How to care for succulents in the summer? Control your hands.
For most women, the introduction to succulents, how to care for succulents in the summer? Control your hands. Next, the site editor will introduce to the netizens.
Summer is the most difficult period for succulents to survive. Many beginners' plants die in large numbers, causing significant losses. Recently, many people have asked me how to care for succulents in the summer and why their plants always die. In fact, caring for succulents in summer is not difficult. I think it's mainly about strictly controlling watering to avoid accumulated water in the pot. Moreover, the focus of summer cultivation should shift from maintaining the plant's condition to keeping the plant alive.
Death reasons: High temperature, humidity
Most of the plant deaths in summer are due to sunburn and bacterial infections. Many people say that plants need to be shaded in the summer to avoid sunburn, but I don't think that's the case. Succulents grow on mountain peaks and deserts in their native habitats, and who goes to shade them? They are exposed to the sun for a long time, and environmental protection is more emphasized abroad, with lower PM2.5 levels in the air, which I believe makes the sun's rays even more intense. (Hey, I'm a bit off-topic, let's get back on track)
Death reason 1: Bacterial infection death
Due to excessive watering, the plant's growing environment becomes too humid, and high temperature and humidity can cause the plant's fibrous roots to rot, forming wounds. Coupled with a suitable environment for bacterial growth, the plant gets infected, leading to烂心 (rotten heart) and decay. Generally, this type of plant death is irreversible, and the lesion usually starts from the plant's trunk and moves outward. Once you notice extensive leaf shedding, it's too late to save the plant because its entire growth support system has rotted. The only hope is that one or two remaining leaves might be able to propagate, but from my experience, these leaves usually turn into water.
Death reason 2: "Baozi effect"
The reason for using "baozi" (steamed bun) as a metaphor is because it's very vivid and easy for everyone to understand. The "baozi phenomenon" occurs because many friends think that high temperatures in the summer cause rapid evaporation of water, making plants prone to dehydration. Often, after watering during the day, the plants are still exposed to the sun, creating a situation where the plants are like sitting on a steamer. Under the afternoon sun, it takes less than an hour to steam your beloved plant, and you can just wait to eat baozi at home.
Countermeasures: Focus on solving the water issue.
In fact, there's nothing scary about surviving the summer, as long as you control the water properly, it's still an easy task. Below are some of my countermeasures for your reference.
1. Choose planting materials with good water permeability: Mix coarse planting materials into the planting mix to reduce water retention and promote root respiration.
2. Change the watering time, from daytime to evening. I usually choose to water after I get home from work. As the sun sets, the temperature gradually drops, and watering in the evening can prevent the baozi effect.
3. Reduce the amount of water given at one time: Use the method of small amounts multiple times to ensure that the water evaporates before the next morning. This avoids accumulated water around the plant roots. It's best to use a watering method in the summer instead of submerging the pot, so that excess water can flow out.
4. Ventilation: The main purpose of ventilation is to remove moisture. My method is to use a fan from morning to night throughout the summer.
5. Use large particle-sized planting materials that do not easily crumble for mulching: Large particle materials form gaps between the particles, promoting ventilation and preventing evaporated moisture from accumulating at the plant base, causing decay.
That's all for now. In fact, after saying so much, the key is to solve the issue of water. Control your hands and the water, and the death rate of plants in the summer will decrease significantly.
The above is a detailed explanation of how to care for succulents in the summer, control your hands and water properly. I hope this article can help you with green plant management!