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.
Do succulents have a seasonal growth cycle?
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. Pollinators will notice cacti flowers because they are typically quite colorful in a desolate, devoid of color setting. 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.
Succulents: Will they endure the winter?
Yes, it is the answer. Although certain succulents can withstand frost, they are frequently thought of as drought-tolerant plants. They flourish in chilly, snowy conditions, and the extreme cold even brings out their magnificent, vivid colors. They are referred to as “Hard Succulents.” Sempervivum, Sedum, and Euphorbias genera contain some of the most hardy succulents. You may plant such succulents outside all year round because the majority of them can withstand temperatures as low as -20F (Hardiness Zone 5).
“Soft Succulents” are another group of succulents that are more susceptible to frost. When the weather drops below freezing, they must be winterized inside.
Do succulents endure the entire year?
The fact that many succulents can survive outside year-round, even in snowy climes, surprises a lot of people. We divide succulents into two categories—”hardy” and “soft”—to make it easier for you to choose the best one for your area.
- Hardy succulents: Tolerate frost and can endure temperatures below zero outside. They are perfect for outdoor gardening all year long. Hardy succulents actually thrive outside more than they do inside.
- Not frost-tolerant are soft types. Before temperatures drop below freezing at night, these types must be brought inside. On the other hand, when the warm, sunny weather returns, they are glad to go outside once more.
the USDA Grow Zone finder (based on minimum winter temperature). You may find a plant’s “Cold Hardiness” on the description of each one in our online catalog. If your zone number is equal to or higher than the plant’s, that variety can endure the entire year outdoors in your environment. The plant will need to be brought indoors before the fall temperatures start to drop if you live in a zone with a lower number than the Cold Hardiness of the plant.
Most of our plants are also sent with name tags that state the lowest temperature they can withstand for easy reference.
Zones 4 and higher are suitable for Sempervivum heuffelii’s growth, however zones 3 and lower are not.
They’re reaching for the light source.
I had to completely prune back my succulents for a number of reasons, including #1 and the pack rats eating them as appetizers. This pot is situated in a corner directly next to my front entrance. I rotate it every two to three months, but it won’t fit in the area if the planting becomes too leggy and the stems grow too long. The light isn’t excessively low; rather, it’s only that it isn’t uniformly illuminating the plants.
The light they’re growing in is too low.
A tiny portion of my Santa Barbara front garden. Every year or two, I had to trim back the graptoveria, narrow leaf chalk sticks, and lavender scallops because they were encroaching on the sidewalk. Yes, a rosemary plant in blossom is the huge shrub in the background.
After two or three years of growth, the paddle plant patch under my Giant Bird of Paradise in Santa Barbara needed to be trimmed down. Along with many other fleshy succulents, kalanchoes frequently have lengthy stems.
The leaves on a succulent stalk won’t regrow once they become naked. It must be pruned back so that it can either be rejuvenated from the base or propagated by stem cuttings (the piece of stem & roots still in the soil).
Here’s what you do with those towering, stretched-out succulent stems, whether your succulents are growing in the ground or in a pot.
When Should You Cut Back Your Succulents?
Summer and spring are ideal. Early fall is also OK if you live in a temperate region like I do. Before the cooler weather arrives, you should give your succulents a couple of months to establish themselves and take root.
Succulents can they live indoors?
Succulents thrive in hot, arid conditions and don’t mind a little neglect due to their unique capacity to store water. They are therefore ideally suited to growing indoors and are the perfect choice for anyone looking for low-maintenance houseplants. Follow these instructions for successful plant care if you’re choosing succulents for the first time.
Select a succulent that will thrive in your indoor environment.
The majority of succulents need direct sunshine, however if your home only has a shady area, choose low light-tolerant plants like mother-in-tongue. law’s A trailing variety, like string of bananas, is an excellent option if you intend to grow your succulent in a hanging planter. To learn about your succulents’ requirements for sunlight, size, and spread, always read the plant labels.
Give the plants a good draining potting material.
You should repot your succulent as soon as you get it home since nurseries always plant their succulents in soil that is overly rich and holds too much moisture. A coarse potting mix with sufficient drainage and aeration is a good place to start. You can use an African violet mix or unique cactus and succulent mixtures that you can purchase at the nursery. Add perlite or pumice to the cactus or African violet mix (up to 50% of the total potting mix, depending on your particular succulent’s moisture requirements) to further increase drainage and prevent compaction. To make sure the mixture is moist throughout, always moisten it before using.
Decide on a container.
When repotting, use a container that is at least 1 to 2 inches bigger than the nursery container and has a drainage hole. Avoid using glass containers (such mason jars or terrariums) for long-term potting since they prevent roots from breathing and over time may result in root rot. Place your plant inside the container and backfill with extra pre-moistened potting mix after filling the bottom one-third of the container with pre-moistened potting mix.
Put the succulent plant in a pot somewhere sunny.
Try to arrange your succulents close to a south or east-facing window because most succulents need at least six hours of sun each day. Insufficient sunlight may cause your succulents to become spindly or to extend toward the light.
Between waterings, allow the potting mix to dry out.
Overwatering succulents is the most common error people make with them. Watering more deeply but less frequently is preferable. Before the next watering, completely saturate the potting mix (while making sure the water drains out of the drainage hole properly). The plant can finally perish if the potting soil is left moist every day.
Succulents should be fertilized at least once a year.
Fertilizer works best for plants in the spring (when the days lengthen and new growth starts) and again in the late summer. Use a water-soluble, balanced fertilizer (such as 8-8-8 or 10-10-10) that has been diluted to half the strength indicated on the container. Since succulents are semi-dormant in the winter, there is no need to nourish them. Because they are not actively growing, they do not require the nutrient boost.