You don’t have to be uncertain about how to care for succulents in the winter! In addition to some advice for your outdoor succulent garden, this piece will teach you how to properly care for your succulents indoors over the winter.
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Your succulents might not be able to remain outside all year round depending on where you live and the kinds of succulents you are growing.
In order for your succulents to thrive in a climate with snow or many nights of subfreezing temperatures, you will need to bring them inside if you have fragile succulents (those that can’t endure zero weather).
Do succulents require indoor space in the winter?
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.
How should succulents be cared for during the winter?
Protecting succulents from subfreezing temperatures is the best approach to prepare plants for the winter. This can be accomplished by bringing them inside, moving them to a covered porch, a sunny position next to a protected wall, a greenhouse, or a conservatory. They enjoy light. Do this in the fall or before it drops below 5 °F. You have a variety of options for protecting succulents that need to stay outside.
Which succulents should be moved indoors for the winter?
Since most succulents are accustomed to hot, arid environments, they are particularly hard hit by winter’s frigid temperatures.
Some succulents, like Aloe, Echeveria, and Crassula, require frost protection when the temperature falls below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. The majority of the other species can endure temperatures higher than 40 °F.
No matter the genus, you should never leave your succulents in a freezer. The explanation is straightforward: because succulents hold a lot of water in their leaves, stems, and trunks, when the temperature drops below freezing, the water expands and bursts through the cell membrane. The plant will eventually expire.
The plants can sense fewer days and lower temperatures, which indicate the impending winter. However, by winterizing them, you can deceive your succulent. Before it becomes too cold outside, you can bring the plant inside and give it regular care.
Simply said, the fall is the ideal season to bring succulents inside. You need to keep your plants from detecting the shift in weather conditions, therefore don’t wait until the actual winter.
Do succulents grown indoors go dormant?
True dormancy is not experienced by succulents cultivated indoors. As a result, you’ll discover that propagating or transplanting succulents indoors throughout the year is not a problem.
Waiting until the succulent is in its active growing season is optimal for succulents growing outside. The spring and fall seasons are often when you’ll see the best effects.
Extremes in temperature will be your main obstacles when transplanting or planting succulents outdoors.
For my sister-in-law in Southern California, I planted several succulents. The succulents were outside in the ground when we planted them in June, but because of the heat wave, they were experiencing temperatures near to 100F. (38C).
These little 2 (5 cm) succulents didn’t have time to adjust to that scorching temperature and the full sun because the place we were putting them in was also in full sunlight. The majority of them perished.
Even cold-hardy varieties of succulents would freeze if I tried to plant them outside in the midst of the winter when I still lived in Utah since they weren’t used to the extremely cold temperatures.
Succulents can, however, be planted all year round provided you give them a beautiful, temperate climate without too many extremes.
Because (shocking, I know…) they are growing more throughout their active growing season, you’ll discover that your succulents take transplanting better. As a result, they will heal more quickly and acclimate to their new surroundings more quickly.
The process of propagating succulents is comparable. In the end, spring or fall, when that particular succulent is beginning its active growing season, are the greatest times of year. The growth of these plants can be propagated at other seasons of the year, but it will often be slower.
Again, this is relevant to succulents grown outside. Succulents grown indoors can be easily reproduced all year long and develop at a similar rate.
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.
Ice plant Oscularia Deltoides
Oscularia Deltoides, a succulent that is native to South Africa, with hefty, green leaves and blooms in the summer with purple daisy-like flowers. You may cultivate this succulent both inside and outside. It needs soil that drains properly and only light irrigation.
General Care: You may grow this succulent both inside and outside. They need a soil that drains properly and only light irrigation. Before you rehydrate the soil, make sure it is completely dry. Pink Ice Plants naturally need more watering when planted in full sun as opposed to partial sunlight.
It is hardy and can withstand temperatures as low as 15-20°F. However, prolonged exposure to cold temperatures and frost can harm ice plants.
Agave Butterfly
This rosettes succulent, native to the semi-arid Mexican regions of Puebla and Oaxaca, matures to a height of 2 feet. Its broad, cream-colored leaves are grayish green in tone. When the weather gets cooler, it enters dormancy after aggressively growing during the spring and summer.
