Overwintering Succulents in the Southwest

Avoid common mistakes to ensure your succulents stay healthy through the winter months

Now that it ’s December , temperatures all over the country are starting to quickly fall below the freeze mark , even here in the Southwest . Now is the time when the daylight temps have cool off enough so that we can get back out in the garden to pull some of the more touchy succulent and cacti indoors for the wintertime . If you ’re anything like us , you have shelf full of empty pots just hold off to be used . Some year the winters are n’t too bad here in Tucson , but 2018 was a doozy , and we lose a batch of mature succulents to the freak blizzard we received . So this year we ’ll be extra conservative with our overwintering and check that we have more than enough frost cloth on mitt for the larger succulents that we ca n’t overwinter indoors . If you do have any larger containers to bring indoors that are n’t easily lift , clothe in a pot shoplifter . It requires two people to apply , but it give pinch awkward and heavy pots realizable . you could thank us later .

When it come to overwintering your succulents , it ’s highly important to make indisputable you have a space in your dwelling that will supply these plants with a lot of light . It ’s ideal to utilise a Confederacy - facing window , but east or west will do . If you have more plant than windowpane place , you’re able to always resort to hokey light to help keep those succulent glad over the winter months . The vista of using artificial light can be a chip overpowering , but there are a few guidepost that we trace . In theory , if you use a bulb with 2,000 lumens and have it turned on for at least 12 hours a day , you ’re yield the plant life the same exposure it receive outdoors during the warmer months . You also require to reckon about the brightness level of the Inner Light . This is measured by Kelvins . Ideally you want your light to be in the 5,000 Kelvins range to mimic sunlight .

Beyond sunshine and/or hokey light , you also need to be deliberate not to overwater during the cooler months . We water every three weeks over the winter and sometimes even less frequently depending on how the plants are doing . Be certain to keep the rosettes and petals dry , and place the water only to the soil . Leaving piss on the leaf can induce them to rot chop-chop in the cooler months . to boot , overwatering the soil will speedily lead to base rot , so better to keep them as dry as potential .

Another common mistake is to fertilize your succulents over the winter . They do n’t need it . We ’re not judge to encourage them to uprise right now ; we just want them to remain alive and happy . One last thing to remember is to keep a close eye out for pests . Mealybugs and aphids are quick to take over during wintertime , so be certain to look under leaves frequently . If you do end up with pests , the first affair to do is move the infected flora away from the others . Next , grab a handy spraying bottle with a mixture of three parts rubbing alcoholic drink and one part water . Spray the works with the mix to kill the pests . It may take more than one go to earn up the infestation . We always wish to extend to forget that plant quarantined until we ’re sure the aphid or mealy bug are die for in effect . If you prefer to swing by your local garden supply store , you may also feel Cartesian product made specially for these pest issues .

Overwintering does n’t have to be nerve-racking ; just take it sidereal day by twenty-four hour period and works by flora . Keep an oculus on the amount of light source the works are getting , and adjust or increase as necessary with artificial luminance . Keep track of your watering agenda to check they ’re not have too much H2O , and as always , be cognisant of any little gadfly that might be sneaking in . honest fortune with your overwintering , gardeners !

Sheila Schultz and Laurel Startzel are a mother - girl duo who founded Denver Dirty little girl Container Gardening while dwell in Denver , Colorado and have keep their business since moving to Tucson , Arizona .

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