Succulents enter their growing season in spring and autumn; get watering right and they will only get more and more beautiful.

For succulent care, in the north: water once a week in spring and autumn, and a little water once every one to two weeks in winter and summer. In the south, depending on the situation, reduce or increase the amount of water; the south is humid but the sun is harsh. In spring, autumn and winter, try to give them 5h of sun every day; in summer, watch out when the temperature goes above 30 degrees and provide shade. Below 10 degrees in winter they start to go dormant, so reduce watering; below 5 degrees they will freeze to death.

Note that before putting succulents in the sun, there must be no water droplets on the leaves. It is best not to let water get into the center of the plant. Some theory on watering: you can look up information to learn the characteristics of a plant's habits and get a rough idea of whether it likes more or less water. Then, based on your own growing environment, sum up a set of truly useful experience. Other people's advice only applies in their environment; it has reference value, but it cannot be copied completely. If you copy it exactly, the plant will easily die on you.

The best time for planting and transplanting is after the plant's dormant period ends and before its vigorous growth period arrives. Depending on the climate in different places, for species that go dormant in winter this is from early to late March, and for species that go dormant in summer it is best done from late August to mid-September. But for newly introduced plants, plants in poor condition, plants that are too crowded and must be divided into separate pots, or plants that must be repotted before a show, there is no such restriction; as long as it is not the harsh heat of summer or the depths of winter, it can be done.

All plants being planted or transplanted must have their root systems carefully checked; black, dead or half-dead roots with root nodules and few root hairs should be cut away, and healthy roots should be shortened appropriately. Many spherical species among the cacti can have all their roots cut off at transplanting, leaving only the root base, and then be dried root-side up for a few days before planting; this can produce many roots and give the new roots strong absorption capacity. It is best to also dry the roots briefly for plants that have had part of their root system cut away; after planting, do not water immediately, as roots form faster in moist soil.

Except for the few plants with fleshy roots, the pot should be as shallow as possible; if a shallow pot is too large in area, several plants can be planted together in one pot. When large plants are potted, more drainage material should be placed at the bottom of the pot; the drainage material can be arranged in several layers by particle size, with the largest placed in the bottom layer. After the drainage material is in place, first add coarse-grained potting soil, then fine-grained potting soil; after setting the plant in, add soil while lifting the plant slightly upward so the roots spread out. Do not fill the soil too full at once; use a bamboo stick along the edge of the pot to tamp the soil evenly, and finally tap the pot lightly a few times to level the potting soil.

Most succulents like sunlight; with more than 5 hours of direct sunlight a day, succulents will look very beautiful. If you do not have such conditions, 2 hours of sunlight a day is also fine. Pay attention to the intensity of the sunlight; when spring and autumn alternate, the sunlight is strong, so shade them appropriately. In addition, most succulents are currently cultivated and propagated in greenhouses, so after bringing them home there must be a gradual process, otherwise they easily get sunburned. Generally a south-facing balcony or terrace is most suitable; note that succulents are not suited to being placed in front of a computer or at the head of a bed.

This is a gathering place for succulent lovers, sharing succulent care tips; you are welcome to follow and join the discussion.