I have quite a few succulents for a small flat with just a single south-facing double window/balcony door and was a bit unhappy about most of my chubbies' tendency to moderately etiolate during their indoor time in the German winter. So I did a thing. (Do people still say that?)
Inspired by Growing Succulents with LizK's (YouTube) tendency not to coddle her plants, I put a big part of my collection (only ones of which I had backups, of course) into a very simple raised bed with a transparent plastic top on my south-facing open balcony. Living in the Westphalian Basin, our USDA Plant Hardiness Zone score would be 8b. Our winter was relatively mild overall, but there were cold spells, and temperatures dropped to -7.5°C at their lowest.
Given that I wasn't home for a little over three months, and that I had left plant care to friends, I was glad (and a little surprised) to find most of my experimental subjects doing quite well. Despite the fact that the top cover had closed a lot less watertight than I had hoped and at least the Echeveria had to endure wet feet for most of the time.
The only fully established plant I lost was Graptopetalum superbum, and a single head of Sedum pachyphyllum died. The other losses were assorted props with few roots I threw in on a whim. Echeveria "Neon Breaker" resorbed a lot of her leaves and shrank a little.
Other plants were doing well or very well, and many started preparing bloom stalks. Namely: Echeveria "Cubic Frost", E. lilacina, E. "Orion", E. "Purple Pearl", E. "Pollux", Graptopetalum amethystinum, G. "Awayuki", G. p. bernalense (variegated), G. p. paraguayense, Graptosedum "Vera Higgins", Pachyphytum oviferum.
I'll probably retry with a better lid next winter.
by Disastrous-Pirate450
8 Comments
Fascinating! I would never expect succs to do so well in a German winter 😱 well done!!
lol millennials still say thing like that.
ty for sharing your process. what did you use to cover them?
https://preview.redd.it/ck2m9eecu5ug1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=486bd3bf97130e77f182170306ee50b010c68261
Similar set up in 8B south coast England here. The Crassula Sarcocaulis seem particularly happy in this environment, looks good!
I tried this with some of my plant before but I came to the conclusion that I need to keep my plants enclosed in my greenhouse throughout the winter until freezing temperatures stop.
I also foolishly tried having them in the ground with the idea of, “if they are established they would be fine, right?”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqSoJAQmOiE
Aw good job! We do so much for our babies, lol
https://preview.redd.it/sw4mu64ly5ug1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=da227249e8f9fd92d4553c41d9237557076432a7
I was also inspired by lizk a few years ago to leave my plants out. I had some loses the 1st year but the majority survived. I now have no issues leaving them out on the ground or in mini greenhouses and only bring them in if it’s 26 F or lower. They are much healthier this way. They get way more sun and way less pests. I use to have to watch for and treat for mealy bugs every month when I had them indoors under grow lights. They aren’t getting etiolated and don’t need to be watered nearly as much. I highly recommend trying it. Succulents are way more hardy then lots of websites claim.
Your plants are beautiful! My succulents and cacti have lived their entire life outside. I am in zone 9 though. I’ve never had a problem, save my Labrador and toddler knocking a plant over occasionally. I think it just makes ‘em tougher 💪
Are you in Georgia????