Can Succulents Be Left Out in the Rain? Treat Each Case Differently to Be Safe

Can succulents really be left out in the rain? This question seems to puzzle many people. If you don't let them get rained on, you worry that moving them indoors means poor ventilation and leggy growth; if you leave them outside in the rain, you worry they'll drown. So can succulents be left out in the rain? The answer is right here! Below, the editor will walk you through it:

1. In which situations can succulents be left out in the rain?

1. In breezy, cool weather, you can boldly let your succulents get rained on. Succulents have fairly high ventilation requirements. As long as ventilation can be maintained, there is nothing to worry about.

2. Succulents that are already severely short of water can boldly be left out in the rain.

3. Succulents in very small pots can be left out in the rain without fear.

4. Succulents at the seedling stage can boldly be left out in the rain, since that is exactly when they need water.

5. Succulents can be left out in the rain in spring; after a rainfall at that time, they will look as if they grew overnight.

6. Compacted soil can be rained on. With such soil, watering thoroughly is already very difficult unless you put the whole pot in water, but if you have many pots that is a lot of trouble, so letting them get rained on is quite good.

7. Soil with very good air permeability is also not afraid of rain.

2. Which succulents are not suited to being left out in the rain?

1. Succulents whose leaves are densely packed or arranged in a rosette shape easily trap water after rain.

2. Succulents whose leaf surfaces are covered in fine hairs.

3. Succulents with especially thin leaves (they rot easily).

4. Succulents that have had pests or diseases or have been damaged.

5. Succulent seedlings are not suited to being put out in the rain; their resistance is especially weak.

6. Succulents that have just been planted or transplanted (their roots are not yet firmly established, so they are not suited to rain).

3. What kind of rain can succulents be left out in?

If it happens to be watering day for your succulents and the sky starts drizzling, this is the best time to replenish their water. It is also easy to know exactly how much water they received: place a regularly shaped cup next to the succulents growing outdoors, and after a rainfall you will clearly know how much water they got.

This method controls the amount of water very well, and you can also know when to water next time. Letting succulents enjoy this kind of light rain, which is high in oxygen, helps them get a thorough watering. This gradual, natural watering does not easily create standing water in the soil, and lets the roots of the succulents feast.

4. What kind of rain must never be given to succulents?

Mid-summer rain from June to September, especially midday thunderstorms, must never be allowed to hit your succulents. At that time the temperature is very high, and the rain coming down from the sky is directly hot water; both the temperature and the oxygen content are unfavorable for succulent growth.

When this kind of rainwater falls on succulents, it easily breeds anaerobic bacteria in the soil. This high-temperature, high-humidity environment is exactly what must be avoided when succulents get through the summer. So we should always pay attention to the weather and avoid letting succulents run into summer showers.

If succulents accidentally encounter a thunderstorm and are not moved indoors in time, their leaves may turn to mush, and they may even show symptoms of black spot disease. Especially for some varieties with tightly packed leaves, you must avoid both summer heavy rain and the blazing sun after the rain.