An Ultimate Guide On How To Care For Succulents In The Spring

What makes succulent plants so attractive during the Spring? This is the season to enjoy all the colors and shapes of many succulent plants, while other plant types try to show off, succulent plants are the masters at it. (Prove us wrong)!

Blooms will begin to pop up, and with a bit of help from our great friend, the sun, succulents plants are showcasing their intensity and glorious colors.

Here’s something we could learn from our succulent plants: stress is not always bad. It brings beauty and joy! (At least for succulents plants, it does). The reason we’re calling it stress is simple. It is common in the succulents’ world that exposure to more sunlight, fluctuations in the weather, and changes in watering habits encourage significant change in our succulents plants.

When they’re exposed to bright and constant light (about 4 – 6 hours per day), all kind of shades starts to appear most wonderfully. The light and seasonal changes in climate help bring the best-looking succulents plants to life.

Beautiful changes are very prominent succulent plants like the Pachyveria Bluepearl succulent plant. The succulent leaves change from silky blue tones to vibrant red tones. Another succulent plant that experiences incredible appearance changes is the Kalanchoe Fedtschenkoi, its pinkish and purple tones are so majestic!

It’s genuinely unique what succulents can do when exposed to more light, but remember that most succulents, such as many echeverias, thrive when planted in pots with some protection from direct light. (This is why many care guides suggest that succulents get indirect sunlight rather than direct).

During the Spring, be conscious of where the sun hits your succulents. Be sure to be still mindful of how and where your succulent is placed. If the light is too harsh, re-position your succulent so that there are no direct hotspots on the lovely succulent. (We don’t want our babies to dry out).

Popular Spring Succulents

Delosperma congestum— “Gold Nugget”

It’s easy to understand why this succulent plant gets the nickname Gold Nugget. Its vibrancy and bright yellow flowers are hard to miss. During the winter months, the leaves of the Delosperma Congestum succulent turn more of a maroon color.

Drosanthemum speciosum— “Rosea”

With purple flowers blooming during the springtime, its nickname Rosea couldn’t be more fitting. Growing low to the ground and quite durable in poor soil mixes, this succulent can survive what most can’t.

Sedum Adolphi— “Firestorm “

This golden sedum speaks for itself. With the bright oranges and yellows it produces as it grows, it’s quite the eye-catcher. Its nickname is even Firestorm! (Talk about a superhero type of nickname).

Aloe Maculata— “Soap Aloe”

Are you mesmerized yet? Known as the Soap Aloe, this succulent has quite the structure and shape. The bluish-green tints as you get closer to the center of the succulent plant are beautiful! Don’t you agree?

Gardenia

This is as pure as it gets, just looks at the hue in that white pigment! Delicate and soft, the gardenia plant takes a lot of maintenance to stay healthy and growing. Be sure you are prepared to get your hands full when taking care of this beautiful plant.

Why Caring for Succulents in Spring Can Be Different?

We are in the growing season for most of the succulents species, many are “waking up,” meaning they grow again and start developing new pups, talk about more succulents! Aloes and Echeverias are just some of the spring-loving plants.

Also, the weather condition is a big difference, leaving behind the chill breeze, welcoming a loving bright sun and occasional blissful rain, enhancing the beauty of each species, wherever they are planted in. 

Grow your Succulents to Success

For succulent success, search for the needs of each cultivation to apply their specific water needs, especially if you plant them between other non-succulent plants. (You can also check out our article on when you should water your succulents, it has more than 2000 shares)!

Remember, succulents are drought-tolerant plants, they don’t need as much watering as other garden plant types. With this in mind, use the rule of thumb, which is the easiest way to know when they need water. Soil should be at least two inches deep and dry before you water them. When leaves pucker or are losing their gloss, it is also an indicator that they are not receiving enough water.

When our beauties grow in the garden, rainfall is a great blessing for them. This provides soil-enriching minerals and washes away any dirt or dust in their leaves, helping them to absorb nutrients and generate oxygen which allows them to keep growing healthy and strong.

 

Controlling those Pests during Spring

The best thing you can do to help your succulent is to avoid their sitting in water, overwatering our succulents could cause rot and welcome many pests, like mealybugs. They are tissue-sucking insects and hard to see at the beginning. Usually, they lodge deep in the layers of echeverias, sempervivums, and other rosettes shapes. (Check out the other reasons why your succulents are dying here).

Besides mealybugs, there are other kinds of pests to watch, such as snails and aphids. If you notice them, here are some things you can do to get rid of them…

• Remove snails by hand – Eww, gross! It’s okay to be hands-on sometimes. They are nocturnal creatures, so they wait for the dusk or early morning hours to eliminate the threat while it is active. These creatures leave a slimy trail after them, so that’s an easy way to discover where they are. If you don’t want to get your hands dirty, just use a pair of succulent tweezers, make sure they are sterile too! Don’t have a pair of succulent tweezers? This succulent tool kit by Ginsco has them and is super affordable. (you can use that scooper for easy soil distribution on your tiny planters too!)

• Diatomaceous earth – Also known as D.E. (found in gardening supplier stores), mix in with your soil or add some in the top near the stems of your succulents. This contains about 80%-90% silica, which helps kill insects by dehydrating them, but capturing unwanted material allows liquid to flow through. Take precautions if you are using this product, diatomaceous earth in large amounts can be a health risk for humans. Avoid skin contact. We recommend reading more about this product before using them. If your local gardening store doesn’t have Diatomaceous Earth Powder, we recommend this one by Harris Co. It’s food-grade safe & includes a free powder duster, so you don’t have to worry about skin contract. (win-win for everyone!)

• Organic pesticides – Follow the label instructions and protect the succulents from the sun while you treat them with the pesticide.

• Insecticidal soap – spray it on affected succulents, both stems, and leaves, and keep using it every 3 – 7 days (according to the brand instructions) to eliminate bugs. We have a small outdoor succulent garden at our office & we have used this insect soap by Safer Brand in the past. Sometimes they have a sale on their 2 packs, so we always recommend waiting & stocking up because who doesn’t love a good sale!

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Final Words

That’s it! Not many differences in taking care of succulents in spring as much as you would’ve thought, right? It’s pretty simple and similar to how you’d care for succulents from other seasons.

Enjoy the beauty of each succulent species, help them grow healthy, and watch how much of a presence they’ll bring to your home this Spring! Also, here are 16 more succulent types, in case you’re interested.

Also, if you are succulent obsessed & are on Facebook, would you mind joining our Facebook Group, “Succulent City’s Plant Lounge“

Did this article help answer your succulent-care questions? We sure hope so! If not, no worries. Succulent City is devoted to aiding all succulent lovers, and that’s why we created a line of ebook guides! Check out our in-depth tips on Best Lighting Practices for Succulent Growth or even The Correct Way to Water Succulents today!