Summer is here, and summer agricultural management is in full swing

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Images and text: Curator

The day before yesterday was the Start of Summer, marking the beginning of summer. For most succulents, the toughest period of the year is about to arrive, and succulents are about to enter the big test period of the year. Do succulent lovers still remember the summer of 2016? That was a cruel summer, a black summer......

Beginners must carefully study the knowledge of summer succulent management. If this point is ignored, it is very easy to cause rot and death.

How to get through summer? For beginners this is a headache. Today let us learn together the required course for succulents to get through summer, so your succulents can safely get through summer.

1. In order to get your succulents safely through summer, you must first figure out whether they belong to the winter-growing type, summer-growing type, or spring-autumn-growing type, and then arrange different care methods according to their habits. Winter-growing type and spring-autumn-growing type succulents begin dormancy after entering summer, and these plants are the ones that need key protection; although summer-growing type succulents continue to grow as usual, you must also pay attention to avoiding direct midday sun.

2. Ventilation, shading, and avoiding water are the three major elements of summer care. No matter which type of succulent it is, it needs a good ventilation environment. In a stuffy, hot, and humid environment, air does not circulate, which is neither conducive to water evaporation nor to lowering the temperature, and can easily lead to rot. In summer the air humidity is greater than in other seasons, and even the Haworthia genus, which likes high humidity, must leave the stuffy growing environment at this time.

3. In summer, succulents should also be kept out of open-air environments, so they do not suffer attacks when hail and heavy rain arrive. For succulents whose winter-growing or summer-growing type is unknown, as long as you follow the three key points of avoiding strong sun, controlling watering, and maintaining ventilation, you can also make sure there are no mistakes.

[Key care points for winter-growing and spring-autumn-growing succulents]

Light: Winter-growing succulents basically stop growing in summer, so avoid direct sunlight, but they cannot be placed in an environment with no light either, otherwise they may become leggy and their appearance will be affected. It is recommended to place them on a windowsill facing southwest, or in a bright place without direct sunlight, and pay attention to ventilation.

Temperature: Although the places of origin of succulents are in hot regions, if the temperature remains above 35°C, you must also pay attention to ventilation and cooling. If growing at home, they should be placed indoors and the air should be kept circulating. When you are at home, you can open the windows, and when no one is there, it is best to leave a gap in the windows. In addition, spreading a layer of volcanic rock on the surface of the soil in the pot can also help lower the temperature.

Watering: Succulents most dread water accumulation. Especially in summer, growers will feel that the water in the soil dries out quickly and water frequently, causing the roots to remain moist for a long time and rot, beyond saving. In fact, summer air humidity is high, so although the soil surface appears dry, the lower part is still not completely dry, especially in southern regions. For winter-growing succulents, watering should be strictly controlled in summer, and if the temperature stays above 35°C, you can consider cutting off water. Even when watering, only use a pressure spray bottle to moisten the soil surface, avoid sprinkling water droplets on the leaves, and if obvious water droplets remain on the leaves, they should be blown away to prevent the droplets from concentrating strong light and scorching the leaves.

[Key care points for summer-growing succulents]

Light: Summer-growing succulents are in their growing period in summer and should be given sufficient sunlight, otherwise the plants easily become leggy. In particular, the fleshy stems of succulents in the Cactaceae and Euphorbiaceae families will become thin and elongated because of insufficient light. And it is hard to restore. Therefore, a light-abundant environment is most conducive to the growth of such plants, but during the period after midday in midsummer when the temperature is above 35°C, intense direct sunlight can still cause harm to some delicate varieties, so appropriate shading is needed.

Temperature: Like winter-growing types, summer-growing succulents must also pay attention to the adverse effects of extreme high-temperature weather on the plants. Ventilation is an essential condition, and other methods can also be used to lower the temperature of the plants' growing environment.

Watering: Summer-growing succulents in their growing period need relatively slightly more water, otherwise they will stop growing. However, watering should be chosen in the early morning and after the evening, avoiding midday high temperatures. Water droplets that fall on the leaves should also be blown away promptly. Even for summer-growing succulents, you need to wait until the soil is completely dry before watering, otherwise there is still a risk of root rot. You can insert a toothpick into the soil, and if there is moisture when you take it out, do not rush to water!

Below are common winter-growing, spring-autumn-growing succulents and common summer-growing succulents

[Common winter-growing and spring-autumn-growing succulents]

Liliaceae

Haworthia genus: common ones include Haworthia fasciata, Haworthia cymbiformis, Haworthia cooperi, Haworthia retusa, Haworthia 'Kincheng', Haworthia viscosa, Haworthia truncata, Haworthia maughanii, etc.