In general, this plant needs bright, full sun outdoors because it loves the sun. It thrives in pots with drainage holes and stony, mineral soils. You’ll notice new offsets or “pups” growing around the mother plant’s base over time.
Hardiness: Agave Butterfly grows extremely slowly and can withstand extreme heat and protracted drought. This cultivar can tolerate light freezing down to 22F.
Although these succulents can withstand extremely severe temperatures, like other succulents, they require sufficient drainage in their growing location in the garden to prevent rot from melting snow.
Before planting them outside in snowy conditions, you must gradually acclimate cold-hardy succulents that you have grown in warmer climates. Even though they don’t seem so nice in the winter, these two varieties of succulents, which are among the most hardy, will come back lush and robust.
Can succulents recover after a freeze?
Can a frozen plant still be saved? This truly depends on the kind of plant and how long it was exposed to the cold. On all save the most tropical plants, light freezes are typically something that a plant can recover from.
Remove damaged plant material from woody plants in the spring. In the late winter, you can detect which stems are dead by scratching the bark. The tissue is still alive if the substance is green below. They will lose their leaves as a result of the freezing, but they normally re-leaf in the spring. After all threat of frost has passed, maintain the plants’ moisture and apply a mild fertilizer.
More delicate plants won’t be able to endure the freezing damage and will turn into annuals. Perennial plants that have been frozen-damaged may only have little root damage, in which case you can divide the plant and replant the pieces. The ones that recovered from the root area’s cold did not deal a fatal blow.
What temperature should be used while bringing succulents inside?
The ideal temperature range for succulents is between 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Succulents, on the other hand, can survive temperatures as low as 40F and as high as 90F.
Succulents grow stressed and may experience shock when exposed to temperatures that are outside of their comfort zone.
It’s crucial to bring your succulents inside when it gets cold or when it gets really hot outside.
Succulents can be harmed by low temperatures. Your succulent will probably perish when the temperature drops below freezing.
When a plant is exposed to high temperatures for an extended period of time, the leaves may suffer irreparable damage and eventually wilt or turn discolored.
Succulents are excellent inside plants during the winter months when there is less light, but they must be moved outside once summer returns.
How frequently should indoor succulents be watered in the winter?
During the months that are not winter, when the temperature is above 40 degrees, you should water your succulents every other week. You should only water your succulent once a month in the winter (when the temperature falls below 40 degrees), as it goes dormant at this period.
A few situations constitute an exception to this rule. Because their tiny leaves can’t hold as much water as other varieties with larger leaves, some varieties of succulents need to be watered more frequently. In the non-winter months, feel free to give these small leaf succulents a water if they appear to be thirsty. When they are thirsty, succulents generally exhibit a wrinkled appearance. But always keep in mind that being underwater is preferable to being overwater.
When bringing succulents inside, what temperature is required?
An area with at least three to four hours of bright light should be chosen for a dormant succulent. In comparison to the summer, when they are actively growing, succulents require less light in the winter. During the winter, succulents can tolerate indirect lighting.
Bring succulents inside before winter temperatures drop below freezing since sudden temperature fluctuations might kill plants. During the winter, keep the room where the succulents are at no lower than 50 degrees Fahrenheit. To allow them to relax throughout the winter, some succulents, like Aeoniums, may fare better in a chilly room or basement, between 50 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
How can I tell if my succulent is dormant in the winter or the summer?
I bring up dormancy as a crucial aspect of succulents since it would be dreadful to just discard a plant because it lost its leaves or to try to withhold or, opposite, offer too much water in the hopes that it may “revive” the plant. We can better understand the demands of our plants if we are aware of the seasonal dormancy of succulents. Knowing when succulents will fall dormant might be challenging, but not impossible, when we purchase them without even knowing their names or genera. Simply keep an eye out for the signs!
One of the first signs of a succulent going into hibernation is that it entirely stops growing. If they have fleshy leaves, as my Senecio does, they will simply turn yellow or brown and fall off the sides of the plant stem or hang limply. Some kinds will see rosettes that shrink. Additionally, you’ll observe that Mesembs from the Titanopsis genus develop a papery covering.
