Even the hardiest, drought tolerant plants – including succulents – will benefit greatly from a small amount of added care in the hot days ahead. Whether your succulents are in containers or in the ground, here are some summer care tips and techniques to help keep your collection looking its best all season long.
Watering
The larger part of succulents are NOT desert plants. They all need some water year round. All in all, water in-ground plants each 10 days to two weeks, particularly if the temperature goes over 80 degrees. More regular watering is required for container planted succulents. The smaller the compartment, the more regular the requirement for water. Succulents in the 2-inch pots found in numerous nurseries require water practically every other day. In general, based on the container size and its location, water container succulent gardens once a week.
Keep in mind that dark plastic nursery pots fundamentally increase the heat around the plant’s root zone and the requirement for water. That is the reason why it’s wise to remove your succulents from those containers and plant them into the ground or a more hospitable container.
Water early in the day to allow the plants to dry off to prevent rotting and sunburn. And never allow succulent containers to sit in water.
Sun exposure
Because most are NOT desert plants, succulents in containers won’t welcome a south-bound area in direct summer sun, particularly if your garden is in an inland microclimate. When shopping for succulents at a nursery, you’ll notice that most are displayed under light shade cloth. At home, place the containers with succulents in dappled shade on south and west-bound exposures and in full sun on north and east exposures. Keep in mind, plants in the sunniest zones will require more water.
If you do plan on putting succulents in an area that receives strong summer sun, be sure to acclimatize them gradually or else the leaves will sunburn. These large white, brown or black patches of sunburn cannot be reversed.
On the off chance that plants begin to “extend” out towards the sun and wind up leggy, they likely need more sun than they are getting. Move them to a sunnier site.
Rosette-form succulents like aeoniums and echeverias that wind up plainly leggy can be “beheaded” now to allow propagation of the head possible new growth of plants along the stem. Suspend the trim head on the edges of a void window box, stem side down, place it in a shady spot and in half a month, you will see little root hairs on the stem. At that point simply plant in a decent quality succulent blend.
Pests
Succulents are irritated by couple of pests, however those can disturb, unsightly and sometimes destructive. Among the most common are mites, mealy bugs, snails, birds and rodents. Birds and rodents find healthy succulents to be a good source of water especially during very dry periods. Snails love the tender new growth. These pests can be deterred by exclusion or repellents. Bird netting is a good choice if the majority of your plants are in one area.
Mealy bugs are the most common succulent pest. They resemble small white fluff balls, sometimes under the pot rim or at the base of the plants. They can be hosed them off, manually removed, or killed with an application of insecticidal soap. Also, check plant roots as there are root mealy bugs too.
Few more tips
Keep the range around succulents, particularly rosette forms, free of built up mulch, leaf garbage and anything that may hold dampness beside the base of the plant. A wet crown will prompt spoiling and furthermore pull in snails. Overwatering likewise can cause rotting, particularly if there’s a progression of overcast cool days.
Hotter climate causes quick vanishing. Check your compartment plants for white salts development on the sides and bottoms of pots. Evacuate it with a brush.
Most succulents do well inside amid the late spring; simply don’t put them excessively near a window that gets a ton of sun. Water just when the dirt is dry.
‘Low care’ doesn’t signify ‘no care’. Mind the state of your succulents routinely to avoid or adjust a number of the things that shield them from looking awesome.
A few succulents are winter producers and may seem feeble or dead amid summer months when they are torpid. Winter cultivators incorporate senecios, kalanchoes and dudleyas. Evade over the top watering for these three – particularly California local dudleyas. For most of the succulent family, early summer is a decent time to take cuttings and begin spread. Numerous assortments will come into bloom and hummingbirds are pulled in to their tubular molded blooms.
