Our Blog

Purchasing one of the McKinney TX homes for sale means you now have your own yard to landscape as you please. Some people choose to plant flowers or vegetables right in the ground. But other people have discovered the benefits of container gardening. You can grow plants in containers that may not flourish in the soil of your garden. And when the temperatures dip in the winter, it’s a lot easier to bring your prized container plants indoors to protect them from freezes and other harsh weather.

One type of plant that needs particular protection from the cold is a succulent. This type of plant is perfectly suited to arid and dry climates because it can store excess water in its leaves.

Succulents also require little maintenance, so they’re excellent choices for beginning gardeners, or those looking to create a drought-tolerant landscape.

The only trouble with succulents is that the same adaptations that allows them to be drought tolerant also makes them more vulnerable to cold or freezing temperatures. That’s why succulents should be brought indoors during the winter months. Here are a few guidelines to ensure your succulent plants stay healthy until spring arrives.

1. Use Proper Soil – Proper potting soil is essential for succulent health. Choose “cactus” potting mixes which allow for proper drainage to prevent disease or rotting plant roots.

2. Lighting – When it comes to succulent plant health, giving them adequate light is far more important than water. You can tell when a succulent isn’t getting enough light because it tends to develop a large amount of space between its leaves. To avoid this “stretching” growth pattern, place your succulent in a south-facing window with bright filtered light.

3. Don’t Overwater – Giving your succulent too much water can cause disease or kill the plant outright. Seasoned gardeners recommend letting the soil dry out between watering. You can determine if your plant needs water by gently pressing the leaves between two fingers. If the leaves feel firm, hold off on watering for another day or two. You can water the plant once the leaves feel soft or slightly squishy. Be careful not to touch or splash the leaves while watering. Otherwise, you could damage the plant’s natural protective waxy layer.

If you have succulents in the ground, or in containers that are too heavy to move indoors, you may be able to keep them alive during the winter by keeping the soil as dry as possible and ensuring there is adequate circulation around the plant. The succulent may shrink a bit, but once the weather warms up, it should plump back up and resume active growth.

When you’re looking for high quality McKinney TX homes for sale, Landon Homes has a wide variety of affordable new homes for sale at the Fairways at Craig Ranch. This master-planned community is perfect for families, since it offers plenty of recreational amenities, and it’s served by the acclaimed Frisco school district. Contact Landon today at 866-898-3603 for answers to your new home questions.

This post was written by Landon Homes.