Hello, Besties! Today, we are going to discuss how to keep your succulent hanging baskets thriving in Winter. Hanging baskets are for plants that are vines or similar to vines. When it comes to succulents, that would be a few Sedeveria, Several Graptopetalum and Graptosedum, and quite a few Senecio.

I recently wrote a post about the Harry Butterfield Super Donkey Tail succulent. It’s the big brother to the burrito which is the most delicate donkey tail, the burro which is somewhat of a delicate donkey tail, and the Lilac Mist which is considered the large donkey tail. The Harry Butterfield is the giant donkey tail that flowers at the ends when it’s happy. It can also grow to long lengths if you take care of it well enough. Mine were small when they arrived and I planted several since I have multiple hanging baskets. In those baskets, I also planted Graptopetalum Paraguayense Peach succulents that will eventually trail downwards with the Harry Butterfield.

The Graptopetalum Paraguayense Peach:

The Harry Butterfield Super Donkey Tail:

At first, they had a little trouble acclimating to the hot Texas summer and dropped a few leaves. I wanted the basket to fill up so I just threw all fallen leaves I saw back into the baskets and walked away. Yes, this is how you can propagate them and fill your baskets and planters. One healthy leaf will grow roots and entrench them into the soil thus giving you a new plant.

I noticed new buds in the areas the leaves had fallen off and I tend to neglect my succulents because they don’t need constant watering but when I brought them indoors during the winter and before the freeze, I noticed how full the basket had become. Take a look (oh, and no judgments on the grout lines. I have to clean them. 😅)

This is before:

And this is After – on the day this same basket was brought indoors for the winter.

Do you see the difference? Do you see the way both plants filled the basket?

Things to keep in mind when you bring them inside:

Your home isn’t a greenhouse. When you bring plants home, you’ll see a change. Don’t be discouraged. Your plant needs to acclimate. And it will. It just needs time. And lots of patience.

The soil for succulents is very important.

If you’re in a very humid environment with blazing sun like here in Texas, you’ll need sandy soil and volcanic stone to help the soil not retain too much water. The volcanic stone will create air pockets near the roots to keep them healthy and prevent them from suffocating in excess water.

The pot you use will make a difference

Clay pots are best for most succulents that thrive in hot weather and bright sunlight but some don’t. They require indirect light when it’s hot out because they are winter growers that prefer cooler temperatures. These are usually deemed as more delicate. Crassula (Crassulacea) are delicate. Senecio are the usual ones I see suffer most and decline very quickly in hot weather (think strings- of pearls, pickles, tears, bananas, dolphins).

Then we have my favorites – the Aeonium. Beautiful yet delicate. They love cooler weather so they usually do best indoors under medium light and the occasional sip of water to keep them from drying out. If you can, do what most people do: give them a good dunk and don’t water every week. if they have plants with paper thin foliage, they won’t need alot of water either.

My string plants do best in plastic hanging baskets with drainage since plastic helps the soil retain more moisture than clay pots and this means slower evaporation. Remember, gravity pulls water down through drainage holes at the same time evaporation pushes moisture up so your soil will dry faster in the sun. The more sun they get, the faster this happens.

However…

My hanging baskets on the rear side of my home don’t get alot of sun but they do get hot. The pots are real woven wood baskets with plastic liners that have tiny holes in it to help drain water away. The ones at the front of my home are black plastic pots with extra drainage holes in the bottom because the sun is strongest out there and the plastic doesn’t let the soil dry out too much. These baskets are solid and I drilled multiple smaller holes into them at the bottom unlike the larger holes the other pots have. These baskets are also thick plastic, not thin plastic like the liners in my woven wood baskets and my choice of succulents are summer growers that enjoy the long hours of sunlight they get at the front of the house.

Planting different types of plants requires knowing their needs first

When I chose the Harry Butterfield, I went with the Graptopetalum Paraguayense Peach succulent because they were similar in growth cycles and had similar light needs, even though they are different types of succulents. The Paraguayense is a Graptopetalum while the Harry Butterfield is a Sedeveria. Knowing their similar needs has helped keep them healthy.

Do the Research

If you don’t do this, you may be trying to keep one from drying up while drowning the other. Funny how that works, isn’t it?

I have multiple images to share about which are summer growers and winter growers. Don’t just look at the pic but go to their site and learn more about your plant, okay?

Keep indoor temperatures stable

Your plants will appreciate temps between 65°F and 80°F. Anything lower or higher and they will attempt to go dormant. If you’re not familiar with caring for dormant plants, visiting the sites above will guide you.

Keep lights bright

Lighting will be the most beneficial part to their survival. Indoor lights aren’t good enough. These plants need strong lighting that will mimic sunlight to keep them fed and growing because their food IS sunlight. Adding light stands that are strong enough and bright enough to supplement their growth is important. I personally stick with Barinna light bars or 4-headed lights stands to help them thrive.

Was I surprised when I saw the growth?

Of course! I mentioned that I tend to neglect my succulents; I walked past these daily only looking for fallen leaves. I didn’t look at the plants. I looked for leaves on the ground. But when I looked back to compare photos, I knew it was something worth sharing with my gardening friends.

My hanging plants are safe and sound, thriving indoors this Winter. My window boxes not so much but I’ll leave that for another post. 😅

By the way, I’m on the Greg App which is for anyone trying to grow plants. Whether a beginner or a veteran, you get to meet lots of people that may be in your area and ask for help as well as offer you advice. My handle is @AnthuriumQueen since I’m more of an Anthurium lover than anything else. Check it out if you have plants and have time. It’s pretty handy and helps you stay on track with watering and feeding. If you happen to join or already be there, I’ll see you there!

Happy Growing, Besties! 🌿