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Succulent "Cheat Mode" Regions and "Reverse Cheat Mode" Regions: Beginners Can Tell Which One Their Home Is in with One Chart

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Veteran succulent growers who often frequent the major succulent forums should all be familiar with the so-called "cheat mode regions," "reverse cheat mode regions," and other such terms, but most beginners may not know about them or may have never even heard of them. Someone in Changsha copied Yunnan's growing method from the internet of watering once a week, and the result was naturally a tragedy... So, although it is not a decisive factor, it is still very necessary to figure out the coordinate region you are in and then choose a care method suited to your region. Below, Xiao Jingzhi Life has borrowed "Succulent Cultivation Difficulty Chart" by the expert @Xin Sen Miao Yan Yao Mo Jing to help everyone sort out which region they are in, so as to help everyone choose a care method suited to their own succulents.

From the chart above, you can see the expert marked out various regions with various colors. Here, thanks to the expert @Xin Sen Miao Yan Yao Mo Jing.

From the chart above, you can see the expert marked out various regions with various colors. Here, thanks to the expert @Xin Sen Miao Yan Yao Mo Jing.

Cheat Mode Regions:Yunnan, located on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, has a relatively low latitude, large temperature differences, and considerable rainfall. On the mountains and on the eaves of farmhouses here, succulents can be seen everywhere, making it truly a paradise for succulents. As for the coastal areas of Shandong and the Liaodong Peninsula, the climate characteristics are also very suitable for the growth of succulents, and Orostachys fimbriata (dunce's cap) is often seen on the mountains. Succulents in these places, watered once a week, basically have no major problems getting through summer and winter, and with a little care they very easily reach their best condition.

Potential Cheat Mode Regions:The marginal areas of the cheat mode regions: Yushan, the Wuyi Mountains and the Taihang Mountains, southern Tibet, central Inner Mongolia, the northern Xinjiang valley area, and the Qinling area. Compared with the cheat mode regions, the climate in these places is just a tiny bit worse, for example too hot, too cold, too humid, or too dry, but in certain seasons these places also make it easy for succulents to reach their best condition.

General Regions:General regions are divided by the Qinling-Huaihe line into southern and northern regions. The climate is just a tiny bit worse than in cheat mode and potential cheat mode regions, so here you need fairly solid growing skills. As long as your growing skills are good, the succulents you produce can absolutely rival those from cheat mode regions. The southern part here needs to pay attention to reducing humidity and preventing black rot, while in the north, in winter, besides moving plants indoors, you also need to consider adding a grow light or something similar.

Dry Regions:The Qaidam Basin, most of Xinjiang, and the Loess Plateau (though it has improved a lot now). These places are a little special: the humidity is actually quite close to the succulents' native habitat, but when the climate is dry, succulents sometimes show dried and withered leaf tips. It is recommended to water a bit more frequently, and when it is too dry, spray a little mist around them to increase the ambient humidity.

Cold Regions:The mountainous areas of the Northeast, as well as ultra-high-altitude areas like the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Summer is too short or the temperature is on the low side all year round, so there is relatively little difficulty getting through summer, but the winter sunshine hours are too short, and winter is too long, so in spring and autumn you need to consider the issue of freeze protection.

Reverse Cheat Mode Regions:The Dongting Lake Plain and Poyang Lake Plain (high summer temperatures), the Sichuan Basin (lack of light), and the area south of the Nanling Mountains (summer is too long). These regions are very hard to endure in summer. Not to mention that in summer they are completely vegetable-green; if you are not careful, you get scorched leaves, an army of mealybugs, or even total wipeout. Get a shade net or something similar early. Autumn and winter can still be beautiful. Here, your growing skills are put to a very severe test.

Hell Reverse Cheat Mode Regions:As for areas like Hainan Island, the Leizhou Peninsula, and Xishuangbanna, if you want to grow succulents, you should still try to choose large varieties and common ones. Various heat-tolerant forms of Crassula and Kalanchoe are your best choices. As for things like Echeveria derenbergii, Echeveria elegans, Echeveria 'Little Red Riding Hood,' and dark-colored ones, by summer they either get black rot or sooty mold, so don't even consider them.

Frigid Regions:Dear, the northern Tibetan Plateau is really too cold. Can we grow something else?

Summary: The regions marked out above are mainly to remind beginner friends that you must choose your succulent care method according to the climate characteristics of your own region. Do not just blindly copy what you see online. If you do not care for them, even cheat mode regions will not give you face; if you care for them properly, even hell reverse cheat mode regions can rival cheat mode regions.

Compiled and published by Xiao Jingzhi Life.





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