Bowiea genus: common ones include Bowiea volubilis, etc.

Gasteria genus: common ones include Gasteria 'Tiger's Scroll', Gasteria 'Zibao', Gasteria armstrongii, Gasteria 'Zhaoji', Gasteria 'Dinosaur', etc.

Crassulaceae

Crassula genus: common ones include Crassula 'Ba', Crassula 'Yuchun', Crassula 'Green Tower', Crassula 'Duxing', Crassula 'Lyu Qianhui', Crassula 'Hoshiotome', Crassula 'Dragon Palace', Crassula 'Lique', etc.

Sedum genus: common ones include Sedum 'Mingyue', Sedum morganianum, Sedum pachyphyllum, Sedum 'Yachi Yo', Sedum rubrotinctum, Sedum adolphii, Sedum makinoi, etc.

Echeveria genus: common ones include Echeveria 'Moon Shadow', Echeveria 'Yamato', Echeveria 'Black Prince', Echeveria 'Chihuahua', Echeveria pulvinata, Echeveria 'Yudie', Echeveria 'Xuehe', etc.

Aeonium genus: Aeonium 'Sunset', Aeonium arboreum 'Zwartkop', etc.

Cotyledon genus: Cotyledon orbiculata, Cotyledon 'Sunburst', Cotyledon undulata, Cotyledon tomentosa, etc.

Aizoaceae

Lithops genus: common ones include Lithops, Lithops 'Patterned Jade', Lithops 'Sunwheel', etc.

Conophytum genus

Pleiospilos genus (spring-autumn-growing type): common ones include Pleiospilos nelii, Pleiospilos 'Qingluan', Pleiospilos 'Feng Egg', etc.

Glottiphyllum genus (spring-autumn-growing type): common ones include Glottiphyllum 'Anlyu', Glottiphyllum 'Saotome', Glottiphyllum 'Zhehe', etc.

[Common summer-growing succulents]

Cactaceae

Most plants in the Cactaceae family belong to the summer-growing type

Euphorbiaceae

Most plants in the Euphorbiaceae family belong to the summer-growing type

Crassulaceae

Kalanchoe genus: common ones include Kalanchoe luciae, Kalanchoe 'Edo Purple', Kalanchoe tomentosa, Kalanchoe 'Fairy Dance', etc.

Crassula genus, 'Fanque' section (summer-growing type): common ones include Crassula 'Ruolyu', Crassula 'Shendao', Crassula ovata, Crassula 'Fire Festival', Crassula 'Qingsuolong', Crassula 'Sunset Goose', etc.

Orostachys genus: common ones include Orostachys 'Zi Chi Lian Hua', Orostachys 'Yan Nian Hua', Orostachys 'Wolf Claw', etc.

Agavaceae

Agave genus: common ones include Agave, Agave 'Thor', Agave 'Fukiage', Agave victoriae-reginae, etc.

Asclepiadaceae, Stapelia genus: common ones include Stapelia 'Purple Dragon Horn', Stapelia 'Sword Dragon Horn', Stapelia 'Dragon Horn', Stapelia 'Ashuluo', Stapelia 'Red-striped Horn', etc.

Ceropegia genus: common ones include Ceropegia woodii, Ceropegia 'Green Rain', etc.

Below are 18 personal summer-survival experiences from flower lovers, and I hope they will be helpful to everyone.

1. After May, people in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai basically should not buy succulents. If they still have not rooted before June, they will basically be dead.

2. Regarding shade nets, many experts use them, and I used one last year too, but as a result I did not consider ventilation and several died. When using a shade net, everyone must pay attention to ventilation!

3. Small ones are easy to lose (Echeveria 'Jingye', Echeveria 'Little Red Dress'), ball-leaf ones are easy to lose (Graptopetalum 'Tao Luan', Pachyphytum 'Tao Meiren'), thin-leaf ones are easy to lose (Echeveria 'Ice Plum', Echeveria 'Snowball'). Of course, this is only my own statistics.

4. They cannot be exposed to strong sun. Last year I did this stupid thing, thinking it would be fine, but as a result I went out to play for 10 days, and the bear paws were completely wiped out, dying in an extremely miserable way, all looking as if they had been sucked dry.

PS: Let me add a little on this point. Many flower lovers were scared to death when they saw this. I mean exposure to strong sun. From after 10 o'clock to before 16 o'clock, try not to let them be in direct sun, especially succulents in small pots. It is not that they cannot get sun, dear friends, please note this~ according to your own actual situation. Some people cannot meet this condition, but no matter what, you must achieve ventilation!

