Why do some succulents spread their leaves open in summer?

That is because many succulent growers, afraid of scorching their succulents in summer, shade them excessively or simply move them to a spot with no sunlight at all. Succulents are naturally fond of a growing environment with ample sunlight, warmth and dryness. If the growing environment lacks light, they will spread their leaves open to increase the area available for absorbing light.

The solution is to increase light. Although succulents cannot be exposed to harsh sun, it is advisable in summer to shade them only during the hot midday hours, and not to shade them too heavily, otherwise the succulents will inevitably flatten out like a big pancake.

Excessive soil moisture can also cause succulents to flatten out like a big pancake. Many succulent growers simply cannot control their hands, afraid of letting their succulents dry out, so they water a little whenever they feel like it; and some growers think rainwater is very nourishing for succulents, so when it rains for days on end they are reluctant to shield them from the rain, and in the end the soil stays wet all the time. So what do succulents do when the soil is too wet?

Of course, they spread their leaves open to boost transpiration and release the excess water! Conversely, when a succulent's leaves close up, that is a move to reduce water loss. If there is too much water and not enough light, the succulent will not only flatten out like a big pancake; the next step is "wearing a skirt" and leggy growth. The solution is to appropriately increase light, control watering, and as far as possible wait until the leaves soften before replenishing water.

In addition, the leaves of a succulent in its growth period will also spread open, but this is different from the pancake-flattening caused by insufficient light and excess water, so do not confuse the two, as it is a normal phenomenon. Generally speaking, when a succulent's leaves are closed up, it means it is in a semi-dormant state.

For example, some succulents that have been shipped by courier will have their leaves tightly wrapped, and after they successfully settle into their pots the leaves will spread open. Some growers do not understand this and think their succulent has flattened out like a big pancake, but that is not the case.

There are also some growers who pursue the extreme beauty of a succulent staying tightly wrapped all year round, cannot stand this spread-open form, and always want to keep them compact and beautiful, even at the cost of the succulent's growth. Whether this is right for the succulent is a matter of opinion.

To avoid a succulent's leaves spreading open in any state, the solution is less water, more sun and more "tough love"; as long as it has not started "wearing a skirt" or growing leggy, after a period of time the succulent's leaves will close back up.