With striking shapes and picturesque flowers, succulents present themselves impressively in bowls, troughs and flower boxes on the balcony. Although they have a reputation for being incredibly easy to care for, we must not ignore them. Read here what you should pay attention to when planting and caring for it.
How do I properly care for succulents on the balcony?
Succulents on the balcony thrive optimally by placing them in full sun, using special succulent or cactus soil and watering them sparingly with soft water. In winter, choose a frost-free, bright area and water less.
Full sunny locations are reserved for succulents
Succulents mostly come from the sun-drenched, hot regions of the world. Consequently, they are the ideal choice for planting plants in full sun on the balcony. Where other balcony plants wilt under the blazing sunlight in summer, cacti, houseleeks, spurge plants and sedum grow to their floral best. However, drought specialists should be protected from constant rain, such as in the rain shadow of a house wall or under a roof overhang.
Planting and caring for succulents is easy – this is how it works
Please choose a planter that has a bottom opening for water drainage. Spread a 2 cm thick drainage layer made of expanded clay or pottery shards over it. Use special cactus or succulent soil as a substrate. In standard, nutrient-rich potting soil, the exotic survival artists end their lives within a short time. How to properly care for your succulents on the balcony:
- Always wear gloves as most succulents are poisonous
- Water a little with soft water when the soil has dried to a depth of 2-3 cm
- Administer liquid cactus fertilizer every 4 to 6 weeks from May to September
- Cleaning up wilted flowers
- Turn out dead leaves if they are completely dead
When temperatures drop in fall, put away your succulents. This also applies to winter-hardy species, as they lose their frost hardiness in the small substrate volume of the pot and flower box. With a few exceptions, the exotic plants want to rest in winter. A bright, frost-free winter quarters is therefore ideal. From October to February, stop nutrient intake completely. The water supply is reduced to a minimum by watering little by little so that the root ball does not dry out.
Tip
Your succulent houseplants like to linger on the sunny, warm balcony in summer. Cacti, agaves, money trees and other representative species thrive more magnificently the more fresh air and mild sunshine they can soak up from May to September.
