Growing Succulents in Summer: No Matter How High the Temperature Gets, Never Do This

We have now entered the dog days of summer, the hottest time of the year, and of course the most trying time for succulents. Whether it is getting succulents through winter or through summer, these are the issues that succulent lovers always worry about with their hearts in their throats, always fearing that their succulents will not make it through the whole scorching summer.

In fact, every succulent lover has this kind of worry. No one wants the cute succulents they care for to kick the bucket in summer. Perhaps one small careless move on your part can make your succulents say goodbye to you, so you must be careful when growing succulents in summer. Especially no matter how high the temperature gets, never do "this thing"!

And the thing the editor is talking about today is giving succulents a "water cut-off". I think just from the literal meaning, everyone knows what the word water cut-off means!

"Water cut-off" is in fact a succulent-growing technique used by many succulent lovers when caring for succulents in summer. They feel that succulent plants all have a relatively strong water-storage capacity and can go two or three months without watering. Because of the high summer temperatures, succulent lovers think that giving succulents a "water cut-off" can prevent root rot caused by moist, waterlogged soil in the pot.

But is this "water cut-off" method for succulent plants actually effective?

Wrong. The editor does not think so. Even if you use the water cut-off method to care for your succulents in summer and your succulents stubbornly make it through the summer, there is still a very high chance they will die in autumn!

Analyzing the reasons: when we grow succulents, we have to distinguish between varieties. Not every kind of succulent can be grown using the "water cut-off" method. For example, take the starfish cactus (Stapelia/Caralluma); this kind of succulent is a plant that rather likes water. And another kind, the "summer-growing type" of succulent plants, is in its vigorous growth period in summer, so using the "water cut-off" method at this time can only cut off their lives!

If we cut off water for succulents without distinguishing between varieties, then the most likely outcome is that the succulents' root systems dry up and die. We all say that to grow flowers you must first grow roots, and the same is true for succulents. Since the roots have already died, can the succulent leaves still keep living?

Earlier we said that even if your succulents make it through summer, they will die in autumn. We can look at other succulent lovers' growing experience. They felt that succulents have a relatively strong water-storage capacity, so they cut off water for 2-3 months, and then after entering autumn they gave the succulents a "downpour" baptism. As a result, not only did the succulents fail to absorb any water, but their roots developed black rot and died.

Because water was not given to the succulents for a long time, the succulents' root systems had already dried up and died, and could no longer absorb any water. The dried-up roots in the moist potting soil could only rot rapidly!

Therefore, no matter which variety of succulent plant you are growing, no matter how high the summer temperature gets, you must not use the "water cut-off" care method. Not only must we prevent water from accumulating in the succulent pot, we must also usually maintain the moisture of the soil as well as the humidity of the growing environment!