Winter Care Tips for Succulents
Today, the editor will explain the related knowledge of succulents, including some small winter care tips for succulents. The editor will provide detailed answers for you below.
There are many guides for winter care of succulents online, and the Flower King also wants to share his own experience. Now that the cold wave has swept across the country, here are a few points from the Flower King on cold protection, hoping they will be helpful for succulent enthusiasts in winter care.
One, watering should be done on sunny afternoons, and the frequency of watering should be reduced because plants do not need as much water in winter. If possible, immerse the pot in water, do not water the plants from above, and avoid getting the plant wet.
Two, let me tell you about a common misconception. Take胧月 as an example; it can overwinter outdoors in the Jiangnan region. However, if a胧月 plant that has been kept indoors is suddenly placed outdoors overnight during winter, it will definitely not be able to handle it. This is easy to understand because the plant has been adapted to the indoor environment, so it can't withstand a sudden drop in temperature. If a胧月 has been kept outdoors and gradually adapted to the cold, it can be believed that it will have no problem overwintering outdoors. In summary, do not blindly believe which varieties can or cannot overwinter outdoors, this needs to be analyzed based on specific situations.
Three, what do succulents fear most in winter? According to the Flower King, they fear frost and melting snow the most. Regarding frost, we can think of a term for a solar term—“Frost Descent,” which means that water vapor in the air condenses when it encounters cold and then falls due to gravity. It's simple physics, and everyone should be able to understand it, right? When frost melts, it absorbs heat, which can cause frostbite to the leaves of the plant.
So, if we have limited indoor space and can only place the succulents outdoors, we can use a sunshade or cover them with a layer of plastic film to help them withstand the frost. However, if the temperature drops below -5 degrees Celsius, the plant will be directly frozen by the low temperature.
About melting snow, this is also what succulents fear the most. The leaves may not necessarily be frozen during snowfall, but the melting of snow absorbs heat and can easily cause frostbite to the plant. Therefore, if there is snow on the plant, we must wash the snow away with water before it melts to prevent secondary frostbite.
Four, once winter arrives, we should stop fertilizing the plants, unless they are kept in a greenhouse or a heated room. Otherwise, at low temperatures, the plants do not grow much, and fertilizing has limited effect and can easily cause fertilizer burn.
Five, in addition, the Flower King would like to introduce another small method to help succulents overwinter. Use a foam保鲜盒 (such as a cake box or fruit box) and saw off the top inner frame, then fill it with 1/3 capacity of half-saturated perlite, vermiculite, or sand. Remove the plant from its pot, keeping the soil, and plant it in the box. Cut a piece of transparent plastic and place it on top of the box for light transmission. Place it in a sunny area to keep it warm and prevent freezing, and it can ensure normal growth of the plant. It is important to note that when using this method, you need to periodically uncover the covering to let the plant "breathe." Otherwise, the temperature and humidity inside the small environment can become too high, leading to plant burn or root rot. This method is similar to that of a greenhouse, both using transparent film to absorb heat and reduce heat evaporation.
The above is the complete content of the small winter care tips for succulents, for your comprehensive understanding and reference!