8 key steps for caring for succulents in August, and their beauty will return in September to surprise you
Time flies so fast. Autumn has arrived, and in another 4 months it will be 2019 again. Although autumn is here, it is still very hot in Nanning, over 30 degrees every day, and you still need sunscreen when going out. With autumn here, many succulent owners have become active one after another. After enduring another half a month, once the weather truly cools down, the succulents can become beautiful.
At the tail end of August, succulent owners still need to stay alert. Holding on to the final 5 minutes before victory always makes it easy to make mistakes, and if you are not careful, everything can rot. How should we care for our succulents so they can safely get through August and reach the peak of their beauty?
1. Sun protection for succulents. Terms like the dog days of summer and the autumn tiger are very fitting for August. The August sun is truly vicious, especially at noon. That sunlight stings the skin with a burning feeling, and if it shines directly on delicate succulents, it would be a wonder if they did not get sunburned. So in August it is still necessary to shade succulents, and wait until the weather really cools down before exposing them to the sun again.
2. Bathing succulents. This year's weather is especially strange. There is particularly a lot of rain in July and August, and typhoons can come several times in a month. Every time a typhoon comes, many succulent owners lose a batch of their beloved plants. So if growing them outdoors, we still need to pay attention to the weather and move the succulents back in time. For everyday succulent care, you can use a plant and flower detector to help. Insert it into the potting soil, and through your phone you can see changes in soil moisture, fertility, humidity and temperature values, making care simpler.
When watering succulents normally, pay attention. It is best to choose morning or evening, and use a special fine-spout watering can for succulents to water along the inner wall around the pot. When you water, water thoroughly. Watering only halfway easily causes the roots to rot. Autumn air is relatively dry. To avoid affecting the succulent roots, owners can mist around the succulents to increase humidity, but be careful not to spray water onto the succulent leaves.
3. Feeding succulents. After a summer of dormancy, once autumn enters the growing season, they need to start replenishing energy and bloom with beauty. It is now late August, and in areas where the weather is relatively cool, you can apply a little light fertilizer. Use a special organic nutrient solution for succulents, once every half a month, dilute it more than 2000 times and evenly water it into the potting soil, then water once again the next day to flush the soil. This can make our succulents grow plump and beautiful.
4. Succulents are afraid of itchiness. Autumn is the season when succulents are beautiful, but all things have their natural enemies, and it is also a time when there are more pests. Succulent leaves are relatively delicate. Once they get pests or diseases, their beauty is gone forever, so prevention is more important than treatment. In daily care we must pay attention to the hygiene of the succulents and flower pots. Old leaves and rotting leaves must be cleaned up in time, and do not leave bacteria a chance to rot them. Regularly spray the surrounding environment with some fungicide, with prevention as the priority.
In autumn, what loves succulents most is scale insects. If they unfortunately get scale insects, owners should not worry first. We can use tweezers or a toothpick to pick the insects out. If there are really too many, wipe the succulent leaves with an alcohol pen, but be careful not to spill alcohol on the leaves.
After a summer of trial, many succulent owners find their succulents have turned into vegetables. But do not lose heart. As long as you care for them attentively in autumn, succulents will definitely bring you a different surprise.