How to recover after the hot summer for succulents
The editor will answer how to recover succulents after the hot summer and share knowledge about succulent care and potting techniques during the summer. Here are the detailed contents to follow.
Now it's almost May and we are about to enter the beginning of summer. As temperatures rise, our succulents will enter a dormant state. Generally, starting now, temperatures will likely remain above 30 degrees for about a month. If your succulents are still being watered sparingly and trying to achieve a certain state, they might not survive the summer and could rot or become watery. What we need to do now is to help them grow quickly so they can easily survive the summer. Remember the "3 don'ts and 3 sufficients."
1. Don't buy seedlings
Many people are still buying succulents. After purchasing, we need to prune the roots and repot them. If we don't prune the roots and continue to care for them as is, the change in environment may cause root rot or watery leaves. So, buying seedlings now means they won't have enough time to grow roots before summer, and without watering, they will shrivel up. Without well-developed roots, watering in summer may cause them to rot and die. Don't buy seedlings now; wait until autumn when temperatures are below 25 degrees.
2. Don't repot
As summer is approaching, repotting now won't help the roots grow quickly or well. Even if they manage to grow full roots by summer, they will only be fine roots without thick roots. So, don't repot in this season. If it were early spring and temperatures consistently above 5 degrees, then it would be the best time to repot. But now, as summer is approaching, repotting will make it hard for them to recover.
3. Don't water sparingly
Many people grow succulents for their beautiful colors. But if you are still controlling water now, it will inevitably damage the roots, as controlling water means fine roots don't grow, and there are only some thick roots. Now we need to let them grow back, and controlling water will only cause severe root damage, making it harder to survive the summer without new roots.
How to recover after the hot summer for succulents
4. Sufficient light
If your succulents are doing well at home, now is the time to give them plenty of light. When light shines on the leaves, photosynthesis occurs, and nutrients are produced and transported to the roots, helping them grow quickly. Once the roots are well-developed, they can absorb nutrients and grow new leaves, restoring the plumpness of the leaves. So, we need to ensure they get plenty of light now, as it's their growing season. As long as temperatures don't exceed 30 degrees, they can grow normally. What we want is for them to grow roots quickly and fill the pot with roots.
5. Sufficient water
Since we are focusing on root growth, watering is essential. If you are using a small pot with well-draining soil and good ventilation, water them when the soil is almost dry and make sure to water thoroughly. This will encourage root growth and leaf development, keeping the leaves plump. When summer comes and the roots fill the pot, if we don't water for two to three months, they won't have any problems. They will only consume one or two bottom leaves, and by autumn, watering will help them recover.
6. Sufficient fertilizer
Just watering will ensure the roots don't dry out or rot and stay fresh to absorb nutrients. But since we are using granular soil or small pots, the lack of nutrients will make the new leaves grow weak and old leaves hard to plump up. So, we need to supplement fertilizer at this time.