Most of our favorite low-maintenance, hardy succulents are actually pretty tough cookies! Many varieties can handle chilly winters outdoors without breaking a sweat. However, even the sturdiest plants in your garden beds need a little helping hand to make it through to spring. This guide will walk you through exactly how to help your succulents survive and thrive outdoors during the cold season.
Getting Your Succulents Ready for Winter: Prep & Care Tweaks
To give your outdoor succulents the best shot at winter survival, you’ll want to start prepping as soon as their blooming period winds down. The first big rule of thumb? Start scaling back on the water. Beginning in August, you should gradually reduce your watering schedule, giving them a little less each time.
This helps the succulent wrap up its active growing phase and transition into its natural dormant state without any unnecessary stress. Along with cutting back on water, you should stop fertilizing by early September. Tapering off those nutrients signals to the plant that it’s time to hunker down for the cold months ahead.
Winterizing Your Garden: Steps to Take Before the Big Freeze
Most succulent species hail from regions where winters are bone-dry. Because of this, the secret to successful overwintering is a combo of cool temperatures and very little moisture. By the time winter truly hits, your watering should be at an absolute minimum.
You should only water your outdoor succulents very sparingly—just enough so the soil doesn’t turn into a complete dust bowl. Also, make sure to keep that “no fertilizer” rule going until mid-April. For ground-cover succulents, it’s a great idea to add a generous layer of mulch or brush for protection before the first hard frost hits.
Pro Tip: If you have particularly large succulents in your flower beds, you can build a simple transparent overhead cover to shield them from heavy rain and snow.
Extra Protection for Potted Succulents
Generally speaking, succulents planted directly in the ground have the best chance of surviving outside. If you have plants in pots smaller than 10–12 inches in diameter, they’re a bit more vulnerable because there’s less soil to insulate the roots.
To protect those sensitive root balls, give your pots a “winter coat” by wrapping them in coconut fiber mats or insulating bubble wrap. Once they’re bundled up, lift the pots off the cold ground by placing them on a wooden pallet or a piece of Styrofoam. For the best results, tuck your potted succulents into a cozy nook that’s shielded from the wind and rain.
