Each summer, soft succulents can enjoy some sunshine outside, but they must return indoors before it becomes too cold. Pay attention to the light, air, soil, and water conditions as you bring your plants indoors for the winter.
Light
Naturally, indoor places receive less sunlight, especially during the winter. Sun-loving succulents should be placed close to a sunny window. To stop the pots from fading and straining, rotate them frequently. Add a grow light to rooms that don’t get enough natural light, or try indoor succulent varieties. For rooms with particularly low light levels, we suggest Haworthia, Jade, and Gasteria.
Do my succulents need to be brought inside for the winter?
Before you even plant your succulent in your yard, this is the easiest way to find out if it will survive the winter in your region. The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is referenced on the labels of the majority of plants that are sold in retailers. The label will indicate whether or not the plant will survive the winter depending on the zone you live in. The zones are separated by a difference of 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit in their lowest annual temperature. There is minimal likelihood that it will survive the winter in that area if your zone is lower than the recommended zone on the label.
Tip #2: Bring Them Indoors
Bring your succulent indoors during the winter even if it is in the right climate zone. Even though sudden temperature dips are uncommon, one chilly night is all it takes to harm your plants. They can be kept in your garage if the temperature there doesn’t fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Don’t forget to give them three to four hours of indirect sunshine each day. Checking for insects like mealybugs and aphids is a crucial factor. Spray the leaves with a mixture of 1 part water and 3 parts rubbing alcohol to kill the bugs because you don’t want them inside your house.
Although it’s frequently overlooked, preparing your put for indoor play is crucial as well. Your succulents’ containers are probably a little muddy if they have been playing hard outside. To prevent them from spreading around your home when you transfer things inside, first clear the pot of any dead leaves and other debris. Second, clean off any extra dirt from your pot; you want a clean transition from the inside to the outside! Lastly, look for bugs. Creepy crawlies taking over your house is the last thing you need. You should be well on your way to your indoor succulents thriving after following those three steps.
Tip #3: Reduce Watering in the Late Fall
Winter is the period when succulents go dormant, so watering is even less necessary. So once the weather becomes colder and the days get shorter, stop watering them. Reduce it to once a month, but you should also check the soil’s moisture content first before watering. When the ground is entirely dry, only do it. It only takes a good five minutes to water. To prevent succulents from dying from moist roots, check that the soil has excellent drainage. Sand or organic matter with good drainage should be added to the soil for indoor plants. Mulch shouldn’t be used near the base of outside plants since it can trap moisture.
Before you fully stop watering your succulents, here’s a short tip: identify them! Winter is when most succulents go dormant, however some are winter growers. The plants that don’t go dormant will require more water than the others. Keep an eye on things at least to prevent your freshly indoor succulents from becoming overly dry. (Succulents will dry out more quickly than others if they are close to vents or heaters.
Tip #4: Sunlight
When putting your succulents indoors, sunlight is absolutely crucial! Making sure they receive adequate sunlight in the winter is challenging. To get the most indirect light, place your succulents close to your home’s brightest window. Try to provide succulents with at least 6 hours of sunshine each day for the healthiest results. They’ll begin to slant toward the window if you’re not providing them with adequate sunshine. Simply turn them the other way to straighten them out.
Tip #5: Cover Up Your Succulents
If you are unable to bring the plants inside due to impending cold weather, you can cover them with various forms of protection. Snow covers are beneficial because they provide protection from snow, frost, and strong winds. You can buy them from your neighbourhood garden supply store or online. Bushel baskets can be used to cover and safeguard succulents if you have any lying about. Just be cautious not to leave them covered for an extended period of time. The plants require ample sunlight and clean airflow.
These straightforward suggestions can help you keep your succulents happy and healthy throughout the winter. Give your friends and neighbours the information so they can preserve their succulent plants as well!
How are succulents preserved for the winter?
Many of the most popular and stunning succulents will need to be taken indoors for the winter unless you are fortunate enough to live in a place where it does not get below freezing. Although a greenhouse is ideal, few gardeners have access to one. Fortunately, it’s simple to overwinter most succulents inside.
There is a vast variety of various plants classified as succulents, some of which have very particular requirements. But the advice provided here will help most widely cultivated succulents survive the winter.
When grown inside, succulents frequently develop a habit of being stretched out and lanky, producing weak and unsightly plants by spring. When care for succulents indoors throughout the winter, light, water, and temperature are three crucial considerations that can help to reduce this.
Light is Critical
Light is the main component in succulent survival during the winter. Succulents will extend if there is insufficient light in an effort to get closer to the source. In general, succulents want full sun. Although it can be challenging to do so inside, expose them to as much direct sunshine as you can. The ideal window is one that faces south, though east or west windows can also be used.
If there is inadequate natural light, fluorescent lights may be employed. It’s crucial to keep the plants between the bulbs and 1 to 2 inches away from them. Over a distance of 3 inches, fluorescent light is practically useless to plants. For plant growth, incandescent lights emit the wrong spectrum of light and becoming too hot.
