Succulents have been a significant element of attraction in our gardens and home decorations.
As succulents do not require much care and can be watered less often than other plants, they are popularly kept for decorating rooms and terraces.
Due to their water-storing capacity, succulents have juicy and fleshy leaves and stems.
As a result, they require less water to survive and thus are quite common in areas with fewer water resources. As succulent plants are popular decorative items in terrace gardens, many people wonder if they can stay outside in rain.
So, can succulents stay outside in rain? We will discuss all that in today’s article.
Let us begin!
What Are Succulents?
I know you are eager to know how can succulents stay outside in rain, but let’s first understand what succulents are.
Due to the development of water-storing tissues, succulents are drought-resistant plants with fleshy leaves, stems, and roots. Being desert plants, the succulents, like cacti, do not require much water, making them a popular house plant.
They are suitable for both indoor and outdoor decorations.
But since we mentioned them being desert plants, some of you might worry about the suitable climate to grow succulents. Many people may be wondering, can succulents stay outside in rain?
Being a desert plant, it is a valid question that many hobbyists stumble upon.
So, let’s dive into the answers now.
Related article: How to Make Succulents Grow Faster in 8 Easy and Simple Ways!
Succulents and the Rain!
As desert plants, succulents can store water in their fleshy leaves and stems.
Succulents survive in low water conditions, right? But what about the succulents left in the rain?
Having planted some succulents ourselves, we used to have a dilemma about whether we should bring our succulents inside when it rains or leave them as it is.
Though succulents are easily susceptible to overwatering, a little shower does not harm them. In fact, it has been found that rain can help wash away dirt and chemicals from the plant’s surface. Having said that, it is also important to know that too much rain does ruin the health of succulents.
Especially the tender ones like Echeveria, Crassula, Kalanchoe, etc., shouldn’t be drenched too much in the rain.
Various factors determine whether or not you should leave your succulents outdoors.
Can Succulents Stay Outside in Rain? | Factors to Consider!
Make sure the following things before leaving your succulent plants in the rain:
1. There Are Holes in the Plants’ Pot
You need to make sure your succulent plant pots have a good number of drainage holes.
If the water wets the soil long enough, your plant may suffer decaying roots and fungi infections. Remember that you can drill some holes yourself at home to help excess water flow out of the pot.
2. You Have Shades Over Your plants
Can succulents stay outside in rain, you say? If you have some sort of shade over your succulents, leaving them outside in the rain might not be an issue.
You can also install some cheap plastic covers over the succulents—the rain will not drench the soil, which prevents rotten roots. Even if a little water gets into the plants, you are good unless the plants aren’t directly under heavy rainfall.
3. Follow up After the Rain
You may also leave the plants in the rain without shade if you follow up immediately after the rainfall.
After the rain, you must pour out the excess water and empty the saucepan. You should also keep the wet plants on the sunny side to dry the water quickly.
However, this may not be the best idea if you live in a high-rainfall area.
4. Areas with Less Rainfall
If you live in an area that rains below 25 inches annually, it shouldn’t be a big issue for you. Just ensure they aren’t drenched, and the drainage holes aren’t clogged up by debris.
So, if you ensure the above checklist is followed, you may keep your succulents outdoors. However, to prevent damage to your plants, you should be extra careful when it rains.
That was all about how can succulents stay outside in rain!
Tips & Tricks!
Check out the tips and tricks below that will help protect your succulents from the rain.
1. Avoid Using Metal & Wooden Pots
The pots may develop rust when wet, which may get mixed with the soil to ruin the roots. Similarly, the wooden ones may decay, resulting in fungi developing over the plant.
2. Do Not Touch the Farina
You should strictly restrict yourself from touching the farina of the succulent. Farina is very fragile, especially after being hit by rainfall. It may break off even with very little force applied to it.
3. Be Updated with the Weather Forecast
Another smart thing to do is to migrate your plants according to the weather forecast. If a heavy outcast is in the forecast, you should move your succulents indoors and get them out when the sky is clear.
4. Cover Your Plants
As discussed earlier, covering your plants can be another idea to prevent them from getting drenched. This is a low-cost and the most obvious solution.
You should follow these tips to keep your succulents healthy and protected from the rain. Though the rain doesn’t necessarily damage the plants, it is always better to be safe if the rain is heavy and more frequent.
That’s all!
Conclusion!
To conclude, succulents are beautiful drought-resistant plants with which you can decorate your garden or house. Though these plants do not demand water to survive and grow, it doesn’t mean that a little water will damage them.
In fact, it helps to wash away debris and dirt from the plant’s surface.
However, if it rains heavily and frequently, it is better to arrange a shade or just move your succulents indoors to avoid fungi infections and rotten roots.
In the article, we discussed why and under what conditions can succulents stay outside in rain.