California winters are tame compared to the rest of the country, which is why most plants are able to thrive in your backyard all year long. Succulents, however, need a little bit of extra care to get through the season. Succulents in pots or plants, especially are sensitive to the changes in temperature, light and weather, so here is a guide for winterizing and keeping them healthy this winter.
When to bring succulents inside for the winter
If you’ve kept succulents outside in pots all summer, the best time to think about moving them inside is when temperatures at night start to maintain around 40 degrees or less – or when you start noticing frost on your lawn in the mornings. If you wait until temperatures drop to freezing, you risk losing your succulents. The reason is that succulents store a lot of water inside their limbs and leaves. Freezing temperatures cause that water to freeze and expand, which damages the succulents from the inside and causes them to eventually die.
Moving succulents inside for winter
When you’re ready to move your succulents inside, first check the containers for any infestation. You don’t want any buggy hitchhikers to get inside your home, too! Spray them with a surface insecticide such as neem oil for at least a couple weeks before moving them inside. Also remove debris such as dead leaves or grasses that have blown into the containers. If you still see small flies or gnats that don’t seem to be going away, repot your succulents in fresh soil.
How to care for succulents inside during winter
Move your succulent containers to an area inside that gets plenty of bright yet indirect sunlight. You also won’t need to water as much, so only water when you see the soil has completely dried out. Watch for any insects that might have snuck inside and treat with neem oil surface sprays or repot again to get rid of any eggs that might be in the soil.
Follow these easy instructions and your succulents will make it through our short winters to thrive again outside once the temperatures starting climbing in the spring.