A well-known cactus gardener once advised me to water succulents sparingly in the winter, only once every two weeks, and to stop watering cacti entirely from November to March. This is a sound general rule of thumb, but it requires a bit more nuance since, as we now know, different succulents go dormant at various periods of the year and require various environmental conditions. You might need to water them more regularly during the dormant season if you live in a hotter climate because transpiration will still be taking place during that time.
A plant should never be repotted while it is “sleeping,” as well.
How would you feel, for example, if you were abruptly awakened from a sound sleep and told to relocate? I assume not that much. The same is true of plants, especially succulents. You should be safe to make some planter alterations at the first sign of growth because they would prefer to be replanted when they are growing.
This handy chart, which I put up using information from a variety of sources, such as Highland Succulents, Succulents.us, and a variety of books, will assist you in determining your succulents’ seasonal dormancy if you are familiar with their genera:
When ought to succulents be potted again?
Evergreen succulents have always captured my heart. Succulents are low maintenance plants that thrive in containers because to their unusual forms and thick leaves; I have a large collection of these well-liked varieties.
Repotting succulents every two years is a good general rule of thumb, if only to give them access to new, fertile soil. The beginning of a succulent’s growing season is the optimal time to repot it because it provides the plant its best chance of surviving. My gardeners, Ryan and Wilmer, took advantage of the snowy weather earlier this week to repot many succulent plants and propagate a variety of cuttings. Here are some pictures of the steps we took.
In times of drought, succulents, sometimes known as fat plants, store water in their fleshy leaves, stems, or stem-root systems. Because of their eye-catching shapes, succulents are frequently planted as attractive plants.
I needed to repot a few of the succulents in my collection either they had outgrown their pots or I wanted to relocate them into more attractive clay containers.
He stamps my name and the year the pot was produced on the reverse side. When I host big events in my home, they invariably look fantastic.
To aid in drainage, a clay shard is placed over the hole. Additionally, I like using clay pots because they permit adequate aeration and moisture to reach the plant via the sides.
We always keep the shards from broken pots; it’s a fantastic method to use those parts again.
Wilmer carefully takes a succulent from its pot without damaging any of the roots.
Wilmer then conducts a meticulous test to determine if the pot is the proper size for the plant. He picks a pot just a hair bigger than the plant’s original container.
Prills are the name for osmocote particles. A core of nutrients composed of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium is covered by the prill’s beige shell.
For the finest drainage, we mix equal parts of sand, perlite, and vermiculite for succulents. The correct soil mixture will also aid in promoting rapid root growth and provide young roots with quick anchoring.
Wait a few days before watering the succulents after repotting to give them time to become used to the new soil.
Wilmer shifts to the following plant. This one too need a little maintenance attention. He picked up any fallen leaves.
In order to promote new development, Wilmer lightly pruned the roots after manually loosening the root ball.
Wilmer inserted the plant into the pot after adding some Osmocote and a little amount of potting soil.
The pale blue-gray leaves of Echevaria runyonii ‘Topsy turvy’ curve upward, are prominently inversely keeled on the bottom surface, and have leaf tips that point inward toward the center of the plant.
Echeverias are among the most alluring succulents, and plant aficionados greatly respect them for their brilliant colors and lovely rosette shapes.
An aeonium is a succulent with rosette-like leaves that grows quickly. Aeonium is a varied genus that includes little or medium-sized plants, stemless or shrub-like, and plants that favor sun or shade.
Succulents should be placed on a table so that they can get enough of natural light even when the sun isn’t shining directly on their pots.
Moreover, propagation is fairly simple. Here, Ryan uses sharp pruners to cut a three to four-inch portion of stem off the mother plant.
There should be about a half-inch of stem showing. A handful of them are ready to be planted here.
Ryan provides plenty of space for the plants. There will be plenty to use in mixed urns during the summer if all of these take root and grow into succulent plants. Four to six weeks following planting, new growth should start to show, at which point each plant should be repotted independently.
Inside my main greenhouse, all of my priceless plant collections are kept on long, sliding tables. They all have such lovely looks. Which succulents are your favorites? Please share your feedback in the spaces below.