Succulents Need Little Water During the Winter
It is always preferable for succulents to be too dry than too moist. This is particularly true in the winter, when plants experience less-than-ideal lighting conditions and below-average temperatures. During the winter, keep your succulents on the dry side. Just enough water should be provided to prevent plant shrivelling. You might just need to water once every 10 to 14 days in a cold area.
Keep the plant itself dry at all times, especially rosette plants like Echeverias. The plant will swiftly decay and become mush as water will collect in the rosette’s centre. Keep in mind that keeping a succulent moist will destroy it quickly!
Cool Temperatures are Good
The majority of succulents do not require extra warmth during the cold. It’s crucial to prevent them from freezing. The ideal temperature range is between 45 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit. The plants will remain in a semi-dormant state if kept cool. With the lower light intensity indoors during the winter, a warm environment fosters the growth of the plants, resulting in lanky plants.
No Fertilizer Needed
During the autumn and winter, succulents do not require any fertiliser. Instead of encouraging the plants to develop, you want to maintain them alive.
I’ve had great luck using these methods to overwinter plants like Echeveria, tender Sedum, Aeonium, Agave, Aloe, Crassula, Graptoveria, Kalanchoe, Faucaria, and Senecio.
The plants may endure the winter in a semi-dormant state with little stretching if you keep them sunny, dry, and cool. The succulents can be put back outside for a summer of sunbathing once the weather is no longer frosty.
Can I bring succulents from outside inside?
Even when they are cultivated indoors, succulents are regarded as low-maintenance plants. As a form of adaptation for growing in arid regions, the leaves and stems retain water. These plants have peculiar morphologies, textures, and shapes. They make suitable indoor plants to flourish all year long. To protect succulent species that are susceptible to cold temperatures, outdoor potted plants can be brought inside for the winter.
Can cacti be left outside?
Succulents are drought-tolerant plants because they can retain water in their large, irregularly shaped leaves. Succulents have a broad variety of eye-catching shapes and textures, which provide any landscape aesthetic interest. Can succulents live outside? is an often asked question. The quick response is “yes”! Growing succulents outdoors is an excellent alternative because they do well there and can withstand some neglect. They also do well in sunny areas with warm, dry weather.
Succulents can be grown in the ground, in pots, or hidden in unexpected planting locations. Take the uncertainty out of caring for these wonderful conversation pieces with stunning foliage by reading our suggestions for growing succulents outside.
Succulents—can I leave them outside in the winter?
There are many succulents that can endure the winter outside, even in extremely cold locations. These
Succulents that are hardy thrive in chilly, snowy winters. Sempervivum heuffelii, which maintains vivid colours for Winter Interest, is one of our favourites. The frost-hardy Sedum cultivars are especially recommended since they create excellent ground covers in practically all regions.
Succulents do they regrow after the winter?
Some succulents will thrive outside all year for you if you live in a climate with four seasons, particularly one with harsh winters, but most won’t.
Although most won’t endure prolonged frigid conditions, each succulent has varied temperature requirements.
But there is a whole class of gorgeous cold-tolerant plants that are largely ignored in the succulent world! Many individuals are unaware of their existence or how numerous they are.
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Even if your environment dips well below freezing for the majority of the winter, you may still keep a lovely succulent garden outdoors using Sempervivums, select Sedums, and their hardy Opuntia relatives.
I started off growing succulents in Utah, which has a Zone 5 environment. I didn’t know there were succulents that could endure snow, therefore I was primarily cultivating succulents indoors.
Fortunately, Mountain Crest Gardens was recommended to me, and as a result, my succulent garden underwent significant improvement. According to my knowledge, Mountain Crest Gardens is the main source of cold-tolerant succulent species.
Their nursery is really located in a mountain valley near Mount Shasta in northern California, where they receive snow all winter. They have the most exquisite assortment of succulents that can withstand chilly temperatures.
These Sempervivums, Sedums, and Opuntias (also known as “Prickly Pear Cactus”) are wonderful since they can also survive in more temperate climes!
In the video below, you can learn more about what succulents can withstand below-freezing temperatures:
I have many sizable pots full of Sempervivums and Sedums that made the journey and are now flourishing here in Arizona, in addition to the numerous plants I did plant in the ground for my parents in Utah. I also want to expand my collection here with some cold-tolerant Opuntia.
Sempervivums are significantly harder than other rosettes succulents, such Echeverias, and make excellent rosettes if you are unfamiliar with how these succulents look. The colour choices are also quite beautiful, ranging from pinks, reds, and purples to greens, yellows, and blues. You truly receive the entire rainbow!
The resilient Sedums are more of a ground cover and come in a wide range of forms, textures, and hues. You’ll find that some of them generate a wonderful trailing effect over the edge of your succulent pots, which looks fantastic when combined with Sempervivums.
