Don't water succulents blindly; this trick is all you need in summer

In summer, watering succulents is generally done in the evening, because the plants are more active at night and can cope with the sudden increase in moisture. Also, the heat-retaining properties of water are much higher than those of the potting soil, so watering during the day in the sun can easily cause the potting soil to overheat and literally cook the plants. In summer, succulents should be watered thoroughly, until water comes gushing out of the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot; doing so brings plenty of fresh air to the roots. Fresh air at the roots helps them breathe, and the weak electric currents produced by metabolism help the roots absorb nutrient ions from the medium.

In summer, how much you water succulents has a lot to do with the container: with red terracotta, woven rattan or sphagnum moss materials that have strong breathability, you can water heavily, and may even need to use the soak method. Ceramic containers, however, let moisture evaporate very slowly, so you should water less and lengthen the intervals between waterings. The best yet most tiring method is soaking the pot, which lets the soil absorb enough water while effectively controlling the risk of rot and mushiness caused by water sitting on the leaves. However, this method only suits people who have the patience and the time to fuss over their succulents, and clearly I can't soak them pot by pot.

In summer, if you really can't resist giving them water, then choose a relatively cool night and use a narrow-spout watering can to give a ring of water around the edge of the pot. After you cut off watering, the leaves will wrinkle and the plant enters dormancy, which is normal; when the weather turns cool in autumn and you start watering again, the leaves will naturally plump up again, provided it lives until autumn, of course. At present my watering method is still to pour water directly with a watering can; it looks simple, crude and convenient, and only suits the growing season. But after watering, I have to manually blow the water out of the center of every single succulent's leaves, which is exhausting. But there's no way around it: you can't let water sit in the leaf center and then get sun, or it will scorch, so it's still best to water around the edge of the pot.

When watering a newly planted succulent for the first time, pay attention to the following points: water a little away from the succulent's roots, and let the moisture seep naturally to the roots. A newly planted succulent is fragile, so avoid harsh sun exposure in the first few days; direct high-temperature sun can damage the succulent's roots, and be careful not to water the leaves. Besides the watering points above, sunlight is also what succulents love most. So you also need to remember the effect of light on succulents, so you can make judgments and provide care during cultivation. Succulents with ample light develop thick, sturdy stems, plump, glossy, full leaves, and bright, striking flowers.

For already dormant plants such as Aeonium (hens and chicks houseleek types), watering once every one to two months is fine under cool, ventilated conditions. But the period from morning to sunset is not suitable for watering. That's because water given in the morning, if it hasn't dried by noon, keeps enduring high temperatures through the afternoon, and the potting soil temperature is relatively high. So it's best to water on a cool, breezy evening; the water evaporates over the night and works better. Be careful not to put succulents in an air-conditioned room to cool down, because although an air-conditioned room is cool, it is a closed, unventilated environment.

Succulents above all hate waterlogged soil, especially in summer, when growers feel the soil dries out quickly and so water frequently, causing the roots to stay wet and rot for a long time, beyond saving. In fact, summer has a lot of rain and humid air; although the soil surface may look dry, the bottom is still not dry through, and this is even more true in southern regions. Meanwhile, summer-growing types of succulents need relatively ample moisture during their growing season, otherwise they will stop growing and their appearance will change. But compared with other seasons, summer watering should be done in the early morning and after evening, avoiding watering during the midday heat. When watering, avoid sprinkling it on the leaves; it should be poured into the soil, and water droplets on the leaves should be blown off promptly. Using a pressure spray bottle is recommended, as it can prevent the above problems.

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