With the succulent location their rhythm note

Most succulents grow from spring to fall, taking a break in the winter. Although the plants often tolerate warmer temperatures, they then prefer slightly cooler locations between 50 and 59 degrees. Houseplants among succulents love to be allowed to spend the summer in a balcony or patio location. Only when temperatures fall permanently below 59 degrees during the day should they be brought back into the warm apartment in their pot.

Planting succulents

You can grow succulents in the smallest plant pots, because they do not need much to grow beautifully and thus decorate the house. Often you can see the plants growing in old shoes. As a substrate is suitable permeable soil for cacti or potting soil mixed with sand. It is important to have a good water drainage, because waterlogging is not good for succulents at all. In addition, the bottom of a container must be pebbles or a drainage layer of expanded clay.

Succulents care

  1. What to consider when watering succulents?

Succulents can store water well but cannot handle waterlogging. Therefore, the plants are planted in very permeable substrate, for example, cactus soil. When watering, you can always water succulents vigorously at first. After ten minutes, you should pour away any excess water that collects at the bottom of the planter or in the saucer. In winter, the plants need less care: this means less water and no fertilizer. Also, the air should be rather dry. The plants do not tolerate high humidity at all.

  1. How often do you need to water succulents?

Always pause watering until the soil is almost dry again. This can take one to two weeks, depending on temperature, season and plant. Stagnant water is to be avoided urgently, since thereby the roots of the plants rot very fast.

  1. Do I have to fertilize succulents?

Succulents are happy with very little. They don’t need much water and even fewer nutrients. However, you should still provide succulents with fertilizer during the growing season. Be sure to use succulent fertilizer, because commercial flower fertilizer contains too many nutrients, so growth is weakened.

Hardy succulents for outdoors

There are hardy succulent species and varieties that are very frugal. For example, houseleek, stonecrop and saxifrage. These succulents are also popular for planting in the garden. They come from locations with little space for soil and roots and feel at home in shallow bowls, small pots, rock gardens and even in wall cracks – as long as rainwater and irrigation water can drain away unhindered. They are ideal as low-maintenance green roofs. Larger specimens need correspondingly more space for their roots. The saxifrage is also the right choice for places less spoiled by the sun.

When should you repot succulents?

Depending on how fast your succulent species grows, you may need to repot it about every one to five years for proper care – whenever it’s running out of room in the pot and has rooted through the soil. If you want to make sure the succulent is in good quality substrate and free of pests, you can repot the plant right after you buy it. However, it should be just spring – the most important growing season for succulents. In the summer, the plants have a stressful period, and in the winter – their rest period. Therefore, these seasons are a bad time to repot.

This is what you need for repotting succulents

  • Expanded clay (to protect against waterlogging)
  • Cactus soil or special succulent soil
  • A larger planter and saucer than before
  • Thorn-proof gardening gloves

Repotting succulents: step-by-step instructions

  • Fill the saucer about one-quarter full with expanded clay.
  • Fill in some soil. Enough to maintain the original depth of the planting.
  • Carefully pull the succulent out of the old pot and remove any soil that comes off easily – no more, or the roots may suffer.
  • Place the succulent as upright and centered as possible in the new pot, filling it with soil all around and pressing it down a bit.

Caution: Repotting stresses the plant. Therefore, place succulents in partial shade for a week and water them for the first time only after about seven days in the new pot.