Dear succulent lovers, I am your succulent care partner. Today I want to talk to you about the biggest headache of summer – how to prevent and repair succulent sunburn. Especially our precious variegated succulent varieties need to master these practical tips oh!
Three Golden Rules of Prevention
The right way to keep the sun out of your eyes
When the temperature exceeds 32°C (10am-4pm is recommended), put up a “sun umbrella” for your succulents. I usually use a sun screen with 30%-50% shading, which can filter the strong light and ensure the necessary light. Special Reminder:
- Variant succulent varieties are more afraid of the sun than ordinary succulents
- Suddenly after exposure to the sun succulent to gradually adapt to the light
- Move to diffused light immediately if you find the leaves wrinkled.
The Art of Watering
Remember this motto: “Water in the evening, water along the edges, and water sparingly”. Specific instructions:
√ Best time: around sunset (18:00-19:00)
√ Use a spiked pot to slowly pour water along the walls of the pot.
√ Limit watering to 1/3 of the usual amount.
√ Absolutely avoid watering the center of the leaves!
Tip: Have a bamboo skewer ready to insert into the soil, and pull it out to observe the humidity and decide whether to water or not.
Ventilation
It is recommended to ensure air circulation for more than 4 hours a day, which can be done in this way:
- Open balcony: install convection fans
- Indoor care: use a small USB fan (more than 50cm away from the plant)
- Open the window immediately after rain to ventilate
Important: Make sure to intensify ventilation for 2 hours after watering!
Secret Soil Allocation Formula
My exclusive soil configuration formula (for variegated varieties):
- Foundation layer: terra cotta bedding (3cm)
- Planting layer: 70% granular soil (terracotta + volcanic rock) + 30% peat soil
- Surface layer: paving stones (recommended maficite)
Use a toothpick to loosen the soil every month to prevent crusting, and remember to replace the substrate with one that is more breathable before the rainy season.
First Aid Guide to Sunburn
Based on my five years of experience in caring for sunburns, there are four levels of sunburn treatment:
Grade 1 sunburn (scorched leaf tips)
Treatment Options:
✓ Leave as is without pruning
✓ Move to bright, diffused light
✓ Suspend watering for 2 weeks
Recovery period: 15-20 days
Grade 2 sunburn (damaged leaf centers)
First aid steps:
① Remove damaged leaves with sterilized tweezers.
② Apply antiseptic powder to the wound.
② Apply fungicide powder to the wound ③ Replenish the water by soaking the pot
Key point: Avoid direct light until new leaves grow!
Grade 3 sunburn (chemical water black rot)
Detailed operation procedure:
- Preparation tools: alcohol lamp, scalpel, polymyxin
- Cutting range: from the discolored parts of the next 1cm cut diagonally
- Root drying time: 3-5 days in a ventilated place
- Re-root: use pure vermiculite substrate
- Success rate: up to 80% with timely treatment
Grade 4 sunburn (whole plant scorched)
Final salvage program:
- Retain healthy stem segments (at least 3cm)
- Soak in rooting hormone solution
- Switch to pure river sand for cuttings
Warm tips: mutant varieties may fade after beheading, be prepared!
Special Care Tips
Shade netting buying guide:
Recommended 6-needle encrypted aluminum foil shade net
Keep a distance of more than 50cm when installing
Clean the surface dust regularly
Accident Handling Kit:
Always keep these emergency items on hand:
✓ Sterile medical swabs
✓ Wound healer
✓ Miniature air blower
✓ 75% alcohol swabs
Species difference management:
- Sedum: most susceptible to sunburn
- Dodecameria: need shade all day
- Cactaceae: can tolerate more light
Remember to bookmark this exclusive care guide for variegated succulents! If you have unique summer tips, please share them in the comments section.
