Succulents Need Special Care in Winter—What to Do Now So They Thrive All Year

Succulents are known as sun-loving, drought-tolerant plants that are low maintenance and easy going. Warm weather is when most succulents thrive, so what should you do once colder temperatures set in?

Since succulents thrive in environments with little water and lots of sun, your wintertime approach will need to recreate that environment, even as outdoor temperatures plummet. You’ll also need to consider that your succulents might be shifting into dormancy as fall and winter settle in, and that should impact how you care for them.

Here’s what you need to know about caring for succulents throughout the winter and setting them up to thrive in the next season.

Bring Outdoor Succulents Indoors

Some succulents are actually cold-hardy, and will do just fine left outside throughout freezing temperatures. But most succulents that you purchase at a local garden store are grown for warmer temperatures, and they won’t survive a winter outside in a USDA Hardiness Zone beyond zone 10 or 11.

If you don’t have a cold-hardy succulent, make sure to bring it in before the first frost. However, it can be better to err on the side of caution, and bring in your succulents as soon as temperatures begin to drop towards 50 degrees Fahrenheit at night.

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Caring for Indoor Succulents During Winter

If your succulents are living happily inside, they’re already in the right place to survive the winter. There are just a few steps to get them ready for the season, and the process is just as delightfully low maintenance as you’d hope.

Remove Dead Leaves

“Succulents can go dormant in the winter,” says Abby Perry, a master gardener.

That means this is an ideal time to clean up your plant before any growth begins in the spring season. Remove dead leaves which, if left for an extended period of time, can rot and cause damage to the plant.

Repot Your Plants

Use this period of cleaning up and annual maintenance to repot your succulents. This is when you can change out the soil, make sure that it has a well-draining consistency, and move it to a larger container if needed.

Place Succulents in a Sunny Window

Because succulents thrive in the bright days of summer, you’ll want to make sure they have access to plenty of warm sunshine throughout the winter. Place them in a bright, sunny window where they can soak up the rays and enjoy warmer temperatures.

Use the Chopstick Trick to Avoid Overwatering

Overwatering succulents is one of the most common mistakes people make, and it’s especially easy to do in the winter when dormant succulents need even less water. Perry has a trick she uses to make sure she never waters her succulents needlessly (which can damage the plant).

She uses a simple tool you might have around the house—a chopstick.

“The chopstick method works like testing a cake with a toothpick,” Perry says. “Insert the chopstick into the soil. If it comes out with soil sticking to it, the soil is still wet, and it’s best to wait before watering again. During winter dormancy, you’ll often find that your succulents need less water than usual.”

Monitor the Temperature of the Room

Succulents prefer warmer temperatures, so, if you have them placed in a room that doesn’t get much activity, resist the urge to turn down the heat. Ideally, the room should stay between 55 degrees and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.