Orchid potting mix is a popular choice for optimal succulent growth, ensuring good air circulation, water drainage, and strong roots. Materials like orchid bark, perlite, and crushed eggshells can be used for this purpose, as they provide good drainage and aeration. Succulent plant food contains the same primary nutrients as regular plant food, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which all plants need to thrive.
Orchid fertilizers are safe to use on all orchid varieties, and for optimum growth, use a balanced half-strength orchid fertilizer. Other options include crushed eggshells, rice boiling water, banana peel water, Epsom salt, fish emulsion, kelp extract, and molasses. Orchid soil is suitable for tropical succulents because it can retain moisture while draining well.
For kerping your orchids alive, use a balanced half-strength orchid fertilizer, but be sure to use balanced NPK ratios to produce flowers in orchids. An all-purpose baby bio can be used for this purpose. MSU orchid fertilizer for RO/Rain/Tap is urea-free and great for cactus/succulents, orchids, and other prized plants.
The NYBG Senior Curator of Orchids recommends using a balanced fertilizer like 20-20-20 in powder form to supply all the primary nutrients needed for orchids. Natural fertilizers for orchids include egg shells, banana peels, milk, rice water, and molasses.
📹 Fertilizer, that I use to get beautiful blooms!
Hello everybody it’s Holly from assaded orchids thank you so much for joining me today I have a quick video as I am about to lose …
What is the best food for orchids?
Orchid growers often use high-nitrogen fertilizers like 30-10-10 to increase leaf growth before transitioning to a balanced formula. However, it’s important to remember to change over well before the spring bloom period to avoid salt buildup, which can burn leaves’ tips. The amount of orchid feed depends on the type of orchid, with most growing orchids needing regular, weak solutions to avoid shock. Different orchids have varying feeding needs due to their habitats. For more information on home orchid feeding, consult New York Botanical Garden’s Orchid Culture Guides.
Are orchids a type of succulent?
Epiphytic orchids, in particular, have evolved a succulent lifestyle, employing fleshy pseudobulbs, stems, or leaves to store water and food, a trait not commonly observed in succulent plant exhibits.
Can I use regular plant food on orchids?
To choose the right fertilizer for your orchid, consider the concentration of major nutrients and follow the label directions. Standard 20-20-20 fertilizers are generally safe at 1/4 strength and 10-10-10 fertilizers at 1/2 strength. Specialty orchid fertilizers, like “bloom-boosters”, may not be suitable for all orchids. Instead, use a high-quality, well-balanced fertilizer that is equally effective at producing blooms as a booster and benefits all plants, not just bloomers.
What is the best homemade orchid fertilizer?
Homemade orchid fertilizers are a popular choice among orchid enthusiasts and include a variety of natural ingredients, such as milk, tea, eggs, crushed chicken bones, moss, potatoes, and boiled rice water.
Can succulents have orchid food?
FEED ME! MSU Orchid Fertilizer is a urea-free fertilizer suitable for use with reverse osmosis (RO), rain, or tap water low in alkalinity. It is suitable for cactus, succulents, and other prized plants. The nutrient analysis of the granular fertilizer shows 13-3-15 8Ca-2Mg, with total nitrogen, phosphate, potash, calcium, and magnesium. The fertilizer is available exclusively from rePotme. com.
Do orchids need special feed?
Different orchid types require different care, so it’s important to keep the plant label after purchase. Grow orchids in specialist compost, avoid excessive watering, and feed with orchid fertiliser from spring to autumn. Most orchids require bright light but indirect sunlight, but some require full sun. For moth orchids and others needing bright but indirect light, an east- or west-facing windowsill is ideal, as too much light can scorch the leaves.
What to feed orchids in pots?
It is recommended that the orchid be placed in its intended location prior to the removal of excess water and fertilizing. Once this process is complete, the orchid should be re-inserted into its new environment.
Are coffee grounds bad for orchids?
While coffee grounds are beneficial as a compost addition, their decomposition is not effective for most orchids. Furthermore, the rapid decomposition of orchid potting bark caused by coffee grounds results in root rot. It is therefore recommended that these grounds be reserved for use with other plants.
