Springtime means many things: warmer weather, baby animals, baseball season…and most importantly, the start of the succulent growing season! Succulents are often shy when it comes to blooming, but there are some springtime succulent care tips to keep in mind to give you the best chance for spring blooms followed by summer growth.

Temperature + sunlight

Once the weather warms, your succulents will need the higher temperatures and bright light in order to bloom and grow. However, you shouldn't throw your succulents out into the direct heat and light on the first warm day of the season. If you do this, you may accidentally scorch and burn your succulent’s leaves!

Good succulent care practices would be to move your plants from inside your home to the outdoors gradually; exposing your succulent to more heat and sunlight over a couple weeks’ time. Once fully transitioned outside, make sure your succulents are getting partial sun and warm temperatures for the remainder of the season. In the event of a cold spring day (which we often experience here at 46 & Spruce!), bring your succulents back inside for proper protection.

Water

If you followed the tips and tricks found in our Succulent Care for Winter Months guide, then you cut back watering your succulent to just a little drink every two weeks over the winter months.

But now that the dormant season is over, it’s time to once again ramp up the watering to keep your succulent healthy during the warmer growing season. During periods of growth, thoroughly water your succulents weekly with enough H2O to come through the pot’s drainage holes. Succulents that are outside in the heat and sunshine will need especially good soakings.

A succulent that receives proper water during the spring has the best shot at forming flower buds, so keep them hydrated and happy!

Fertilizer

You don’t fertilize succulents during winter because the goal is to simply keep your succulent alive—not encourage it to grow. But once spring rolls around, your succulent care will transition and your plants will need help from fertilizer to produce flowers. Beginning in spring, use half-strength fertilizer once a month. A fertilizer higher in phosphorus, such as 10-15-10, will promote flowers. Discontinue fertilizer in late summer or early fall.

Repotting succulents

One last bit of succulent care you may need to tackle in the spring is repotting succulents, to give them proper homes for the growing season. It’s time to repot your succulents when you notice some of these telltale signs:

• Your succulents are top heavy
• They have tightly packed roots, or roots that are growing through the bottom of the pot
• When the soil quality becomes poor, with fast or no drainage or soil shrinking from the sides of the pot
• Or when it’s been a couple years since you last repotted

If repotting succulents is on your succulent care to-do list this spring, check out our selection of planters. Our Urban Earth Round Pot lends a weathered chic look, while our Weathered Oak Pot will help you incorporate the faux bois look into your outdoor living space.

For complete DIY instructions on repotting succulents, check out our thorough tutorial, Your Guide to Repotting Succulents.

Now that you’re a pro at springtime succulent care, grab some 46 & Spruce succulent care supplies to elevate your space.