SUMMERING YOUR SUCCULENTS AND CACTI
OUT OF DOORS
© 
by Lou Kilbert, Michigan Cacti Society




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The following remarks by the president of the Michigan Cactus and Succulent Society appearing in the July 2001 issue of their newsletter, The Spinal Column, are specific to cacti and succulents but apply equally to bromeliads (succulent or otherwise).
It is particularly important to understand the principles, which Lou Kilbert summarizes very effectively. QUESTION, the following question was put to me recently: What succulents shouldbe placed out-of-doors in the sun and which ones would be best placed in the shade?
Just about all of your houseplants will benefit from a summer out-of-doors

    The first problem that you face is that your plants have been trying for many long months to adjust to the long dark days of winter inside your home where the light is even dimmer. Just picture the effect when you walk from the relatively dark interior of your home into the bright summer sunlight. There is at least a moment when you can't see; you need to adjust to the high light intensity. And that's in summer! In winter, the dimming effect of your house would be even greater although you don't notice it as much. Even plants grown in a greenhouse need a period of adjustment before they go into the full sun of a summer day.

    Because of this when you put your plants out, put them in at least partial shade. I use a large red maple tree for shade in the backyard. After two weeks, some of these plants can go into full sun. It is best to keep plants that are in full sun well watered. If a plant is uncomfortable because of the heat, it cannot move itself under an awning or tree to get relief. If it has sufficient water, it may be able to avoid sunburn. That doesn't mean keeping the soil soggy or letting the pot set in water for days on end!    Tall columnar and most barrel cacti will definitely benefit from a summer in the sun. If the plant is in too small a pot, it may be hard to give it enough water, so a plant that is under-potted may suffer sunburn whereas the same plant in a good sized pot that is watered regularly will not show the same effect. In general the smaller barrels need some shade, especially from the afternoon's hot sun. Rebutias, Gymnocalyciums and some Lobivias, are in this class. In nature, they grow in the shade oftall grasses, although not under trees.

    You will have a much better chance of getting your cacti to flower if they summer out-of-doors. Grandma kept her Christmas cactus on an unheated porch in the winter but put it out in full sun on a tree stump in the backyard for the summer. She did the same with her orchid cacti as well; although, since they were larger, they sat on the ground. I keep my orchid cacti in the shade for convenience. They can take full sun. There is more to this story than full sun versus shade. Is your sunny position open to the air? You should provide good ventilation in the sun, and in the shade. Usually, the problem is not too much sun-light but too much heat!! That's why you need good airflow. On the other hand, some locations get an excess of wind and that can be drying which accentuates sunburning. In shade, muggy, still air gets excessively humid, and that promotes fungus diseases.

There are aesthetic reasons for keeping your succulents in the shade. Sunburn is obviously ugly and scarring. Some people like their plants green-green! In the sun, they will probably take on all sorts of colors that many of us admire. Plants in full sun require more frequent watering than plants kept in the shade. Therefore, they are easier to care for in the shade.

Whitish-grayish or furry leafed plants generally tolerate sun better than plants that are deep, dark green. White or yellow variegated plants require more light than all green plants.

    Finally, plants kept out-of-doors in summer will be resistant to insects and diseases. With so many benefits, why not put your plants outside? With a large collection, like mine, it's a lot of work (1 wish I could put them all out!) but it's worth it.

SPINAL COLUMN JULY 2001 -  MICHIGAN CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY 

 


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