Succulents are low-maintenance, easy to care for houseplants. There are many species of succulent and they come in all kinds of unique shapes. Getting one for your household will surely add a unique flare to any living space, indoor or outdoor.
On this page, we will explore the environment your succulent will need, such as lighting and soil conditions. We’ll go over how much you should water them, and other kinds of maintenance required to keep your plants thriving. Lastly, we will talk about common issues with your plant and how to resolve them. By the end of this article, you will be a succulent pro!
Like any other plant, succulents need three things to be happy: Good soil, the right amount of water, and adequate sunlight. They differ from your average houseplant, though- since they are from demi-desert environments, they thrive under those conditions.
Ideally, succulents need a pot with a drain on the bottom. They don’t like sitting in water. If you don’t have a pot with a drain, putting large pebbles or rocks at the bottom of the pot is a good alternative. They like coarse, sandy dirt that has lots of nutrients. You can find great cactus mix here or you can make your own with two parts sand, one part perlite, and three parts peat moss
Succulents have evolved to need minimal amounts of water, and they like to store any water they can get. That’s why overwatering them can kill them - they store too much water in their leaves and turn to mush. In contrast, under-watering your plants will cause the leaves to turn yellow or brown and shrivel up. Watering twice a month at the roots will keep them happy and healthy.
Succulents need a lot of light, but they don’t need blasting sun all day. Too little light will cause them to stretch out and become “leggy.” Too much light can burn them or stress them. Stressing a succulent causes their leaves to turn orange or red. This doesn’t harm the plant. Most succulents need 4-6 hours of sunlight a day.
Caring for cacti or succulents is quite easy in general, but they have different needs based on the exact genus and species you’re caring for. Popular succulent genera include echeveria, kalanchoe, aloe, crassula, haworthia and aeonium. Make sure you know what you’re buying and research each genus accordingly as their needs may differ.
If you live in a rainy climate, your succulents might get too much water outside, and will do better in a greenhouse or your home. Overwatering is fatal and easy to do, hence it’s the most common way we see succulents die. Bring your plants inside for the winter! Succulents mostly grow and bloom in the warmer seasons, and too much exposure to frost can kill them.
If your house is getting a little less sunlight than you want, moving them outside for the summer will do them good- just make sure you don’t give them too much sunlight. Plant food or fertilizer can help enhance their growth. Here is my personal favorite food.
Too much water makes the leaves translucent, squishy, or yellowish. Too little water makes the leaves dry, wrinkled and crunchy. Rot can be caused by soil that retains water for too long. A rotting plant will be limp and have brown on its stem. Rot usually starts at the root. In general, repotting the plant in the proper soil and adjusting how much you water it could fix this issue. If rot is in an advanced stage, you may have to chop off the stem and roots. Wait for your plant to grow new roots before repotting.
Too much sunlight will burn the leaves. They will get dry, flaky and crunchy. Too little sunlight causes your succulent to grow tall and lanky. The leaves spread out. This is your plant’s way of looking for sunlight.
Reviving a plant with sunlight issues can be difficult. Damage is usually irreversible- your plant won’t look the same again. Most succulents can be propagated, so try picking off the most healthy leaves and growing them again from scratch.