It's the perfect time for succulents to color up, with temperature swings over 10 degrees bringing out their best look
Beautiful scenery can heal people
Succulents are a beauty you can enjoy without leaving home
Healed at any moment
Image by: pennypenny03 Source: Duojiang Zhiwu Tieba
The little succulents, with their thick farina, red nails, or shrunk into the shape of a steamed bun, are the state that almost every succulent grower loves most.
Image by: pennypenny03 Source: Duojiang Zhiwu Tieba
But unfortunately, many growers always complain that their succulents either stretch out into a "giant pillar" or turn green into "little bok choy."
As shared before, for succulents to be beautiful, they must meet three conditions:Sunlight, temperature difference, and proper watering.
Lately the autumn rain has been continuous and sunlight insufficient, so it's better to rely on temperature difference~
After spending a weekend in the rain, what will the weather be like in the new week?
The Wuhan Meteorological Observatory predicts that from the 22nd to the 28th, Wuhan will be mainly cloudy. In the new week, Wuhan's temperature will show a trend of "rising first, then falling, then rising again." On Monday and Tuesday the weather will improve, bringing a rapid temperature rise, and by Tuesday daytime the highest temperature in central Wuhan will climb to 25°C. After that, due to rain and cold air, the temperature will continue to drop slightly, reaching its "lowest point" by Friday, when the high will once again fall below 20°C and the low below 10°C.
And on the weekend, with the help of sunshine, the temperature will rise a bit again.Overall, Tuesday will be the warmest day, and Friday the coldest.
During this period
the temperature difference between day and night can reach over ten degrees
it's time to make succulents beautiful!
As long as they are cared for properly
the usually green succulents may within a few days
quickly turn fiery red, pink, yellow, and so on
The color change is so dramatic it's irresistible
There are many reasons that affect succulent color change, but the main ones are still light, temperature, temperature difference, and water control, among others.
Among these, using light to color up succulents is the most common and also the fastest-acting. After autumn arrives, many growers who keep their succulents outdoors find that after just a few days of sun, beautiful colors already appear.
Temperature difference is another important factor affecting succulent coloration.In autumn and spring, when the temperature difference is large, move the succulents outdoors, and within no more than 3 days the whole pot will turn as red as a monkey's bottom.
Conversely, succulents kept indoors generally sit at a relatively constant temperature, so they change color more slowly, and because glass, screens, and the like block most ultraviolet rays, the colors stay very pale and elegant, staying green without reddening.
This is also the main reason indoor growers easily end up with green succulents.
So
if you want your succulents to become beautiful
try as much as possible to let them gradually move outdoors
even just a small windowsill
is excellent for these succulents
Below, let's share a few major conditions for succulent coloration summarized by the great grower Ostrich:
01
Low temperature
On the premise of not freezing the succulents, keep the temperature as low as possible. A relatively safe temperature is above 2 degrees. More delicate varieties need to be treated more cautiously. For example,Graptopetalum macdougallii, Spring Miracle (Graptosedum 'Francesco Baldi'), and Graptopetalum mendozae are all varieties that are relatively intolerant of freezing.
If you have many succulents and it's inconvenient to move them around, when a safe temperature cannot be guaranteed, you can cover them with multiple layers of film for protection.
Another effect of low temperature is that it makes the succulents close up, just as people curl up when cold; succulents also use this way to resist severe cold.
02
Abundant sunlight
Another indispensable condition for achieving coloration together with low temperature is that there must be sufficient sunlight.Basked in strong sun during the day and chilled at night, they will color up nicely and quickly.
But so-called sufficient sunlight may differ from what many people understand. People often think, I put mine on the balcony and the sun exposure is good too, so why isn't the color obvious? In fact, the difference between inside a balcony and on an open terrace is very large.
Sufficient sunlight basically means full sun, and 360-degree unobstructed full sun; only from when the sun comes out until no light is visible is it truly abundant sunshine.
03
Large temperature difference
This point is actually a manifestation of points one and two. Only with sun is it possible to achieve a temperature difference in cold weather. If you have a greenhouse, the temperature difference can be stretched even larger.
Some netizens, in order to color up their succulents, directly threw them into the refrigerator to widen the temperature difference, but this practice is not very recommended, as one careless move may doom a batch of succulents~
04
Proper watering
The word "proper" is really convenient, but explaining it is exhausting. Watering is actually the most complex and most important issue in succulent care, and it needs to be considered by integrating various factors.
Weather, environment, flowerpot, soil, plant condition, care purpose, and all related conditions must be considered together. So if you want to grow succulents well, you cannot mechanically follow a rule of watering once every few days.
The most direct way is to see how dry the soil is.You can't just look at the surface; sometimes it may look dry but underneath it's actually still very moist. You can also judge by methods such as weighing the pot.
05
Accumulation of condition
A perfect form requires long-term accumulation. Drastic ups and downs in watering rhythm can easily make leaves uneven in length, or once pests, frostbite, or sunburn leave scars, a very long cycle is needed for metabolism until recovery.
Even color can partially carry over. If a succulent has long been in a rapid growth state, it is generally a deep green, and such a succulent will find it harder to reach a colored state.
But a succulent that once had obvious color often retains a bit of foundation. Even after summer, it still keeps a little color.
Such succulents will more easily develop obvious color in the next coloring season, and can even develop so-called "candy colors" like yellow and orange that are not easy to achieve.
But recently there has been a lot of rainy weather, and many growers worry whether this kind of weather will affect the growth and coloration of their succulents.
06
Reference suggestions for supplementing light for succulents
According to experts, succulents like a dry and ventilated environment. Consecutive rainy days will cause succulents to color slowly and grow below standard. You can use a plant grow light for seven or eight hours a day, and after a few days the effect is obvious: not only are the colors vivid, they may even bloom. In this way, even if the rainy days last longer, it will not affect the normal growth of the plants.
Points to note:
When supplementing light for succulents, more heat means evaporation will be faster than before, so pay attention to the watering cycle and ventilation, and also do a good job of pest prevention;
Be careful not to burn your hand, and be careful not to scorch them;
Adjust the distance yourself, lowering it gradually.
In addition, some ultraviolet grow lights may be harmful to the human body. If no one is home during the day, you can turn them on, or you can buy a timer to turn them on automatically at the set time.