Succulents Face the Challenge of Midsummer in June: Master the Care Essentials in Advance

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Original author [Yushan】

Edited and compiled by: Encyclopedia Jun

June is the beginning of midsummer and the month with the longest daylight hours of the year. Abundant sunshine and a hot climate are very suitable for the growth of summer-growing succulents, but continuously rising temperatures will pose a severe challenge to succulents! Encyclopedia Jun solemnly reminds you here: Are you ready for your succulents to get through the summer?

(Image via: nicori.25)

Most varieties, especially many species in the Cactaceae and Euphorbiaceae, bloom this month. The growth of winter-growing succulents basically stops. Intermediate-type succulents that grow in spring and autumn can continue to grow in the first and middle ten days of this month in the cooler northern regions, and by the last ten days they are also basically in a semi-dormant state. In the southern regions, due to the hot climate, intermediate-type succulents gradually stop growing this month. In particular, in the last ten days of this month, the southern regions of China enter the high-temperature, stuffy, humid plum rain season. This climate is extremely unfavorable for the growth of succulents native to desert or semi-desert areas, and their management must be especially careful.In particular, be careful to protect them from rain. If they get rained on once in this climate, succulents often suffer damage: in mild cases they turn to mush and drop leaves, and in severe cases they turn black for you to see.

(Image source: what0117, the same below)

Succulent Planting and Management in June: Light and Ventilation

Most species of Cactaceae, as well as summer-growing succulents in Agavaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Apocynaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Orostachys, Kalanchoe, and other groups, can be placed outdoors in a sunny, well-ventilated place for care. If there is insufficient light, some columnar or spherical plants will suddenly become thinner in their fleshy stems, forming an ugly pointed tip. For leaf-ornamental groups such as Agavaceae, it will cause loose plant shape, thinner leaves, and reduced or disappeared white powder on the leaf surface, which is not good for ornamental value. Winter-growing succulents such as Haworthia, Aeonium, Lithops, and Cotyledon, as well as intermediate-type succulents such as Echeveria, Sedum, and Pachyphytum, can be cared for in a brightly lit place with a small amount of direct sunlight. This can make the plant shape compact and the leaf color more attractive. If the plant shape is loose and shows signs of leggy growth, consider appropriately increasing light. Regardless of the type of succulent, plants that have been cared for indoors or in other low-light places for a long time should not be directly put out in the sun to bake. They should first be placed in a semi-shaded place for a few days so they gradually adapt to environmental changes, so as to avoid strong direct sunlight burning the leaves and forming ugly scars. Most types of succulents require good ventilation in summer. If stuffy, humid conditions are caused by poor ventilation, plants can easily rot.

Succulent Planting and Management in June: Watering

For summer-growing succulents that are growing, they can be watered thoroughly. This is because although growing succulents are drought-tolerant, they do not like drought. If they are short of water for a long time during the growing season, although the plants will not die, they will grow extremely slowly or even stop, and their appearance will also be poor. The best time to water is early morning; after sunset in the evening is also acceptable, but avoid watering at noon during high temperatures, so as to avoid sudden changes in soil temperature that cause rot. For intermediate-type succulents, because they grow slowly and do not need much water, keeping the potting soil slightly moist is enough. For winter-growing succulents, because growth has stagnated, watering should be strictly controlled, keeping the potting soil with just a bit of moisture. Absolutely do not let them get rained on, otherwise they will easily rot.

Succulent Planting and Management in June: Fertilizing

Summer-growing succulents in the growing period can be fertilized according to variety. Winter-growing succulents and intermediate-type succulents should stop fertilizing completely to avoid fertilizer damage.

Succulent Planting and Management in June: Sowing

For succulents that are blooming, manual pollination can also be carried out and seeds harvested to prepare for propagation by sowing. The fruit pods of Portulacaceae plants such as Talinum, and Euphorbiaceae plants such as Euphorbia ambovombensis and Euphorbia decaryi, easily split open after ripening, causing seeds to scatter, so when the fruit pods ripen, they should be collected in time to avoid seed loss. After the seeds of summer-growing succulents such as Euphorbia ambovombensis and Cactaceae plants including Lophophora williamsii, Echinocactus, and Astrophytum are collected, they should be sown in time, because fresh seeds have a relatively high germination rate. If they cannot be sown for the time being, the seeds are best stored in a refrigerator to maintain their freshness.

Succulent Planting and Management in June: Grafting

Some species among summer-growing and intermediate-type succulents, such as Crassula ovata 'Hummel's Sunset', Jade Plant, Portulacaria afra, Echinopsis, Myrtillocactus geometrizans, Rebutia, Euphorbia neriifolia, and Euphorbia milii, can be propagated by cuttings by cutting fleshy stems or removing offsets. Before cutting, they must be dried for 3 days, 5 days, or longer, and cuttings should be taken only after the wound has dried, so as to avoid wound rot. For species such as Agavaceae and Aloeaceae plants including Gasteria, Haworthia cooperi, and Haworthia cymbiformis, side shoots can be broken off. Those with roots can be directly potted, while those without roots can be cut after the wound dries. After cutting, keep the medium slightly moist to help rooting. In addition, for variegated cultivars in Cactaceae such as Astrophytum ornatum f. variegata, Astrophytum myriostigma f. variegata, Notocactus, and Echinocactus grusonii f. variegata, or other slow-growing species, as well as Euphorbiaceae plants such as Euphorbia 'Spring Peak Radiance' and Euphorbia obesa, and Apocynaceae plants such as Desert Rose, grafting propagation can be carried out this month to speed up growth.

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The original author of this articleYushan,WeChat public account: Succulent Plant Encyclopedia (ID: duoroubaike) edited and illustrated. The article content does not represent the views or position of the public account.

Encyclopedia Jun's little ramble:As summer arrives, many Crassulaceae plants have already entered the dormant season and stopped growing. Everyone should remember to do a good job with ventilation, shading, and water control to reduce losses during the summer. For related summer-care knowledge, you can also reply "summer care" under the public account to get it. However, in this season you can play with some relatively low-risk summer-growing succulents, such as various spherical types in Cactaceae, Desert Rose, and succulents from other families and genera. The Encyclopedia's official micro-store has also recently listed related products, so everyone can take a look!

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