Red Spots On Succulent Leaves? – Check This

One day you are watering your plants, and you alarmingly notice red spots and brown spots on your succulent leaves. You will automatically begin to wonder what exactly has caused these red spots to occur.

You may also wonder if these red spots on the succulents’ leaves are harmful to your plant. Will these red spots get worse, and should you address the issue?

Our aim for this article is to look at what causes red spots to appear on the leaves of your succulents.

We also want to look into how you can prevent this phenomenon from occurring and treat the appearance of red spots.

The Link Between Stress And Red Spots

Red spots can appear on succulent leaves predominantly when you expose them to stress in their environment. The harsh conditions in their environment cause succulents to turn red. If you pay close attention to your plant, you’ll notice that it begins to turn red or alter its color in response to one or more of these circumstances.

Many factors contribute to your succulents’ stress that could cause the red spots and, therefore, damage your plants.

Firstly climate is a huge factor.

When your succulent is exposed to extreme heat or extreme cold, you will notice parts of the plant changing colors, specifically red.

Secondly, if you’re not watering your succulent care correctly, your plant will go into distress.

Not watering your succulent enough can lead to discoloration and the appearance of red spots on the leaves. Take note not to overwater your succulents as this could lead to other problems occurring.

Thirdly should you be growing your succulent types in soil that isn’t rich in nutrients, this could be causing the red spots on the leaves.

Furthermore, when you plant them in unfavorable soil. Succulents that live in infertile soil and soil that haven’t been fertilized are more susceptible to red spots and color changes. You will notice these color changes more frequently due to nutrient deficiency.

Spider mites

Lastly, red spots on your succulents could be due to spider mites. These insects often infest succulents and cause a lot of harm to the leaves of your plant. If this is what’s causing the red spots, then you need to address the issue immediately.

Succulents are hardy plants. Most times, stress can cause your plant to thrive. However, the wrong kinds of stress like we have mentioned can cause your succulent to wither and potentially die. It is important to note that some succulents naturally exhibit red tips that seem the same as red spots on the leaves.

These plants are perfectly healthy and don’t need the red parts on their leaves cured.

How To Prevent And Treat Red Spots Caused By Stress

The simplest preventative measure and solution is to control the climate where your succulent is situated. This may sound tricky to do, but it isn’t. As you’re aware, extreme cold and heat can cause red spots to appear on the succulents leaves.

Placing your plant away from anything too cold or too hot can prevent and fix red spots from appearing and worsening. Place your plant away from direct sunlight or place it somewhere warmer in colder environments.

You will have a healthy plant if you take this into account.

When you want to prevent or fix succulent leaves displaying red spots, it’s often best if you don’t stick to a set watering schedule. Before watering the plant, check the soil and see if it requires water.

By checking first, you are making sure that you don’t over- or underwater your succulents. It is incredibly vital that you grow your succulents in the correct soil to prevent and combat red spots on the leaves.

You will need to use a potting mix that is not overly rich in nutrients. The soil that you use must have good drainage. Remember that when adding fertilizer, you don’t need to use much.

Always avoid feeding the succulent during dormancy or when the growth has slowed down. If you follow these soil and fertilizer tips, the leaves of your succulents will be free of red spots.

Always monitor your succulents for red spots because if you can detect them early, you can discern if spider mites are the cause. Addressing a spider mite infestation early on will help save your plant from red spots and damage.

Use insecticide soap or a succulent safe botanical insecticide to treat the infestation. This should heal the plant and make the red spots disappear.

Why Does This Matter?

Should you be aware of what stress factors are causing your succulent to present red spots, you can quickly prevent this from happening. You will also know how you can resolve the problem should red spots have appeared on the succulents leaves.

The Link Between Sunburn And Red Spots

Because they enjoy sunlight, most succulents are sun lovers.

As long as your succulent plants receive plenty of shade during the hottest times of the day, this won’t be an issue (usually between 11 am and three pm).

However, you’ll notice red spots on their leaves, if you leave them outside in the sweltering summer heat when they are not accustomed to it or if you place them on a windowsill that receives direct sunlight all day.

Your succulent could be displaying red spots on its leaves and body due to sunburn. Now sunburn is often not wholly detrimental to your plant. It does, however, tend to disfigure your succulents’ appearance.

Although sunburn usually doesn’t cause too much damage, your succulent could die if the sunburn is extreme enough. Red spots will often show up if you have been leaving your succulent out in the sun for extended periods.

Succulents are resilient, but they do have a limit when it comes to sun exposure. If you place your succulent in the direct sunlight without allowing your plant to acclimatize to the heat, you are sure to cause red spots due to sunburn. Sunburn is a common cause for red spots on young or newly planted succulents.

This is because these succulents haven’t had a chance to develop deep root systems yet.

As previously mentioned, sunburn is not unfixable if you have caught it in time, and you can easily prevent it from happening.

How To Prevent And Treat Red Spots Caused By Sunburn

It’s absolutely essential to gradually acclimate your new succulent to the sun after you receive it. Start introducing your succulent to its new life in the sun.

Here are the suggested steps:

• Begin with indirect sunlight for the first 1-2 weeks.
• Over the course of weeks two and three, expose your succulent to direct sunlight for 30 to an hour each day.
• Weekly sun exposure should be gradually increased until you learn what your succulents outdoor prefer.

The average succulent needs five to six hours of sun a day. It is best if you know what kind of succulent you have and how much sunlight it can handle. You can test how much sunlight your plant needs by monitoring how it fares in direct sunlight. By doing this, you are effectively preventing red spots from occurring due to sunburn.

If the succulent has already developed red sports due to sunburn, the plant can still be saved. With careful monitoring and keeping the plant out of the sun, your succulent will heal in time, and the red spots will disappear. Additionally, you can prevent sunburn from causing red spots on your succulents’ leaves by implementing sun barriers.

You can use an assortment of things to achieve this, such as shade cloth, deck chairs, and fabric. Be resourceful as you can use anything for this purpose.

If your plant is suffering sunburn and red spots have appeared already by installing a barrier from the sun, you are helping treat and heal them back to health.

Why Does This Matter?

If you know how much sun your succulent can handle, you will be able to prevent red spots due to sunburn. Should your succulents’ leaves already display red spots, you will know to use a sun barrier to help the plant heal and grow. In conclusion, various stress factors can be causing red spots to appear on the leaves of your succulents.

These stress factors you are luckily able to prevent and treat easily. Sunburn, we now know, can also cause our succulents to develop red spots on their leaves. However, you can also easily prevent and resolve this.

With the knowledge you now have, you are sure to grow and maintain healthy succulents.