Growing succulents outdoors · succulents.info

Can it live outside where you are?

Start with your coldest winter nights. The hardiness zone for your area tells you roughly how cold it gets.

Frost-free or almost frost-free: most succulents can live outside all year, as long as the soil drains well.
Light frosts: tough plants like ice plant cope with a light frost. Keep tender succulents in pots you can move under cover.
Hard freezes: stick to cold-hardy plants like hens and chicks and white stonecrop. Grow everything else in pots and bring them indoors for winter.

Each plant in our library lists the lowest temperature it handles and whether it’s frost hardy.

In the ground, water can’t run out of a hole the way it does in a pot. Heavy, wet soil is the most common way to lose outdoor succulents.

Go up. Plant in a raised bed, on a slope, or on a mound of gritty soil.
Loosen and lighten. Mix plenty of grit or small gravel into heavy soil.
Use a gravel mulch. A layer of gravel keeps the base of the plant dry and the roots cool.
Or use pots and troughs. Containers give you full control over the soil, and you can move them when the weather turns.

The soil and pots guide covers what makes a good gritty mix.

Plants in the ground can reach more water than plants in pots, so they need less help.

Water new plants when the soil is dry, until they’ve rooted in. That usually takes a few weeks.
Once settled, most only need water in long dry spells. Rain is often enough.
Pots dry out faster than garden beds, especially in summer heat and wind. Check them more often.

Many indoor succulents enjoy a summer outdoors. The trick is to go slowly.

Wait until nights stay above about 50°F (10°C).
Start in shade. Indoor light is much weaker than outdoor sun. Put the plant in bright shade for the first few days.
Add sun bit by bit over one to two weeks: first morning sun, then longer.
Watch for sunburn. Pale, white or brown patches that appear suddenly mean too much sun too fast. They won’t heal, but new growth will be fine.
Bring it back in before nights drop below about 40°F (4°C). Check for pests first. The pests guide shows what to look for.

For hardy succulents, cold is rarely the problem: wet is. A plant sitting in cold, soggy soil rots much faster than one in dry, gritty soil.

Don’t water in winter. Rain and snow are plenty.
Clear away fallen leaves that hold moisture around the plants.
Tilt or shelter pots so they don’t sit in water, and move tender plants under cover before frost.

The seasons guide explains how succulents rest in winter and how to protect them from frost.