Okay then. Let’s talk about heat dormant succulents for a sec. In extreme heat, a lot of succulent plants will slow down or completely stop growing to conserve their energy. Overwatering at this time = risk of them rotting. So how do we know when it’s time to reduce or stop watering? How do we know when a succulent isn’t actively growing? Observation. Some signs of growth include flowering, new leaf production, increasing in size etc. Making notes and taking pics of your plants (as we do) builds familiarity with their growing cycles.
Touch your plants. Feel their leaves when they are well hydrated. Feel them again a week or more after watering. Are they still turgid or do they feel more passive? Lift your pots to get to know how heavy they are the day after you water vs a week later.
Many succulents will stay hydrated longer as they slow their growth. Others will naturally retract into the soil, drop leaves, and produce fewer roots. It just depends on the type of plant.
Ensuring the soil is fast draining and drying will allow you to continue watering, even if sparingly, during extreme temperatures. This will help keep smaller root systems active enough to stay alive.
Of course all of this is focused on outdoor plants where their growth is directly affected by heat. If you can bring any indoors and provide the correct light, you can go about business as usual.
I don’t advise fertilizing when it’s this hot. Encouraging ‘performance’ when a plant is trying to conserve energy can cause weird stuff to happen, like etiolation.
The last several weeks have been very hot and we’ve had little rain. And while most days and nights are humid, I’ve been watering more frequently and heavily. My husband saw me with the hose the other day and said he had never seen me so heavy handed while watering!
I’d say I have averaged watering 2x every 8-10 days instead of once. Some plants get less water than others of course. But over the next couple of months I will be extra observant and moderate in watering.
Okay I will TRY to hold back 💦 lol!