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.
THE IMPACT OF TEMPERATURES ON SUCCULENTS
Succulents typically prefer climates with temperatures between 60 and 80 °F. Some people can withstand temperatures as high as 90°F or as low as 40°F. These severe temperatures are occasionally used by gardeners to “stress” their succulents into changing color. Many succulents, especially soft succulents, can often benefit from high temperatures between 80°F and 90°F to keep their beautiful hues. You’ll notice that many hues will start to get more intense when the temps fall (but remain over 40F). The chilly (but not freezing) temperatures over a prolonged period of time intensify these colors. Be mindful that your succulents can suffer from temperatures that are too high or too low. Never recommend a temperature of 40°F or greater than 90°F.
Your succulents may suffer from sunburn in the summer due to the combination of high temperatures and direct sunlight, which can harm both the leaves and the root systems. You should move your succulents to a shaded place during the warmest part of the day or cover them with shade cloth. People who reside in regions with extremely hot climates might think about planting their succulents directly into the ground as opposed to in containers since soil temperatures remain largely stable regardless of fluctuations in the weather. If you want to grow succulents in containers, pick materials like concrete, terracotta, ceramic, or wood that are excellent at protecting plants from rapid temperature changes. Avoid using metal and glass containers.
Keep the temperature above freezing to prevent frost damage to your succulents over the winter. You can do this by covering them with a cloth or bringing them inside. While some tropical species like Euphorbia and Lithops demand temperatures of at least 50-60F, some cold-hardy species, like Sempervivum, can endure frost and love cool temps from 30 to 40F. Check out the Hardiness information on each of our plant product pages, where we provide thorough information on the USDA Hardiness Zone for each plant, to discover precisely whether a certain succulent variety is suitable for the climate in your location.
Do succulents survive the cold outside?
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 colors for Winter Interest, is one of our favorites. The frost-hardy Sedum cultivars are especially recommended since they create excellent ground covers in practically all regions.
Can succulents survive the winter?
Whether a succulent is a soft or hard succulent determines what temperature it can withstand.
Anything warmer than 32 degrees F will be enjoyable for soft succulents. preferably over 40 degrees.
These plants cannot endure colder than freezing temperatures. Their hefty, thick leaves, which serve as water reservoirs, will freeze and destroy the plant.
Succulents that can withstand the cold can sustain -20 F. The best it can manage is a zone 4 to 5, and let me tell you, that is very impressive.
You must keep in mind that even if they can withstand temperatures below zero, they still like dry soil. That remains constant.
The majority of winters in the contiguous US will not only be dry but also wet and snowy.
Water Your Succulent Outside
Water your plant one final time outside two to three days before bringing it inside.
Before bringing your plant home, give it a thorough soak outside and allow the water drain from the bottom of the container.
Dead Leaves Should Be Pruned Away
When you bring your succulent inside, prune away any leaves that are dead or dying. The plant can then direct its energy toward new growth as a result.
At this time, make sure to get rid of all the dry, brown, and brittle foliage.
When brought indoors for the winter, your succulent will transition more smoothly if the leaves are removed.
Check for Pests and Diseases
Examine your succulent for any indications of disease or pest infestation before bringing it inside.
Pests will struggle to survive the winter conditions of the house if they are present when introduced inside.
When bringing plants indoors throughout fall and winter, it is crucial to ensure any bugs are eradicated before entering your home.
The last thing you want when bringing your succulents indoors is for them to become infected with bugs over the winter.
Check Your Succulent Pot
Make sure your succulents are in a pot with drainage holes when you bring them indoors for the winter and that there is enough airflow around them.
If not, add rocks or stones to the planter’s bottom to allow water to drain when it is irrigated.
Additionally, before bringing succulents indoors for the winter, clean the planter to protect them from any possible bacteria or pests.
Check the Soil
Make sure the soil has sufficient drainage before bringing succulents indoors for the winter.
For growth over the winter, succulents perform best when their roots have sufficient drainage and when they are housed in larger pots with new potting soil.
How to Care For Outdoor Succulents Indoors?
It’s critical to know how succulents will respond indoors before bringing them inside. When taking succulents indoors, proper maintenance is essential.
Succulents Light Requirements Indoors
When grown inside, succulents need direct light that is bright. They can be positioned close to a brightly lit artificial source or at a window where they will receive direct sunlight.
Succulents should receive more direct light indoors than they did outside if you are bringing them indoors to keep as houseplants throughout the winter. When grown inside, succulents require a lot of light, but not too much direct sunlight.
Additionally, if your plants were grown outdoors in a lot of shadow, do not place them in direct sunlight when you bring them inside. While providing your plants time to adjust, brightly lit places should suffice for gently bringing succulents indoors.
If your plants are brought indoors to bright light locations, they could fade when placed in a window with direct sunshine.
Watering Succulents Indoors
Maintaining adequate hydration for succulents over the winter is one of the major worries when bringing them indoors. The lack of natural light and the chilly surroundings prevent water from evaporating quickly.
