It goes species to species. Mesmebs like Lithops are notoriously strict with their growth season. They mostly stop growing and go dormant in the Summer.

What type of plants do you grow? Perhaps pictures might help.

Agreed with Bernard. It is specific for each species and generalizing for families of plants (closely related species) can often be incorrect.

To me there are four groups: summer growers, winter growers, spring/fall growers, and opportunistic growers.

The majority of succulents are optimistic and will grow if given good conditions.

"Indoors" is also an extremely difficult location to judge because seasonal cues and conditions may be totally absent.

To make matters worse, I have bought several plants that are in the totally wrong "phase" for that time of year!

Best is to be familiar with the exact species and it's growth habits. Leaf forms and plant response are the key.

One example is if you keep watering a plant and give it good light yet it is unchanged every day, it's probably dormant and waiting for the right season or conditions to grow.

I think indoors temperature/heat/humidity as well as any indoor lighting...sort of messes the cycle up for some plants.

I sort of go by this chart offered by highland culture guide...But it's probably not entirely accurate. For example the lithops example. It's listed as winter dormant but I've read many other sources that say the opposite/I have lithops doing the opposite.

You never know when your plant suddenly sidles into the opportunistic category...

Ealdwood - That's probably the best chart out summarizing dormancy of common succulent species. I had been using it and agree there are some outliers that don't match.

Last week I increased my grow light timers to match the latest sunrise/sunset and moved many plants closer. Could be an illusion, but buds are growing faster now!

Kevin- (been meaning to welcome you back! hope you and wifey had great vacay and plants sound like they're doing great.)

Timers are such a necessity, I'm blaming some of my recent stressed out plant problems on having my LED growlights on for too long.

What bernard said about watching the plants not responding to watering is a good idea..for example I had a haworthia that was pupping a lot before summer and so I kept watering it. But it rotted in the summer. Then I found out it was summer dormant. : ] lesson learned.

Of course it would be dependent upon their native habitat, would it not? Jades put out growth in winter because they are native to South Africa...

Christopher

https://www.highlandsucculents.com/culture_guide.htm#dormancy

:-)

Chris - Not only that, but whether they are in the areas with summer or winter rainfall in the Cape!

Ealdwood - Thanks and my vacation was great! Hopefully your plants will learn to relax. =)

Thanks everyone for the info!

I've decided that the easist way to know is to look at the plant. If it has flowers on it starting now, it's a winter dormant plant. If not, it's summer dormant. I can't recall any of my plants blooming anytime other than spring. And then there are the ones that have never bloomed for me, or I missed it! I have a cactus that every time I water it, it blooms. Go figure.

That reasoning will lead you into herbicidal tendencies - Tylecodons, for one, are in flower now, yet they're summer-dormant. Why not learn about the plants you have?

Penny - What succulents are you growing? With buds too? Show us!!