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.
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!
Succulents love light and need about six hours of sun per day, depending on the type of succulent. Though most varieties of succulents will not survive with full shade, they also don't need to be blasted with hot rays all day, so a sheer curtain can help ensure they get some shade too.
Don't let harsh sun and high heat harm your succulents!
However, heat plus sun can be deadly to succulents. Unless they're desert cacti or agaves, most smooth-leaved succulents need sun protection in summer, especially above 80 degrees.
Using shade cloth is the best way to protect your succulents from damage due to excessive heat and/or sunlight. Shade cloth is a special fabric designed to protect plants from sun damage while permitting some sunlight to filter through.
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.
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.
According to experts, there are three main reasons your succulents may die: overwatering, poor lighting conditions, and high temperatures. Therefore, knowing how to care for succulents properly is key.
Be aware that temperatures either too low or too high can do harm to your succulents. Temperatures lower than 40°F or higher than 90°F are never recommended. In summer, the combination of high temperatures and full sun exposure can cause sunburn for your succulents, damaging both the leaves and the root systems.
If they start to get too much sun however the leaves will actually burn. You may begin to notice white or pale patches on the succulent leaves. This damage cannot be reversed. Instead, try to move your plant to an area with less hot, direct sunlight and wait for new leaves to grow.
The most important rule for watering succulents is this: Only water when the soil in the succulents' growing container is bone dry. We repeat, let the soil dry out completely between waterings. If the soil isn't crumbly, dry dirt, don't water it. See, most houseplants want their soil moist at all times.
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.
Most succulents are high light succulents, which means they want at least six hours of sunlight per day. South facing windows are best for these plants, but they can also handle the heat of a West facing window if it's not too shady during the day.
Yes. If you lost a lot of leaves from overwatering, the plant will eventually recover as long as it is not rotting. When given a chance to dry out, you will soon notice new growth or tiny leaves along the stems. You will also notice new growth from the sides, the top, or even the bottom of the plant.
You can also water your succulents at night. Unlike during the daytime, your succulents may not drink all of the water, and the excess may pool and cause problems associated with overwatering. Excess water in your soil is also a breeding ground for pests like fungal gnats, mold and mildew growth, and root rot.
Soft succulents will enjoy anything over 32 degrees F. Preferably 40 degrees and up. Temperatures under freezing are simply too cold for these plants to survive.
Overwatered succulents will often end up with large, swollen, translucent leaves. They can have a yellow or light brown tinge, but look like you can see through them. A translucent leaf is a dead leaf which will eventually fall off the stem and rot.
A rotting succulent will appear to have black leaves starting from the bottom of the succulents plant and stems that will either look brown or black and mushy.
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.
“Sun damage is reversible to some extent, but you can't completely undo the changes to your skin,” Dr. Littler says. Topical retinoids can help improve the appearance of surface wrinkles, fine lines and dark spots.
Leaf scorch (also called leaf burn, leaf wilt, and sun scorch) is a browning of plant tissues, including leaf margins and tips, and yellowing or darkening of veins which may lead to eventual wilting and abscission of the leaf.
By removing any spent, dried up bloom stalks and dried leaves from your succulents energy will be recycled back into the plant. Doing so will allow your plant to create fresh growth, new blooms and sometimes new rosettes or pups.