How To Take Care Of Succulents In The Winter

Winter brings with it specific needs for your succulents. To ensure they survive, you must tailor your care to these demands. To survive the harsh conditions, you need to learn about your succulent.

It could be as simple as tailoring your succulent care to the cold environment.

But then, NOT all succulents have the same demands during this season—there are different types of succulents, so there will be different types of care routines as well.

So, before looking at the specific practices you need to adhere to on how to take care of succulents in the winter, knowing the types of succulents you’re nurturing is a good starting point. Let’s get to it!

Types of Succulents

For this guide, succulents are of 2 types: hard and soft.

• Hardy Succulents – a group of succulents tolerant to frost and shallow temperatures. They thrive best outdoors.
• Soft/ Tender Succulents – these are succulents that can’t bare being in contact with frost and shallow temperatures.

The temperature aspect here brings on a new twist – for both of these types, the value beyond which they cannot survive varies.

And given that different areas have varied (minimum) temperature readings, you must ensure your residence is ideal for that particular succulent.

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How to Determine Your Zone

Determining your area is a straightforward process. By doing this you will ensure that you buy or obtain the right succulents that are capable of thriving in your particular zone’s environment.

Simply head over to  USDA plant hardiness to find out whether you have winter succulents or more summer succulents. Type in your zip code and you’ll find the zone in which your area falls, denoted by Zone “value”, e.g. Zone 5.

To tell if a succulent is ideal, you’re going to compare the value given above and that of the plant. As a general rule, the value of the plant should be lower than that of the area for outdoor growth all-year-round.

Take Phoenix, Arizona as an example. It is rated at Zone 9. That means that all succulents rated Zone 1-9 can comfortably survive outside during winter. Anything above that will have to be taken inside when the season comes knocking.

Caring for Your Succulents in the Winter

As you’ve already seen above, the winter-caring regimen will depend on the type of plant; hardy or soft.

How to take care of succulents in the Winter(hardy)

1. Be sure to nip off dry leaves – dry leaves are part of a normally developing succulent plant. The plant sheds them and simultaneously grows new ones. But in winter, when the conditions are cold and wet, these dead parts take in huge amounts of moisture which can cause rot and disease to the whole plant. So make sure they are gone as soon as they show up.
2. Shelter from water – you’re definitely going to reduce your watering frequency during winter. But it’s also important that you stop any other water from coming in contact with your hardy succulent. Usually, snow is a good enough cover, but consider moving your plants under a cover in case it is absent. This way, you avert the rot that comes from prolonged exposure to wetness.
3. Consider transplanting – this is a step you should take several months prior to winter to ensure roots have adapted and the succulent is well-developed. Instead of leaving them in pots, put your plants into the ground as it offers better conditions. In the event that you come up short on time, move your plants to a location with a few hours of sunlight and free from rain or any other source of water.

Caring for Soft Succulents in Winter

1. Transfer your succulents indoors – one characteristic of tender succulents is that they don’t survive in frost and extremely low temperatures. Leave them outside to battle these two and you won’t have them a few weeks into the season. Bring them inside where temperatures are fair to them and the frost non-existent. They’ll thank you for that.
2. Reduce the watering frequency – the soil is drying up slowly because of the winter and the fact that your pots are in-house. If you keep up with the same watering routine, you run the risk of losing your plants to rot. For this reason, your watering should be well spread-out for the soil to dry up completely which allows your soft succulents to thrive.
3. Ensure maximum light exposure – sunshine is going to be a scarce resource during this time. Also, the fact that your plants are indoors, means there is little exposure to the already reduced sunshine. If you can, place your plants near a window – a sunny one at that – and make sure to rotate the pots so that your plants don’t bend or fade due to light coming from only one side. In the absence of an appropriate window, consider investing in a grow light.
4. Maintain steady airflow – you need to keep the air moving so as to dry up the potting mix fast, which further averts rot and pest infestation. Just open the windows to let the wind in or make use of fans. You can always combine both for enhanced results.

Follow Succulent City on Facebook, Pinterest & Instagram for more informative & interesting content about succulents & cacti 🙂 Join the discussions at our Facebook Group, “Succulent City Plant Lounge.” Happy planting, and live the moment!

General Care for All Succulents in Winter

Forget about fertilizer (for now)

Most succulents are at a dormant stage during the winter seasons. With that said, refrain from trying to force-feed any nutrients by applying fertilizers (homemade or store-bought). Fertilizers during this period will lead to soft leaves that are susceptible to rot.

Note: There are a few varieties of succulents that grow during the winter seasons. Therefore, it is best that you keep applying fertilizer for such plants to grow even during this time.

Watch out for pests

Especially bugs that appear like tiny cotton balls on the underside of the leaves of your succulents. It’s safe to assume you know what pests can do to your precious succulent plants right?

First, remember to keep the affected plant away from the rest to curb or control the spread of the pests like mealybugs or scale insects. Afterward, eliminate them by spraying the plant with rubbing alcohol and water.

Read how you can safely get rid of mealy bugs or other pests here. We’ve provided an in-depth article.

Aim for some light

Winter is a period when there is reduced sunlight. With that said, keep in mind that you should try to expose your succulent plants to enough light at least 3 hours per day for continued healthy development.

If you’re living in places where the guaranteed sunlight is less than 3 hours a day, you might want to look at getting your succulent a grow light of some sort. This will help you guarantee light for your succulent to grow steadily.

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In a nutshell, your succulent plants will not fall on the wayside if you’re properly caring for them properly during winter conditions. Follow the simple routines we’ve outlined above and rest assured that your succulent will continue growing even in less than ideal conditions.

Incorporate the above steps and let us know how your succulents grow during the winter, take pictures too! You can share your pictures with us and join the conversation in the Succulent City Plant Lounge.

Be sure to keep an eye on our Succulent City Youtube channel! We are organizing to release some great quality videos to help all succulent parents have plants that thrive. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on new videos.

Did this article help answer your succulents care questions? We sure hope so! We do have resources with more detailed information. Succulent City is devoted to aiding all succulents 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!

ALSO READ:

• How To Care For Indoor Succulents During The Winter
• Summer & Winter Succulents: What’s the Difference?
• What is The Echeveria Black Prince Succulent?