In colder climates or during the winter, your ultimate search must be ‘How to keep succulents alive?’ It’s worth considering because succulents can die in the winter due to poor conditions.
Succulents can survive the winter with minimal care and maintenance. They all require indoor warmth, well-draining soil with infrequent watering, bright indirect light, and a temperature that is just right. Fertilization is not necessary because the plants are dormant, and fertilizers can soften the leaves, causing them to rot.
So, if you want to keep your succulents thriving, don’t let them grow in the cold and take the necessary steps to save your plants at the appropriate time. Learn how to keep succulents alive in the winter by providing ideal growing conditions. You will learn how to improve your growth by watering, lighting, temperature, and fertilizing. Furthermore, the five winterizing tips listed here can work wonders for your succulents.
How To Keep Succulents Alive In Winter?
Succulents are desert plants that prefer warmth; however, winters make them unhappy and disrupt their growth. As a result, extra care for succulents is required in the winter.
However, you must understand that if your succulents are Hard Succulents, this means they thrive in cold, snowy weather and extreme low temperatures. However, if you are growing frost-sensitive Soft Succulents, they must be winterized before the temperature drops below freezing. Hardy succulents include Euphorbia, Sedum, and Sempervivum, while soft succulents include Echeveria, Aloe, and Crassula.
So, winterize succulents and bring them indoors to provide adequate warmth, light, and a thriving environment to keep them alive during the winter.
You must follow these steps before bringing your plants indoors to avoid any negative experiences.
- Make sure your outdoor plants are pest-free. Spraying insecticide at least three weeks before winterization is recommended because outdoor plants spread pests to other houseplants.
- Weeds, debris, and diseased leaves should all be removed.
- Because succulents require good circulation for healthy roots, and indoor conditions are always less airy than outdoors, make sure plants are in well-draining pots and soil.
When you have successfully moved outdoor succulents indoors, follow the winter care routine outlined in the following section.
Related: What Kills Houseplants?
Succulents Winter Care Routine
Now that your succulents are inside, let’s get started on the winter care routine that will keep them happy and alive. Remember that winter care is the same for succulents that are already indoors.
Water
The first and most important factor that can kill or keep succulents alive is watering. This is especially true during the winter, when plants do not receive enough light and ideal temperature and soil take longer to dry. Plant roots rot when soil is not sufficiently dry, and the plant dies.
Second, winter watering is important because some succulents go dormant in the winter while others go dormant in the summer. Winter dormant plants do not grow in the winter because they do not have enough water, and your frequent watering may cause more harm than good. So, whether the plant is actively growing is also important for keeping it alive during the winter.
Water only when the top inch of soil is parched, as a general rule. Additionally, keep the plants near vents to allow the soil to dry without becoming soggy.
Light
Light is another excellent parameter to keep succulents alive in winters. As succulents thrive in full sun, but it isn’t easy to provide indoors. So keeping them near the south-facing window goes best, but if not possible, you can also place them near east or west windows.
Since winter days are shorter and getting proper light is one of the hardest things. It is ideal for giving at least 6 hours of bright indirect sunlight to the indoor succulents.
If your succulents do not receive enough light, they will stretch and grow tall and leggy. This is also a sign of low light conditions. You can rotate the pot or shift to another location with brighter light.
Fluorescent lights or grow lights can help make indoors bright and sustainable to the succulents. But remember to keep your plants within 1 to 2 inches of the bulbs. Fluorescent lights become useless to plants at a distance of more than 3 inches. Another point to ponder when using artificial lights is, don’t turn them on 24/7 as plants also need a dark period for a healthy growth cycle.
Related: What Succulents Grow Indoors?
Temperature
Succulents can be harmed by extreme temperature fluctuations, so bring them in before frost or dripping temperatures arrive.
Some plants can tolerate low temperatures, while others, such as Aloe, Crassula, and Echeveria, require frost protection.
Other plants, such as Aeonium, can also thrive in cooler temperatures. Maintain a constant temperature of 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
Fertilizer
Succulents do not require fertilizer during the winter because they are not in the growing stage. You must maintain conditions to keep them alive, rather than encouraging them to grow. That is why, at the end of the summer, apply the final dose of diluted fertilizer. When the plant stops growing, stop feeding it.
Once the winter has passed, the temperature has returned to normal, and the succulents have returned to the outdoors, you can fertilize as if it were a normal growing season.
3 Tips To Keep Succulents Alive In Winter
- Because temperature fluctuations are harmful to succulents, and falling temperatures can shrivel plants, maintaining the ideal temperature is essential. A thermostat can help you keep the temperature in check and manage it before it harms your plants.
- A good pot selection can be extremely beneficial. Because succulents dislike sitting in water, choose a plant that can adjust plant roots with proper drainage. Always select a pot with an adequate drainage hole. Some planters, such as glass pots, have a solid base to prevent drainage. So, choose your pot carefully.
- Look for terra cotta or ceramic pots and secure the soil with mesh tape or cheesecloth.
Conclusion
You can now keep succulents alive during the winter. All of the conditions mentioned above provide long-term growth without rotting or dwindling plant leaves. So, do whatever you can to care for your succulents, but never leave them out in the cold.
