Cacti and succulents are excellent low-maintenance plants that add color to the home even on the gloomiest winter days. They provide aesthetic appeal to any table or windowsill with their unique forms and textures, and with proper care, they’ll last the entire long, cold season.
Cacti and succulents are suitable indoor plants all year round. Plants simply only a little light and sporadic watering during the winter. By the time fall arrives, the majority of cacti and succulents have gone dormant and will no longer grow as the weather and light conditions change.
5 Techniques for Winter Cactus and Succulent Care:
1. Plant your dormant plant in a location where it will flourish to make your cacti or succulents happy. During the winter, succulents require less light and can also tolerate indirect light. Make sure your plant receives at least three to four hours of bright light each day for the best results. Locations are happiest close to windows that face south or east.
2. Sandy, well-drained soil is best for growing succulents. Give your plant the nutrients it requires by using Espoma’s cacti and succulent mix. Make sure containers have drainage holes to allow extra water to drain because succulents can’t tolerate excessively moist soil.
3. Set the thermostat. Few succulents can withstand temperatures that are much colder than 50 to 55 degrees.
4. Succulents require deep watering, although they won’t need as much as they do during active growth. Use little water and only from the top, letting water seep through to the bottom. Keep plants out of water for brief periods of time. Keep water away from the cactus’ body since it can cause decay.
5. Look for vermin. Check your leaves every month for mealy bugs and aphids. If a plant is infected, remove it from the vicinity of other plants and spritz it with a solution of 3 parts rubbing alcohol to 1 part water.
How do I recognize a dormant succulent?
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:
Succulents go dormant in what month?
Succulents have historically been categorized as either “Winter Dormant” or “Summer Dormant.” Let’s explore the implications for succulents.
Winter dormancy in succulents is replaced by active growth in the spring, summer, and fall. However, they will experience a brief period of dormancy and slow down their growth during the hottest days of summer (July/August in the US).
These plants don’t like the excessive heat and will shut down to survive, despite the fact that they tend to prefer warmer temperatures than some of their other succulent relatives.
But once the temperature drops below 40F, you’ll notice that growth rapidly slows down. As was already indicated, minimize the watering of these plants when they are dormant to prevent them from rotting.
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.
Do succulents in dormancy require sunlight?
Succulents don’t grow at the same rate all year long like most other plants do. Most transition between a dormant and an active period.
Some succulents go into hibernation in the winter, while others do so in the summer, during which time they develop less.
Dormancy in succulents is brought on by a few factors in their natural environment. Succulents are sensitive to changes in temperature and light exposure.
They elect to operate in “energy-efficient” mode after realizing that it will not provide the ingredients they require for active growth.
Succulents don’t need fertilizer or much water when they go dormant. It will still require sunlight to maintain its compact form and quick-draining soil to keep it dry.
Succulents’ indoor and outdoor dormancy periods are affected by a few different factors, which are described here:
Succulents: do they reappear annually?
Succulents can be divided into three groups: winter-growing, partially dormant, and entirely dormant. In the winter, most varieties go into at least partial dormancy. They don’t grow much either, but their appearance won’t change significantly either. Don’t fertilize them over the winter and give them less water more frequently.
A few varieties lose their leaves like deciduous trees and enter a deeper slumber. some (such as
The die-back of Sedum kamtschaticum and Orostachys species occurs entirely above ground. However, their root systems continue to exist and each spring produce new growth.
The cultivars that grow during the cooler months, such as those listed below, are at the other extreme of the spectrum.
Haworthia, aeonium, and aloe The start of their growing season is signaled by shorter days and cooler temperatures. With these types, the best time to fertilize is throughout the winter.
Succulents: do they grow year-round?
Succulents are frequently cultivated for their year-round vivid colors and intriguing textures, but their blooms may also add seasonal interest! By selecting plants for their flowering season, you may enjoy year-round blooms in your succulent landscape with a little advance planning. Genus diversity is the key.
No matter where you reside on the planet, most succulents and cacti bloom around the same time of year, although depending on your climate, they can bloom at different periods.
