Succulents and Rain, What You Need to Know Amazing tips

Rain at last!

On the bright side, rain makes our gardens look glorious. Ideal conditions for succulents are good drainage, annual rainfall less than 20 or 25 inches, low humidity, and temperatures above freezing.

Here's what you need to know about getting succulents through a wet winter, including the essentials about frost, hail and rot.

After rainstorms, check for:

-- Succulents with rotted leaves. Remove mushy leaves before rot spreads to the plant's stem or crown. 

-- Drainage issues. If soil stays sodden and muddy areas remain long after a storm, roots may drown. Move plants to high ground, and install French drains.

-- Slope erosion. Create dams of rocks and diversion channels, and add gravel or mulch to diffuse the rain's impact.

-- Stagnant water. Check pots, bins and barrels. If they've filled, dump the water before mosquitos find it and breed.

-- Weeds. Wherever soil is exposed to sun, weeds WILL sprout. Get them when small. All too soon they'll have deep roots, go to seed, and look you in the eye.

-- Seepage. Check your home’s basement. Mine used to have an inch or two of standing water whenever the ground became saturated during storms. A few years ago, a friend suggested a simple solution: Coat the concrete blocks that form the basement’s walls with a special paint that prevents seepage. Works great. Any home improvement store carries it.

-- Shop for plants.  Now’s a good time to accumulate plants you want to add to your garden. Rain-soaked ground is soft and easy to dig. Early spring is the best time to establish new plants, after all danger of frost has passed (here in Southern CA, that’s mid-March). Plants will take off in spring and won’t have to contend with summer heat while putting down roots. Don't delay; if your garden is like mine, when the soil dries, it’ll be as hard as concrete.

-- Take photos as what-to-do reminders. When the weather clears, such issues are easy to forget.

The bottom line: Succulents are opportunistic when it comes to rain. Given adequate drainage and frost protection, they  love it!

Related VIDEOS

See how I cope with less-than-ideal winter weather in my own Zone 9b garden, and evaluate its impact on my succulents.

Why Succulents Rot and How to Prevent It

Roots that drown are eaten by bacteria and fungus that move upward into the body of the succulent, causing its tissue to collapse. Is this due to too much rain? Can the plant be saved? Find out!

The Squish Test for Succulents

Worried your succulents are overwatered? Here's how I test and rescue succulents after rainstorms. Even if soft and squishy means rot, it's not always too late.

Post-Rain Must-Do's for Succulent Gardens

Have you checked your succulent garden after the rainstorms? I found a few things that needed taking care of and I bet you will, too!

Protect Your Succulents from Frost

Cover your succulents if overnight temperatures drop below 32 degrees F. Here's how I do it in my own Zone 9b garden.

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