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.
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.
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:
When succulents go dormant, do you water them?
Succulents are extremely opportunistic plants, and they will thrive in the proper environment.
You won’t typically notice your succulents’ dormant period if you keep them indoors and provide them everything they need to thrive (light, a container with a drainage hole, fast-draining soil, water, and temperatures between 40 and 85 degrees F).
These elements cause them to go into dormancy, so if you remove those triggers, the plant never goes into dormancy.
In the winter, Agave, Euphorbia, and Echeveria typically all fall dormant.
These do not require fertilization, and they just need to be watered every two weeks or when the ground is completely dry.
How do you revive a dormant plant?
Because you can manage their atmosphere indoors, it is simpler to revive a dormant succulent.
Your dormant plant should begin to develop again if you provide it with some indirect light, lots of water, and fertilizer.
Succulents do they survive 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 color 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 colors, was one of my all-time favorites. It changes from being an orangey-pink color 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 color 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!
Have succulents a specific season?
Plants momentarily slow down their physical activity and growth during a period of dormancy. Unfavorable changes in the climate, such as excessive heat or dryness, frequently trigger this. A succulent that enters dormancy will reduce metabolic activity to save energy until the environment is more favorable.
Depending on the temperature, different succulents grow at varying rates over the course of a year. When it’s too hot or too cold, some of them can become dormant and grow more slowly. When the weather is just right for growth, they can spring back to life. Because of this, succulents are referred to as “opportunity-seeking growers The majority of succulent species often flourish in the mild spring and fall climate.
The majority of succulents can be divided into two groups: summer growers and winter growers. Succulents known as summer growers develop throughout the sweltering summer months of May through August and go dormant during the winter. Winter growers, on the other hand, are those who intensify their growth from November to February’s cold weather and slack off in the summer. It is not advised to disturb your succulents’ dormancy by repotting them “deep slumber.
See the dormancy table below for a general notion of when many succulent plants go dormant.
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.