The most effective way to keep succulents alive through summer, so you won't feel heartbroken in summer

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Compared with other plants, succulents are plump and thick-fleshed, which actually brings them a lot of trouble in getting through summer.

Because the leaves store too much water,once summer arrives, succulents are prone to black rot and sunburn.

The plump Haworthia cooperi

- Why succulents are prone to black rot and sunburn in summer -

1. In a high-temperature summer environment, the life activities of succulents weaken, and insufficient resistance leads to black rot in succulents

2. When the temperature is too high, succulents must open the stomata that are normally closed, dissipating heat by evaporating water; when water is lost in large amounts, sunburn occurs.

- How to identify sunburn -

1. The environment they are in has strong sunlight

2. The potting soil is relatively dry (water must not be excessive in summer)

3. The injured spots all face the same direction

4. Damage to old leaves is greater than to young leaves (this is because there are relatively few stomata on the upper surface)

5. Damage on the upper surface of the leaves is relatively greater (this is because transpiration is more vigorous in new leaves)

6. If the succulent has already wilted, the wilting of new leaves will be more severe than that of old leaves

With the above principles, if 3 of them match, it can basically be diagnosed as sunburn.

PS: Sunburned leaves cannot heal; after discovering sunburn, move the plant directly to a cool, ventilated place and wait for the wounds to recover.

Sunburn scars

- How to avoid death as much as possible -

The most effective method is to lower the temperature, could it be locking the succulents in an air-conditioned room? (Rich enough)

The wisdom of ordinary people is endless; succulent lovers who rack their brains for their succulents have created the magical combination of shade net + fan.

The shade net blocks part of the sunlight, so naturally it can also lower the temperature(just like under the blazing sun versus under tree shade).

But shade nets come in many kinds: 2-needle, 3-needle, 4-needle, 6-needle,

with corresponding shading rates of 30%~45%, 55%~60%, 70~75%, 85%~90%

(the 6-needle shade net has too strong a blocking effect and the light intensity is too low, so it is not recommended for home succulent growing)

There is also the electric fan, which improves the ventilation environment. Together the two can effectively lower the temperature, and the effect is 1+1>2!!!

What must a shade net do to qualify as a qualified shade net?

1. Whether it effectively blocks sunlight; if it does, it will definitely lower the temperature

2. Whether it can be removed; during continuous rain or when the temperature drops, you can promptly take down the shade net so the succulents can bathe in sunlight

3. Whether it is breathable; when it is not hot, you can still open windows and such. If it is not breathable, wouldn't the succulents be stifled to death inside the net?

Use of shade nets (image from Taobao)

- Cooling guide -

- Indoors -

1. A spot with diffused light (sunlight cannot shine directly)

Indoor temperatures are inherently lower than outdoors, so you only need to create a diffused-light, ventilated environment.

Because the outdoor temperature is high, you cannot open the windows, yet you still need ventilation. At this time you have to rely on - an electric fan!

But because the indoor area itself has diffused light, it may cause the succulents to grow leggy

No shade net is needed, only an electric fan! If the air conditioner is on, there is basically no need to worry~

2. Windowsill / bay window

Similarly, use ventilation methods,

but if the windowsill gets more than 5 hours of sunlight a day, the summer sun is too intense and can easily cause sunburn; moving them to an indoor spot with diffused light risks leggy growth, so the shade net makes its entrance.

Choosing a shade net:

An indoor shading rate of 50%~60% is enough，

because the glass window is already blocking part of the sunlight for the succulents!

- Balcony -

Suitable for east-, west-, and south-facing balconies~

A balcony that needs shading (image from the internet)

A north-facing balcony is great for getting through summer; the sunlight hours are not long, making it the first choice for summer!

Succulents on a north-facing balcony with nothing to worry about (image from the internet)

In the height of summer, a south-facing balcony is a hell for succulents!

Sunlight hours are too long,

sunlight intensity is high,

a high-temperature steamer

At this timeyou need to bring out a shade net with a higher shading rate,

abouta 60~70% shading rate is enough。

if it is too high, ventilation performance will be sacrificed (the needles of a high-shading-rate net are denser, so air cannot pass through).

It is not very advisable to put the succulents indoors; outdoor ventilation conditions are better.

For a fully enclosed balcony, the same principle applies:

maintain ventilation and shading - the perfect combination of shade net + electric fan.

- How to shade -

1. On the premise of ensuring good ventilation, you can pull it in any direction,try not to let sunlight shine directly onto the leaves.

2、The distance between the succulents and the net should be greater than 30 cm as much as possible。

because when the distance is short, sunlight passing through the gaps in the shade net will form light spots, and the short-distance diffraction effect will concentrate the light beam, creating a magnifying-glass effect that instead easily burns the leaves.

When the distance is lengthened, the light passing through the gaps is scattered, which invisibly increases a lot of light-receiving area and also weakens the light intensity per unit area.

Finally, let's show off a succulent lover's unique sun protection method~

Holding an umbrella and waiting for Xu Xian?

After reading this article, are succulent lovers in high-temperature areas preparing to cool down their own succulents? If you have a good method, come leave a message for the editor!

- Review of previous excellent posts -

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