My eye has been particularly drawn to the tough Opuntia. I was able to visit the Waterwise Botanical Gardens in Escondido, California, when they introduced a line of cold-hard Opuntias a few years ago. The most stunning flowers you’ll ever see on a succulent are produced by these plants in the spring, despite the fact that they may look like regular “Prickly Pear” cactus on the outside.
Opuntia “Pina Colada,” which has a blossom that truly changes colours, was one of my all-time favourites. It changes from being an orangey-pink colour to yellow with pink and orange stripes in the middle the following day.
The amazing thing is that these cold-tolerant Opuntias are now available on Mountain Crest Gardens’ website thanks to a collaboration between Mountain Crest Gardens and Waterwise Botanicals.
So everyone who lives somewhere with four seasons, don’t forget to think about these incredible succulents! You’ll find that being able to observe some colour and life in the midst of winter is very satisfying, in my opinion. Nothing compares to the Opuntias blooming at the start of spring, though!
It’s fascinating to observe how these hardy plants recover with vibrant, gorgeous hues even after spending the winter months buried beneath several feet or inches of snow. My awe for succulents never wanes!
The Effects of Temperature on Succulents and Cacti
Succulents and cacti prefer to reside in the “sweet spot” of temperature, just as is the case with sunlight exposure. These hardy plants can suffer irreparable harm from either extreme of the temperature range, so it’s important to monitor their health and adjust the environment as necessary.
Succulents and cacti thrive most effectively in temperatures between 40 and 80 °F. Outside of this range, little temperature swings are tolerated, but swings of five or more can result in permanent harm. Even more intriguing is the fact that temperatures that are on the edge of the bearable range (about 40°F or 80°F) can operate as “stressors,” positively affecting the plant and encouraging the expression of more vivid hues.
Succulents and cacti should ideally be kept above freezing during the winter to prevent frost damage. While more tropical types like euphorbia and lithops demand minimum temperatures of 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, other cultivars are actually frost hardy and prefer cooler overnight temperatures of 30 to 40 degrees. Searching for “ideal temperature for insert plant name here” on Google is currently the quickest approach to find out what temps are optimal for your plants. Each plant product page will eventually feature our own documentation.
Extreme Cold and Extreme Hot
Succulents and cactus can, you guessed it, freeze when exposed to freezing or below-zero weather! The water that has frozen inside the plant’s cells expands as it thaws, killing the cells by rupturing them. When the plant finally thaws out, the damaged regions will start to decay or scar permanently—a symptom that could take a few days to manifest. To stop the rot from spreading, the best course of action in this circumstance is to remove the afflicted region with a clean razor blade.
It is preferable to relocate your collection under a patio cover or inside of your home while the freezing conditions last in order to prevent damage from frost and freezing temperatures temporarily. A “frost blanket,” which is just a thin piece of fabric designed to protect plants from cold, can also be used to cover your plants. Plants should be taken indoors for the winter or placed in a sunroom or greenhouse with plenty of natural light in regions of the country where cold temperatures last for months at a time (essentially everywhere else save California).
However, heated temperatures can also do harm if they are not controlled, so they are not the only bad guys in this tale. A variety of things can happen to your plants when it becomes too hot (90 degrees Fahrenheit and above), especially when combined with full sun exposure. For example, leaves may shrivel and/or burn, water inside plant cells may steam and explode, and root systems may become fried.
Because soil is not a very good conductor of heat or cold, succulents planted in the ground with developed root systems can withstand high heat and cold more better than those planted in containers. On the other hand, containers easily conduct heat and cold, focusing such extremes on the roots of the plants.
There are always exceptions to the norm, just like there are in everything else in life. Succulents can withstand temperatures well below freezing and temps as high as 100 degrees. Drive about and observe what sorts of succulents your neighbours are successfully cultivating to find out what varieties work best in your specific climate.
Moisture and Extreme Temperatures = Bad News
Extreme heat and dampness are among the most troublesome environmental conditions. You should never put your plants in a situation where they are both hot and damp or cold and wet. Whether in the ground or in containers, plants that are grown in dry soil perform far better than those that are not. The water in the soil might start to steam in exceptionally hot weather, thus “cooking” your plants. Water can obviously freeze in freezing or subfreezing temperatures, harming the root system and producing rot. If you absolutely must water your plants when extremely high temperatures are predicted, try to do so as early as possible, ideally before 7 a.m.
The TLDR (too long, didn’t read) Summary
Average temperatures are much preferable to harsh ones for succulents. Frost damage can occur in cold conditions, whereas scorching and atrophy can occur in hot temperatures. Paying attention to what your plants are saying is the simplest method to make sure they are content. Bring them indoors or wrap them in a frost blanket if they are suffering from frost damage. Move them to a sheltered spot or cover them with shade cloth if they are scorching or wilting.