9 summer care pitfalls for succulents: avoid them to get through summer safely

1. Sunburn

Summer UV rays are intense, and succulents sunburn very easily. Especially at 1-2 pm each day, when the sunlight is strongest, succulents can quickly be scorched by the sun and are very hard to recover

Solution: shade

For succulents grown outdoors or on south-facing balconies and windowsills, moving them in and out whenever the sun gets strong isn't a long-term solution. Shading is best - a small piece of shade cloth does the job

2. Smothering

In summer, a succulent's leaf respiration weakens, and it mainly relies on its roots to breathe. If the soil you use isn't breathable enough, it can very likely smother it!

Solution: change the soil

You can still change the soil in summer, just be careful not to damage the roots. Coco coir soil and granular soil are both fairly breathable soils, and you can also mix in some turquoise, maifan stone, volcanic stone and so on, which retain moisture while letting air through

3. Steaming to death

To succulents, summer heat waves are simply a steamer basket - one wrong move and they're cooked. Not only that, improper watering can also steam a succulent to death

Solution: keep it in a ventilated spot, and mind the timing when watering

Balconies, windowsills, corridors and other ventilated places are the most suitable for growing succulents. In summer everywhere is hot, but without ventilation, water can neither evaporate nor be absorbed, and they get steamed through in no time

Dormant succulents should be watered less in summer, not not watered at all. Watering should also be done in the morning (before 9 am) and evening (after 7 pm) when temperatures are lower. At other times the pot temperature is high, and the water you pour in turns hot

4. Dying of thirst

Dormant succulents grow slowly, but they are still growing after all, so essential water is indispensable. What's more, in hot weather evaporation is fast, and before long the leaves go wrinkled

Solution: water little but often

If your succulent's leaves wrinkle easily, that means it hasn't clearly gone dormant yet. As soon as you see wrinkled leaves, water right away, still in the morning and evening hours, a little at a time, not too much

5. Starving to death

Like most green leafy plants, succulents carry out photosynthesis by absorbing carbon dioxide from the air. In summer, when temperatures are high, succulents slow down more and more, get "hungrier" and "hungrier", and eventually weaken

Solution: put them in a ventilated place, or ventilate artificially

A ventilated environment keeps succulents vigorous. If you really can't find a ventilated spot, giving your succulent a small fan works too - just be careful not to place it too close

6. Bitten to death

Don't think there are no bugs in summer. On the contrary, in summer there are not only succulents' natural enemies, scale insects, but also other small black flies buzzing around them~

Solution: remove by hand, kill with alcohol

Since succulents are fairly small, you can dip a cotton swab in a little alcohol (60% concentration) and wipe the leaves with bugs on them. This not only kills the bugs but also disinfects

7. Black death

Summer really is the peak season for succulent black rot - you never know which day one will suddenly rot black and die. Black rot is mostly root rot, and I've talked many times about how to deal with succulent root rot

Solution: ventilate and control water; prevent spread

To prevent root rot and black rot, you must give your succulent a ventilated environment, and control watering so it isn't too much, otherwise with both muggy heat and dampness, rot is inevitable! Also, as soon as you spot leaves with black spots, remove them right away to prevent spread

8. Dying of heat

When it comes to summer, even people feel hot, let alone a tiny little succulent. Unlike the natural environment, home-grown succulents are planted in small pots one by one, heat up quickly, and are more likely to die of heat!

Solution: the double-pot method

Besides moving succulents to a cool, ventilated place, you can also slip a larger flower pot (preferably a ceramic pot) around the outside of the succulent's pot. This isn't "adding clothes", but enhancing insulation to keep the succulent from being damaged by heat

9. Fiddled to death

People who grow succulents get nervous as soon as summer comes - moving them here, watering them there, turning on the air conditioner again... A perfectly fine succulent gets fiddled to death

Solution: observe promptly, adapt as things change

I think: every household's succulents are different, so you must "treat the illness with the right remedy". Succulents prefer a stable environment, so don't fiddle blindly - just adapt as things change

I hope everyone's succulents can escape these "nine deaths"

And get through summer smoothly

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