Spring
Dudleya flowers bloom from early spring through late summer (see below). In the rock garden, their beautiful pink peduncle (inflorescence stalk) steals the show. Yellow flowers are adored by bees! Because Dudleya are simple to cultivate from seed, be sure to keep their flowers.
In any setting, Delosperma ‘Garnet’ adds a vivid, dense mat of flowers (see below).
Oscularia deltoides is a ground cover that grows quickly and flowers numerous times per year (see below). We adore it because of the lavender flowers and purple stalks that contrast with the silvery-blue leaves.
The most coveted feature of Sedum pachyclados is its scalloped borders, which resemble small cabbages. This little clumping Sedum’s white flowers make them a lovely addition to container gardening.
Sedum dasyphyllum ‘Fuzzy Wuzzy’ (below) puts on a show of small, delicate flowers that hang a few inches off the plant and create a lovely white halo.
Early spring through the summer sees aeonium blossom, giving pollinators a supply of pollen for several months. Aeonium canariense and A. undulatum both produce huge, up to 4-foot-tall yellow inflorescences, while A. nobile has a pink inflorescence that lasts very long. Because the blossoms are monocarpic, plants only produce one bloom before withering away. You might see additional rosettes emerging from the plant’s base during the plant’s bloom, which will eventually close the space left by the flowering rosette.
Depending on the species, echeveria will bloom in the spring through the fall. From the 4 ft tall Echeveria gigantea inflorescence to the 4 inch Echeveria ‘Lola’ blooms, there is a great deal of variety in Echeveria flowers. Hummingbirds and other pollinators will be drawn to all of them! Flowers keep well in arrangements for weeks and work nicely in dry arrangements as well.
Summer
The cactus family is responsible for the largest and transitory flower in the garden. The San Pedro Cactus, which produces a succession of flowers for weeks, is our favorite repeat bloomer. The majority of cacti’s blossoms, however, only last for a single day. Cacti flowers are generally very vibrant as to stand out to pollinators in an otherwise colorless, desert landscape. Some species flower at night and are pollinated by bats or moths, while others open during the day to draw bees and butterflies.
Fall
Several of the succulents in our yard consistently bloom in the fall. A handful of our favorites are listed below.
The dark foliage of Cremnosedum ‘Little Gem’ contrasts beautifully with its yellow flowers (see below). Although this cultivar blooms several times a year, the fall months are when it is most colorful. This plant is most pleasurable in container gardening!
Winter
In order to draw hummingbirds and other pollinators to your succulent garden and to give your winter landscape some color, aloe flowers are a crucial plant. These flowers are often referred to as “Torch” flowers because, if you come across them on a gloomy winter day, they appear to practically glow with vitality.
Aloe plicatilis, sometimes known as “Fan Aloe,” blooms from late November to early January, with a few blooms continuing into early spring (see photo below). Sunbirds pollinate their red, tubular blooms, which are nectar-rich.
(Below) The Aloe africana’s magnificent inflorescence stands out against the gloomy winter days. These lovely orange/red tubular flower columns are produced on 5–6 stalks per plant.
(Below) From early winter through early spring, crassula produce consistently beautiful winter blooms. They give a lot of charm to a winter environment with their delicate terminal clusters of star-shaped flowers in white or pink. Below is an illustration of the “Jade Plant,” or Crassula ovata.
Money Maker, a variety of Crassula swaziensis, displaying its golden buds on a stalk of vibrant pink flowers. Pollinators adore these swaying infloresences because they attract them!
Additional Winter Blooms
Senecio rowleyanus ‘String of Pearls’ transports flowers indoors with its delicious cinnamon-clover scent, which is especially potent in a room that receives direct sunlight.
In the winter, Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi blooms with a ring of coral, bell-shaped flowers.
Repeat Bloomers:
Cistanthe grandiflora can bloom multiple times a year by being severely pruned once a year after blossoming, followed by the removal of wasted blooms.
Plectranthus neochilus is well known for its lavender-like blossoms and has a potent aroma. For a longer bloom time, prune spent blooms and lanky growth.
Some of our personal favorite blooms and bloomers are included here! Every succulent blooms once or twice during its lifetime. Make sure your succulents are receiving enough sunlight and frequent fertilization throughout their growing season if you are having trouble getting them to bloom.