove them, for example with a brush or by adding diatomaceous earth, of which we leave you a video here:

If you are outside all year round, you should also be careful with snails and slugs, since they eat the leaves. So that we will apply some repellent product.

How to reproduce it?

If you want to have new copies, you can propagate it by stem cuttings in spring. These can be planted in small pots, about 6,5 inches in diameter, with succulent soil. It will root in about ten or fifteen days. Meanwhile, keep it in semi-shade and water a couple of times a week.

La Crassula ovata "Gollum" is a very curious species, don't you think? We hope you liked it.