Treating your Succulent Sunburn Get it to a shady spot for a 3-7 days, and moisten the soil immediately if it's dry. The white marks should be less visible or gone completely before putting them out in direct sun. If the succulent has brown marks, the damage is severe. Don't throw the plant away!
You might think it can recuperate inside with other indoor plants. Sorry, the sudden shock will stress the succulent further instead of letting it heal. (Sunburned leaves won't recover, but the plant will). You can move it to a shadier area outdoors only or provide some kind of shade during the afternoon sun.
While some succulents can be planted in bright sunlight, not all can handle full sun (defined as 6+ hours of direct sunlight per day) or can suffer in too much sunlight. Leaves that are sunburned will appear brown or black, and may begin to shrivel or callus.
There are a few things that come into plain during rain. Firstly, the leaves become swollen with all the extra water, then some of the UV- protecting farina can get washed away and also the plants have effectively been in shade for a few days. Combined, all of this can result in succulent sunburn.
As stated previously, light is important to the health of your Kalanchoe. One of the most common causes of sunburnt leaves is over exposure to direct sunlight. Despite their love for sunlight, too much of it will be bad longer term. Sunburn will appear as brown or yellow spots on the leaves.
Browning of dead tissue often appears without any previous yellowing, extending into the leaf between the veins. Entire leaves may curl and wither when leaf scorch is severe. Scorched leaves are usually abundant on the side of the plant most exposed to prevailing winds and strong sunlight.
Most succulents do best in bright direct light and need at least 6 hours of natural light per day. But if you only have a shady corner in your home, choose plants like mother-in-law tongue that do well in low light and place them near a south or east-facing window.
“If you find your plant has been burnt, it is best to cut off the damaged leaves or trim them if you can,” says Steinkopf. “They will not heal or turn green again.” Then move your plant into a less bright area—choosing filtered light over the direct sun—whisper your deepest apologies to it, and resume proper care.
Succulents have become well-known due to their drought tolerant and water storing capabilities, allowing them to withstand intense heat and very bright sun exposure.
Broken Succulent Leaves Can Be Used for Propagation
If these leaves are given a tad bit of care, they can regenerate themselves into new plants.
"Stressing" a succulent doesn't harm it, but rather enables the plant to show the colors it's capable of. When a succulent is "well stressed," it has turned from green, blue-green or blue-gray to shades of red, orange, yellow, rose or purple. Stressing happens naturally yet is also an art form.
Soggy or yellowed leaves
Mushy, yellow leaves are typically a sign that you are overwatering your succulent. The best way to save a succulent that has been over watered is to transfer your succulent to completely dry cactus soil.
If anything, it's wise to err on the side of less sunlight—once you're dealing with sunburned plants, there's not much you can do. Since the leaves won't heal and return to their normal color, your best option is to cut off the damaged leaves and move the plant back to a spot with no direct sun.
So once your plant has burned leaf tips or margins, there's no way to reverse the damage at that wounded location. The only thing to do is correct the underlying problem and hope the plant continues its healthy growth.
As you prune, cut to just above a node, the point on a stem from where new growth will occur. Clumping plants that grow from a rhizome, crown or thickened root system in the ground can be cut back hard. New growth will appear from the base of the plant.
Leaves with scorched margins may look unappealing, but they still help the plant with photosynthesis, creating food for new, undamaged leaves to emerge. Resist the urge to remove scorched leaves.
You may water them three times a week, depending on conditions like light and temperature. In the winter, succulents go dormant. Growing stops, so you'll only need to water them once or twice for the entire season.
Don't throw it away! Succulents are masters at propagating and can sprout a whole new plant from fallen leaves. Give it a few days to allow the leaf to callous over where it was attached to the main plant. After that, lay it on top of a layer of dirt and spritz with water when the soil is dry.
If your succulents are outside or in a greenhouse during the summer, you will want to water them about once a week. The soil should approach dryness, but not stay dry for long periods of time.
Unless the damage is extensive, plants can recover from sunburn. Just remove any damaged leaves, protect the plant with a shade cloth until you see new growth, and water generously.
One way to repair sun scald damage in trees is to cut the dead bark away until you reach live layers. Then, wrap the tree until it's larger or more established. For vines and other plants, consider placing netting over the them until the tender growth has grown back.
Does Watering Grass in the Sun Burn it? This is an extremely persistent myth. There is no evidence that water on a leaf surface in the sun and heat will burn or scorch it.