5. Watering must be paid attention to! Many people like to use trays. Based on my experience over these years, if the bottom of the flower pot can also breathe, that is excellent. Some people use upper and lower layers, and must pay attention to whether the water flowing down from above will drip into the pots below. This is a big taboo.

Regarding the amount of water for watering: some people say to water a little every day, some say to water thoroughly each time, some say to ice it. I think it should depend on the actual situation (isn't that nonsense), but in fact, however you watered before, in summer just reduce the frequency according to your previous method. It is not necessarily the case that once summer comes, you suddenly change your watering method and use some other expert's watering method; instead, the succulents may not be able to take it.

6. About choosing pots. Pots are very important. What is generally popular now are red clay pots, ceramic pots (including glazed pots and various soup bowls and teacups), purple clay pots, coarse pottery pots, and plastic pots (including small black square pots, Wanxiang pots, root-control pots, and bottom-tray water-retaining pots). I want to focus on this.

A. Taboos in choosing pots:

Small red clay pots and thumb pots: for example, a 175px small red clay pot has not much soil and water drains out quickly. Thumb pots need no explanation; the small ones are incomprehensible and only have the function of being used for photos.

PS supplement: because I inevitably have to go out in summer, I have basically eliminated small red clay pots. If you take care of them at home every day, any small pottery pot or thumb pot is fine.

Red clay pots: water drains too quickly, and if you water too much it becomes stuffy. Beginners find it hard to grasp the right balance.

Ceramic pots without holes: unless you are a master waterer, and even if there are ceramic pellets at the bottom for drainage, because the water is still at the bottom of the pot, in summer the bottom is actually a sauna.

White ceramic pots without holes: not permeable to water, not breathable, and a succulent killer in summer.

Neck-pinching pots: especially those European-style ones, or what I commonly call Guanyin vase pots, those with big bellies and small necks, are especially unsuitable for heat dissipation. Especially in summer, the surface seems to be thoroughly dry, but inside it is very hot and humid, and simply cannot breathe.

Pots where the succulent is even bigger than the pot: especially those where the succulent has completely covered the pot opening. I think that when watering in summer, it is most beneficial to have a large surface area of soil and air, so that as soon as you water, it can evaporate immediately.

B. Watering amounts for various flower pots

Red clay pots: depends on size. Because red clay pots have poor water retention, they almost need frequent watering. It is best to water at night, and by daytime it is mostly dry through. You can tell whether there is water by weighing it. If you really do not dare to water, you can actually rinse the surface of the pot with tap water, and there will be water inside. Pots below 175px can basically be eliminated.

Ceramic pots: ceramic pots still have decent water retention. Unless they are wide-mouthed ones, you can pour a circle of water along the pot wall, no more and no less.

Purple clay pots: the water retention of purple clay pots is between red clay and ceramic. Of course, many purple clay pots are fake, so you have to judge according to the situation and follow the watering method for ceramic pots. Decide for yourself. Unglazed fired pots have water permeability similar to purple clay pots.

Plastic pots: if you are using 7*7 small black square pots this year, you must pay attention to watering, because small black square pots dry easily. If your succulents are relatively large, it is recommended that you switch to 10*10 or larger. Also, root-control pots have more holes, so you need to water more frequently. As for those with a bottom tray, where people say you only need to add water in summer, you do not have to blindly switch all your pots to these. I will explain later how to use this principle.

C. What kind of pots are better?

I think coarse pottery pots or purple clay pots are still the best, and they must be wide-mouthed. Good water retention, strong breathability. The pot does not need to be too tall; generally 7-8 cm is enough. The diameter is best a bit larger. Of course, old clumps or Haworthia types should be given a deeper one, as this type of succulent has very strong roots.

7. Moisture retention in summer

First of all, they cannot be exposed to strong sun. A north balcony is best. Most importantly, there is also ventilation. If conditions permit, you can prepare an electric fan for ventilation, (afraid of wasting electricity or the fan being hot?) I plan to buy a timer switch (under 30 yuan is fine). Start the electric fan for 10 minutes every 1 hour. Blow it like crazy. I calculated that it uses about 1 kWh of electricity every 3 days.

What needs special attention is that lots of water + strong sun = black rot. You must pay attention that when there is water, they cannot be exposed to strong sun.

