Succulent Dormancy Periods and Key Care and Management Points During Dormancy
It is fair to say that most succulents have a dormancy period. Some go dormant in summer, others in winter. Understanding succulent dormancy better helps us grow our own succulents more successfully and provide them with a more ideal care environment. If cared for improperly during dormancy, there is a very good chance the little succulents will end up stunted or even dead~
Things to Keep in Mind During a Succulent's Dormancy Period
The dormancy period is a dangerous time for succulents, and for growers it seems somewhat mysterious. Many plants die during dormancy or shortly afterward, mostly because they become too dry during dormancy or receive no careful monitoring. Dormancy is part of their life cycle: when light and temperature are no longer suitable for them to be active, they need to rest in order to maintain a healthy state. And your task is to accompany them through this period.
The first sign that a plant has entered dormancy is that it stops growing. Then, very quickly, the leaves turn yellow and drop off, and the rosette closes up. In some types of succulents (such as mesembs), the entire body shrinks down into the soil and grows a papery outer skin to protect itself.
In October, this Pachypodium densiflorum (summer-growing type) showed signs of dormancy, with leaves beginning to drop from the bottom.
This Haworthia cooperi (winter-growing type) enters dormancy in June, and its rosette closes up.
Although it cannot be seen from the outside, the plant is actually not idle during dormancy. Transpiration continues, so the water supply cannot stop. Their roots need a certain amount of moisture, so the soil cannot be kept completely dry, otherwise the root system will dry out and die. For slow-growing varieties, signs of decline may not appear until early spring. Whatever you do to them in winter will come back to haunt you in April and May, although that reckoning may arrive several months late.
How should you water during dormancy?