Bringing Succulents Indoors

Q: We love our succulent pots. We bring them indoors every winter. They are hard to keep healthy in our house. When I put them back outside in June, they are leggy and ugly. How can I do better with this? By the time they’ve recovered from their winter trauma, it’s winter again!

A: Succulents are so popular and beautiful. When you bring them indoors for the winter, put them in as much sun as possible. If possible, keep them sunny and cool. A sunny mud room or extra bedroom would work great. Shut the heat vent so that the room stays much cooler. Only water sparingly and the plants should be in much better condition when it’s time to take them back outdoors.

Alternatively, consider using winter-hardy succulents that you can leave outdoors year around. These would include hardy cacti plants like Opuntia, Echinocereus and Escobaria. Mix them with hardy succulents such as Sedum varieties, Hens and Chicks varieties, ice plants and Orostachys. Keep the pots relatively dry all winter. If possible, pull the pot back near the house to offer a little protection. Succulents and cacti in pots are more vibrant and flower more if you fertilize them. Apply alfalfa meal or fish emulsion fertilizer every three weeks or so from May through August. Let the pots dry out between waterings to avoid rotting of the roots. Cut back the plants as needed to keep them bushy and beautiful.

---

Written by Kelly Grummons, co-owner of the mail order nursery businesses, coldhardycactus.com and dogtuffgrass.com.