How to plant and care for succulents in summer
For netizens to elaborate on the knowledge related to succulents, how to plant and care for succulents in summer, the following is an introduction by the editor of this site.
The difficulty in caring for succulents in summer lies in the high temperature and humidity, along with extreme weather such as heavy rain, which often occurs and becomes a potential danger to the growth of succulents. To resist the severe heat and changeable climate, many succulents stop growing and enter a dormant period, which is precisely their survival period. How to let succulents safely pass through the hot summer is a concern for many growers.
Simply put, ventilation, shading, and avoiding water are the three key elements for succulent care in summer.
Succulent care in summer should pay attention to ventilation: regardless of the type of succulent, a good ventilation environment is needed in summer. In a hot and humid environment, poor air circulation is not conducive to the evaporation of moisture and difficult to lower the temperature, easily leading to root rot and various diseases and pests. Since the humidity in the air during summer is higher than in other seasons, even the Verrucomyia (Sedum) that prefers high humidity should leave the stuffy environment and breathe some fresh air.
Succulent care in summer should pay attention to shading: with the strong sun in summer, it is advisable to provide some shade to prevent direct sunlight. Shading can effectively avoid plant damage from strong light or direct sunlight. However, it should not be placed in a dark place without light, as it may cause the succulents to grow excessively and affect their appearance.
Succulent care in summer should pay attention to avoiding water: succulents hate waterlogging, especially in summer, when growers may feel that the soil dries up quickly and therefore water frequently, leading to long-term moist and rotting roots, which is hard to reverse. In fact, succulents in a dormant period do not need much water. Even for the summer-growing types, the amount of water should be moderate.
Succulents come in many types, and each has its unique characteristics in different regional environments. To keep your succulents safe in summer, you first need to determine whether they are winter, summer, or spring/autumn types, and then arrange different care methods according to different genera. Winter and spring/autumn type succulents start to hibernate after entering summer and require special care; while summer type succulents may continue to grow normally but should also avoid direct sunlight at noon, ensure ventilation and cooling in hot weather, and prevent water accumulation when watering to avoid root rot. Now, let's provide more specific introductions for the different care of winter and summer types.
Summer care for winter and spring/autumn type succulents
Light: Winter type succulents basically stop growing in summer and should avoid direct sunlight but also not be placed in a dark place without light, as it may cause excessive growth and affect the appearance. It is recommended to place them in a bright southwest location or in a place avoiding direct sunlight and ensure ventilation.
Temperature: Although the original habitat of succulents is in hot areas, attention should be paid to ventilation and cooling if the temperature continues to exceed 35°C. If grown at home, they should be placed indoors with good air circulation, keeping windows open when someone is home, and slightly ajar when no one is home. Additionally, spreading white pebbles on the surface of the potting soil can reflect sunlight and also help lower the temperature.
Watering: Succulents hate waterlogging, especially in summer, when the soil moisture dries up quickly, and growers often water, leading to long-term moist and rotting roots. In fact, during the summer, the watering of winter type succulents should be strictly controlled, and watering can be stopped when the temperature is consistently above 35°C. Even when watering, only the soil surface around the plant should be moistened to ensure the plant safely passes the summer. Also, avoid getting water droplets on the leaves, and if there are obvious water droplets remaining on the leaves, they should be blown away to prevent strong light from burning the leaves.
Summer care for summer type succulents
Light: Summer type succulents should be given plenty of sunlight. Insufficient light can not only cause the plant to grow excessively but also affect flowering. For example, the fleshy stems of cacti and Euphorbia species will suddenly become thin due to insufficient light, affecting the appearance, and it is difficult to restore them to their original state. For leaf ornamental succulents, it can cause the plant to become loose and the leaf color to become dull. Especially for some varieties with red leaf color or patterns or powdery substances on the leaves, the fleshy leaves can turn green, patterns or powdery substances decrease, or even disappear. Therefore, it is best to place the plant in a well-lit and well-ventilated outdoor area; for some tender varieties, avoid strong direct sunlight from 10 am to 2 pm in June to August to prevent skin burns. For plants that have been kept indoors or in other low-light areas for a long time, do not suddenly expose them to strong light, but first, keep them in a semi-shaded area for a while before moving them to a well-lit area, allowing them to gradually adapt to the environment.
Temperature: Although summer type succulents prefer a high-temperature environment, attention should also be paid to ventilation and cooling when the temperature continues to exceed 38°C. For greenhouse-grown plants, the plastic film around the greenhouse can be opened for ventilation and cooling, while still keeping the top covered with plastic film to prevent rain. A shading net can also be placed on the plastic film to help lower the temperature. If conditions allow, install exhaust fans or electric fans in the greenhouse to enhance ventilation and prevent plant rot caused by stuffy and humid conditions. For some valuable varieties, white or light-colored stones can be placed on the surface of the potting soil to reflect sunlight and prevent the soil from absorbing too much heat.
Watering: Growing summer type succulents require relatively sufficient water, otherwise, they will stop growing and their appearance will change. When watering, avoid sprinkling on the leaves and water the soil instead. Water droplets on the leaves should be blown away promptly. It is recommended to use a pressure sprayer to water, which can avoid the above situations. Watering can be generous but not waterlogged, and attention should be paid to drainage and flood prevention during the rainy season to prevent root rot caused by soil waterlogging. It should be noted that although succulents are drought-tolerant, they do not like drought. If they lack water for a long time during the growing season, the plants will not die but growth will be very slow or even stop, and their appearance will be poor. Therefore, sufficient water must be provided during the growing season, with the best watering time being early morning or evening, but avoid watering at noon when it is hot.
Fertilization: Unlike other succulents entering a dormant period, summer type succulents can be fertilized every 10 to 15 days with a thin liquid fertilizer or a "low nitrogen high phosphorus potassium" compound fertilizer depending on the variety. New plants should not be fertilized within a month, nor should weak plants. For most succulents, fertilizing can be done every half month, or once a month for slow-growing varieties, and some very slow-growing varieties may not need to be fertilized at all. Do not water a few days before fertilizing, wait for the potting soil to be mostly dry, loosen the soil the day before, and then fertilize the next day to help the plant absorb the nutrients. Since the osmotic pressure of the roots of most succulents is very low, the concentration of the fertilizer solution should not be too high. The type of fertilizer should vary depending on the plant variety and growth stage. Generally, nitrogenous fertilizers can be slightly more for young seedlings, leafy and green plants, while phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should be applied more during the flowering and fruiting stages, and for plants with a ball or column shape, red, yellow, or other non-green leaf colors. For stem-like succulents, more potassium fertilizer should be applied. The organic fertilizers used can be fermented soybean cakes, sesame cakes, chicken, pigeon droppings, bone meal, etc., all of which should be fully decomposed and diluted with water before use. Inorganic fertilizers such as urea, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, calcium superphosphate, and various market (C-S) compound fertilizers and special fertilizers can also be used during the plant's vigorous growth, but the concentration should be low and the frequency should be infrequent, otherwise, it can cause soil compaction and affect plant growth, which is counterproductive. However, unfermented eggshells, soy milk, fresh milk, and salty meat broth or bones should not be used. When fertilizing, be careful not to splash fertilizer solution on the plant.
The above-specific introduction on how to plant and care for succulents in summer is for netizens to refer to and learn from.