It’s important to avoid overwatering succulents when you bring them indoors because doing so will cause the roots to rot. Give your plant a healthy drink of water while bringing it indoors if it feels light and dry.
Otherwise, be mindful of how frequently to water when bringing outdoor plants inside during the winter.
It’s crucial to remember not to let the plant’s pot stay in a saucer of still water after watering it. When kept indoors, succulents require good drainage because staying in wet may develop root rot, which can swiftly kill plants.
When succulents are brought indoors, leaves may fade or fall off if too much moisture is provided.
Indoor Temperature Requirements
When taken indoors, succulents require a specific temperature. They dislike severe temperatures and are even less amenable to being brought within from the outside, which can surprise them when succulents are brought inside during the winter.
When you bring your outside succulent plants inside during cold weather, you need maintain an interior temperature above 50 degrees Fahrenheit to keep them dormant.
When bringing succulents indoors, placing them in a bright spot may even help them maintain a higher temperature.
When Can Succulents Go Outside?
Succulents should be able to return outside after the weather warms up if you bring them inside when it’s freezing outside. In most cases, they can be put back outside in the middle of February.
Remember to gently adapt succulents to warmer conditions before returning them outside.
When you bring them outside from the inside when it is chilly outside, they will probably die because of the rapid drop in temperature.
After the winter is over, put your plants back outside, starting with the succulents, and place them in a spot with filtered sunshine.
Increase the time your plants spend outside gradually until they can be exposed to direct sunlight when the weather outside is still comfortable.
typically between mid-May and early June depending on region and climate (north vs. south).
Prepare succulents for indoor living
Spray your succulents with a surface pesticide before bringing them inside. To ensure that your succulents are pest-free, this preparation should take place at least 3 weeks before their indoor adaption. By doing this, you can stop insects and other pests from spreading to your indoor plants.
After clearing the garbage, weeds, and leaves, look for any indications of an infestation. Change the soil if you notice flies gathering around the succulents. When you bring them inside your home, they will quickly spread to the neighboring plants if you don’t.
Make sure your succulent is in a pot with a drainage hole and well-draining soil. Because outdoor environments frequently have greater ventilation, a proper soil mixture is essential for indoor growing of succulents. Succulents need sufficient air circulation to sustain healthy roots. To improve drainage, you can also add pumice or perlite to the potting medium.
In addition to these actions, gradually cut back on the watering of your succulents. The plants will go into dormancy and be able to endure the harsh winter with the help of less water and a lower temperature.
Bring the succulents inside 
Stop watering your indoor succulents and allow the soil to dry up. Water them lightly during the winter, just enough to prevent dehydration. Ensure that the temperature is consistently between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Providing enough light for succulents in the winter is another factor to take into account for indoor adaption. If your succulents have been kept outdoors for a while, they may have grown accustomed to regular exposure to intense light. It’s better to replicate their growing environment indoors. A sunny windowsill can provide 6–8 hours of bright light in warm zones 9–11, but in places with little sunlight, you might want to consider obtaining a succulent growth lamp.
Fluorescent lighting will promote healthy, stress-free plant growth, especially for non-dormant succulents.
Can succulents recover after being frozen?
The first step is to relocate them somewhere warm to prevent further exposure to the subzero temperatures.
Next, let them to dry out for many days or even weeks, depending on how badly they were frostbitten. All of the mushy frostbite lesions should be allowed to dry up and scab over. Your succulent will be operating in emergency mode as it attempts to stop additional harm.
Your succulent is more likely to rot and die if you water it too soon after it develops frostbite.
If you can, clip off the frostbitten parts once they have dried out. This may require you to remove significant portions of the plant. Sometimes, you might only be trimming the ends.
For instance, the ends of a fragile Aloe or Agave plant may become dry. In that instance, you may simply trim the leaf so that it resembles a typical Agave or Aloe leaf while also removing the dried-out and crispy portions.
The center of your succulent plant is typically unaffected by frostbite, which typically affects the plant’s outer edges first. In a way, this is the “best case situation” that you would hope for.
It’s likely that the succulent won’t be able to be salvaged if the frostbite extends into the stem. Your succulent is more likely to survive if you cut off and clean out any damaged areas of the plant.
Wait another two to three days before watering once you’ve clipped off the damaged areas. You should allow enough time for these wounds to callus over and heal.
Then, when everything is once more dry, you can begin watering your succulent. To promote healthy root growth, make sure you’re employing the soak and dry technique I recommend.
It’s crucial to understand that the damaged sections of your succulents you’ve plucked won’t regrow. However, if everything goes as planned, the new growth on your succulent should be strong and appear natural.
The succulent will need some time to recover its stunning appearance, but as with most succulent gardening, your persistence will be rewarded. As your succulent grows over the coming weeks and months, it will begin to resemble its former, joyful self once more.
Make sure the succulent is covered from cold, as well as from intense heat or sunlight, when you put it back outside (or in the spot it was growing). You need to gradually reintroduce your succulent to the growing circumstances it was accustomed to before it was in a protected area.
Also problematic is shocking your succulent with abrupt changes in temperature or light.