How to care for succulents after the Start of Autumn? These key points deserve careful study
The arrival of the Start of Autumn marks the end of summer, and the succulents that struggled through summer have now ushered in a season of frantic growth! Indeed, after entering autumn the temperature will gradually turn cooler, and succulents no longer need to face the onslaught of high temperatures and scorching heat. So in this wonderful season that is about to arrive, what preparations or precautions do we need to take to make our succulents more beautiful and healthier? Actually, it is nothing more than the following few points. So what are you waiting for? Come and take a look with me!
Since the Start of Autumn has only just arrived, the temperature is still at a relatively high level, so the first thing to pay attention to at this time also carries over from what we did in summer, and that is watering. Many friends will spontaneously have a thought: "The Start of Autumn has passed, so can I increase the intensity of watering?" Actually, not at all. From the succulent's point of view, it has just made it through summer, and the whole plant is still in a semi-dormant or slow-growing stage. Directly increasing the amount of water will probably cause the succulent to develop root rot. So at this time we recommend that watering had best still maintain the same standard as in summer, and it is best to concentrate it in the evening, during time periods when the sunlight is not so strong!
Next is maintaining ventilation. This point can be said to be very important throughout the entire growth cycle of succulents. You should know that a well-ventilated environment can effectively improve the overall surrounding environment of stuffiness and humidity. This is especially effective for friends growing succulents in the south. Take me for example: I live in Nanning, known as the capital of the Southland, where the stuffiness and humidity of summer make people feel uncomfortable all over, let alone succulents. It is precisely because of adopting the method of frequent ventilation, ensuring the overall circulation of air, that those few pots of succulents at home were able to successfully make it through summer. So friends can also follow this and give it a try!
Next is light. Even after entering the Start of Autumn, it will take at least half a month before the sunlight is no longer so harsh, so we still need to pay attention to sun protection for succulents. If you are growing them on a balcony, this can be properly solved by setting up a shade net. If there is no shade net and the scale of your potted succulents is not large, then during the day you can simply place them somewhere at home that does not get direct sunlight, and when you come home in the evening, when the sunlight is no longer so strong, you can move them out to get some sun, which is also fine. What needs to be noted here is that it is better to have less light each day than to place them completely in a shaded spot and not let the succulents see the sun at all, because then it is very difficult for the plants to grow healthily.
The last point is the prevention and control of pests and diseases. Pests and diseases such as mealybugs and black rot are still at a high-incidence stage in August, so prevention work absolutely must not be taken lightly. You need to usually pay more attention to observing your succulents. If you find mealybugs, handle them promptly by hand or with medication. By hand means using disinfected scissors to cut off the affected branches, while the key precaution when using medication is that you must dilute the medicine before use. As for prevention work, actually you still need to pay attention to the surrounding air circulation and humidity control.