8. Should you plant pot-covering grass?

Pot-covering grass mainly refers to Sedum acre, Sedum lineare, Sedum japonicum 'Tokyo Sun', Sedum hispanicum, etc. Many people say pot-covering grass can lower the surface soil temperature. In fact, based on my observation this past year, the root systems of pot-covering grass are very developed. They will occupy the succulents' space, take away the succulents' water, and also block airflow, so I still recommend not using pot-covering grass. Also pay attention to whether there is a powerful species like Kalanchoe daigremontiana in mixed plantings. In one of my mixed plantings last year, when I dug out the roots, almost the entire bottom layer was Kalanchoe daigremontiana roots.

PS: This point is very controversial, and I may also have been prejudiced. In fact, I have seen many succulent lovers plant a succulent in a very small pot and still plant some Sedum hispanicum, really packed to the extreme.

If you have a large pot or large tub, planting some is harmless. But I hope you can repot every year. I have a 2-year-old mixed planting, and the succulents and pot-covering grasses in it all grew very well, but when I repotted this year, I still saw a worrying situation. Because my pot is very shallow, apart from some soil near the succulent roots, almost all the other soil had been occupied by the roots of the pot-covering grass. I could only remix the soil. After planting the succulents, I indeed still planted some pot-covering grass again. How should I put it? It still depends on the actual situation. If your grass is newly planted, there will be no problem this summer. If your grass has been planted for many years without care, then it is still recommended to dig it out and repot. Trim the roots and change the soil.

9. Which is better, soaking the pot or watering?

Watering helps the surface get wet quickly and dry quickly. After watering the surface, it can be blown dry immediately. It will not make the inside very stuffy and hot.

If you do not want to water, then briefly soak the pot lightly, so as to maintain some moisture at the bottom of the pot, simulating the false appearance of ground moisture, and the succulent roots will keep extending downward. The pot used for soaking must be wide-mouthed.

10. Moisture retention for seedlings

Seedlings need frequent watering. Seedlings do not go dormant in summer, so moisture must be maintained, but like other succulents, the water cannot be too much, as they easily suffocate. Seedlings are best watered by soaking the pot.

11. Plum rain season

Before summer arrives, there is also a plum rain season. The plum rain season is not scary; as long as there is ventilation, it is fine. Before the plum rain season arrives, please add a little carbendazim when watering! Last year the plum rain season in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang area was in mid-June, please everyone take note. These past few days are not the plum rain season.

For friends growing them outdoors, there is no way around it; everyone's environment is different. Find a way to reduce rain exposure, and be sure to pay attention to ventilation.

12. Indian summer

Many people's succulents are fine in summer, but die in autumn. Please be sure to pay attention: September will still be very hot, and you must get through it using summer methods! You absolutely must not water too much! If you water too much, you must ventilate again and again.

13. Soil mixing: very simple, granules and peat. For pots with good water retention, use more granules; for those with strong breathability, use more peat. I basically use 1:1.

14. Succulents that get through summer easily: I think those with powder are easy: Echeveria laui, Echeveria 'Furong'.

15. Air-conditioned room: since you have the conditions to give them air conditioning, then add an electric fan too! To ensure there are no mistakes.

16. Eliminated pots: do not waste pots that have been eliminated over the years. Plant some Sedum acre and Sedum hispanicum; they will explode with growth in autumn and will be very cute.

17. About folk remedies circulating around: some experts last year directly dug out succulents and grew them in water, especially those without roots. They could slowly grow roots through summer and also did not have to worry about suffocating. I have not tried it, but the idea looks good. It suits people who still buy succulents in June, especially rootless Dutch succulents. If the succulent is large enough, it can ensure it will not consume itself to death, and can slowly grow roots. If it is a small Echeveria 'Jilian', then I have nothing to say, and I wish you success!

18. Check your flower pots again

Dead leaves should be removed. In summer with water they easily rot and block airflow.

Check whether there are pests and apply pesticide in time. Check how much soil in some pots has been lost and whether it needs to be replenished. Check whether there are decorative objects with too large a surface area on top of the pot, such as non-breathable stones and similar things; please remove them. Keep it breathable. For those that still have not rooted after several months, be sure to see what is going on, and quickly change the pot and soil and try again. It is almost too late.

PS: As for succulents that unfortunately died, remember not to throw them away first. Some succulents, especially old clumps (Aeonium genus, such as Aeonium arboreum 'Zwartkop'), may have lost all their leaves, but in autumn they may very likely still grow new buds. Those with black rot generally will not come back to life, but please do not be sad; perhaps there will be a surprise in autumn! For succulents you think are dead, please also give them a little water. If there is still no movement by October in autumn, then they can only be thrown away.

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