Plant Doctor Archive

Winter care for succulents

I HELP an older lady, Hilda, with her garden. She bought some lovely succulents in pots and has enjoyed them over the summer months. Now winter is here and we're wondering what to do with them, as we do get some pretty crisp frosts in the Wairarapa. She has Kalanchoe thyrsiflora, Echeveria 'Violet Queen', 'Topsy Turvy' and 'Debbie' and Crassula dubia. Do any of these plants need to go indoors or in a sheltered area?

THE kalanchoe is probably the most tender of all the plants you mentioned as it can only stand light frosts, but even the others could be damaged by the occasional very severe frost you can get in the Wairarapa. As they're in pots, the best thing to do would be to move them all to a sheltered spot, such as a porch, carport or under the eaves, where there's less risk of frost damage. Also, try to make sure they stay reasonably dry. Remove any saucers to ensure they drain freely, as very cold, wet potting mix and water lying for long periods among the foliage sometimes causes as much damage as frost itself.

Reproduced with permission from the former Weekend Gardener magazine. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the RNZIH.