Succulents dying en masse in summer? A plant monitor can help you through it
May is gradually drawing to a close, and temperatures in many regions shot straight up to 30 degrees today. A few days ago, a gardening friend left me a message with a picture: the succulents at home had suffered heavy losses, with only three or four left out of 10, and what should they do?
Later, after asking, I learned that improper watering was what caused the succulents to be wiped out. In summer, watering succulents really is a tough problem; one bad watering and many problems appear, such as shrinking, wilting, leaves closing up, and they die at the slightest mishap. So how should succulents be watered in summer?
Watering time: in summer, succulents are generally watered in the evening or at night; watering at this time is best, as the water can be absorbed and the plant will be a bit safer.
Watering frequency: generally you can refer to your usual watering cycle and just extend it a little. Under normal circumstances, you observe the potting soil and water once you find it has dried out completely. If the soil has poor air permeability, then the watering interval should be extended even further, because the surface of such soil may already be completely dry, but in reality the bottom is still moist.
If the succulent has entered its dormant period, then basically no watering is needed, and you can even cut off water entirely. For many gardening friends, what does "soil dried out completely" mean? How do you judge "dry and wet"? They don't understand how to get this degree right. For this point, beginner succulent growers can buy a plant monitor, which can monitor changes in the succulent's soil temperature and moisture in real time. Once you stick it into the soil, you know when the succulent should be watered and when it should be fertilized; getting through summer is just that simple.
When watering succulents, be careful to avoid watering the leaf center and leaves, as this easily causes succulents to drop leaves. When watering, you can slowly water along the edge of the pot, and just water thoroughly each time.