Sunburnt Succulents??
These are two succulents Iāve had for a while. I think they are graptopetalum pentandrum āSuperbumā. They love the sun, but werenāt receiving enough indoors on my south facing window (which gets 8+hrs of intense sunlight), they were still a bit green and not the beautiful pastel purple-pink they should be. So Iāve moved them outdoors recently to help them. I just removed most of the unhealthy and ugly leaves, sorry, thereās only one ugly leaf left. I know the lower leaves had their protective coating rubbed off, and those seem to be the most sad right now. But the tops of them are getting a little different in their texture. Iām thinking the sun is too intense, or I didnāt acclimate them properly. But itās strange how some leaves seem burnt at the tips, while others just go limp and fall off.
The first two are pics of how they currently look. The third is how they looked indoors (before I let them be in 8+hrs of indoor ādirectā southern sunlight), and the fourth is when I first got them. #help #SucculentSquad #Graptopetalum
The first two are pics of how they currently look. The third is how they looked indoors (before I let them be in 8+hrs of indoor ādirectā southern sunlight), and the fourth is when I first got them. #help #SucculentSquad #Graptopetalum
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Best Answer
I agree with the two previous responses from @Charli3Plant and @SvelteKingfern
They are sunburned and definitely need time to a acclimate to intense sun. When I'm introducing a new plant to outside I first put it in indirect light (full shade but a bright spot) for a week then I slowly give a little bit more direct morning or evening light increasing direct light by about 30 mins every 3-4 days. After couple weeks of that they are typically ready for full sun (if the tempurature is below 85 degrees).
Most soft aucculents can't take intense direct light (esp midday sun) when temps are above 85 degrees without burning - even if they are acclimated to full sun.
Let them hang out outside in indirect sun for a week or so to recover. Water them in the morning and then move them to more sun after that. They will need moisture to handle the extra sun. If they are bone dry and you give them more sun they won't adapt well either.
Here are two of my graptopetalum superbums. The lighter one is grown outside in full sun on my south-west OPEN deck! šÆ
The other grown inside under intense grow lights for 14 hrs.
The intense summer sun actually strips the color from the leaves as you can see compared to my grow light plant.
Outside I also pull a 30% shade cloth over my succulents from 12pm - 4pm during the hot summer months to avoid sunburn.
They are sunburned and definitely need time to a acclimate to intense sun. When I'm introducing a new plant to outside I first put it in indirect light (full shade but a bright spot) for a week then I slowly give a little bit more direct morning or evening light increasing direct light by about 30 mins every 3-4 days. After couple weeks of that they are typically ready for full sun (if the tempurature is below 85 degrees).
Most soft aucculents can't take intense direct light (esp midday sun) when temps are above 85 degrees without burning - even if they are acclimated to full sun.
Let them hang out outside in indirect sun for a week or so to recover. Water them in the morning and then move them to more sun after that. They will need moisture to handle the extra sun. If they are bone dry and you give them more sun they won't adapt well either.
Here are two of my graptopetalum superbums. The lighter one is grown outside in full sun on my south-west OPEN deck! šÆ
The other grown inside under intense grow lights for 14 hrs.
The intense summer sun actually strips the color from the leaves as you can see compared to my grow light plant.
Outside I also pull a 30% shade cloth over my succulents from 12pm - 4pm during the hot summer months to avoid sunburn.
Based on how green they are, they definitely weren't getting enough light indoors. Glass filters out a lot of usable light for plants. You do have to slowly acclimate them to outdoor sunlight; outdoor light is significantly more intense than indoor light will ever be. I would put them in a spot where they can get direct light in the morning and afternoon shade. Give it some time, and they'll adjust.
I just add to what @Charli3Plant said, that light outdoors in full shade is 50 times stronger than light indoors.
I don't agree with @roxyvivien that intense sun light strips the colour of succulents, and that most soft succulents can't take intense direct light (except midday hours). This is my echeveria. I kept it in direct unshaded sunlight 8 to 11, and 14 to 17, mostly at 30Ā°C. I kept the plant properly watered for succulents all that time.
If you keep soft succulents out of intense direct light the succulents will stay green. It's that simple.
You need to slowly acclimatise them to that direct intense light.
There are soft succulents everywhere in gardens in (scorching hot) Australia.
If you keep soft succulents out of intense direct light the succulents will stay green. It's that simple.
You need to slowly acclimatise them to that direct intense light.
There are soft succulents everywhere in gardens in (scorching hot) Australia.
