Succulents and Way Too Much Rain

Rain-drenched aloes (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

This year I figured my drenched aloes might finally succumb. They got quite a pounding. The gutter overflows 20 feet above them, then continues down-slope. Yet they’re fine. I have some theories why.

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How Rain Benefits Succulents

Rain on agave (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Here’s how rain benefits succulents: It provides dissolved minerals and washes away dust that inhibits photosynthesis; it dilutes and flushes salts and harmful chemicals that have built up in the soil from tap water; and it provides nitrogen essential to growth,

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Prepare Your Succulents for Rainstorms

Snail on Succulent

During rainy weather, succulents, which come from arid climates, may rot. Stems or trunks turn squishy and collapse. It may be possible to take cuttings from healthy top growth and restart the plants—as I did after one rainy winter with aeoniums. Fortunately, the rest of my succulents came through fine, despite double normal rainfall. After…

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