When should you not feed orchids?
The most prevalent methodology for fertilizing orchids is the application of a diluted solution of 1/2 to 1/4 strength on a weekly basis. In the fourth week, it is advisable to refrain from the use of fertilizer and to flush the potting media in order to eliminate any salt accumulation. This practice helps to maintain healthy growth and prevents the need for frequent watering.
Can I use cactus compost for orchids?
Orchids require an open, non-moisture-retentive, airy mixture of tree bark, charcoal, perlite, or sphagnum peat moss, whereas cactus mix is more akin to soil with the addition of sand and perlite.
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Another thing to add is not to plant your succulents in too large planters. Their root system is not large, and the bigger the pot, the slower the soil dries up, which can lead to root rot. So it’s best to plant small succulents in small pots, and transfer them to bigger pots as they grow, instead of planting in big pots in advance. Transplanting them from pot to pot doesn’t do them any harm.
Im fortunate to live in an area of SoCal where giant succulents grow wild, they’re stunning growing on the side of rock. All of my giant rosettes came from a job site that my husbands company had to dig out of the side of a hill to set power lines, he took the time to arrive early & dig out all of the succulents before the big digger truck came in & pulverized the area. As a plant lover, I found this gesture very romantic😂.
As a young teen I bought six cacti with the full intention of making them flower. It was like having an open box of chocolates and willing yourself not to eat any. Well, that ‘box’ was never touched, and all winter I was gagging to water them, but I knew I couldn’t. In the spring, I was well rewarded with flowers on all but one cactus. I was so chuffed with myself lol.
I’ve been growing and collecting succulents and cactuses for the past 20 years. Like with other houseplants, different varieties of succulents have different light and water requirements. You really need to research the particular variety you have and give it what it needs. Succulents generally want a lot of sun. But there are some succulent varieties that can’t deal with full sun in a cold temperate Australian climate. For example, some sedum varieties hate being in full sun. They prefer being in part shade. I mostly put my succulents in terracotta pots. I’ve found that this reduces the risks of accidentally overwatering. I also use small rocks on top of the soil. This helps warm the soil in the pot, which most succulents like.
If you bottom water your succulents, make sure that they do not stand in the water for more than a half hour. If they haven’t absorbed all of the water by then, dump out any that’s left. If they’ve not absorbed any water, they are in a peat based soil that has dried out and is repelling water. Replace the soil, or water them slowly with warm water (about as warm as a nice hot shower.) When using sand, be sure to sift out any particles under 1 millimeter in diameter. Smaller particles actually impede drainage and let your soil stay wet too long, contributing to rot. The rule of watering succulents is to thoroughly water the plant, allowing the excess to drain away. Then allow the pot to thoroughly dry out before watering again. If you don’t thoroughly water the plant, you will leave areas of dry soil and the roots will not grow into these areas. If you don’t allow the pot to dry thoroughly, you create excellent conditions for rot causing fungi to grow. Water, by itself, does not create rot. Rot is caused by fungi which feed on living plant tissue. Excessively moist soil allows the spores of these fungi to sprout and grow. This is especially true in humid climates like the UK.
My favourite way to test the moisture is to poke a wooden kebab skewer in the soil, it also shows you where the moisture comes up to👌 and just wanted to add, If your going to put the water to the decorative pot like that, it’s best to pour out any remaining water the next day, don’t want it staying soggy xx
I’d love an entire article dedicated to using a moisture meter and at what point different plants need watering. I just recently got one and I am learning a lot about how different plants and different pots evaporate differently. Also, the meter gives a much more precise reading than just using your finger which is what I’ve usually done. My plants have definitely improved more than I expected. I’ve been a gardener for years and I’m STILL learning, especially about house plants.
My only issue with hearing succulents dont like water on their leaves is thats how they get tgeir water in nature is through rain. I water mine with the water hose and afterwards they look super happy and their farina looks amazing. Ive watched it come back several times on one plant from handling. Just want to say these plants are very forgiving and thabk you for the article.
The farina thing, I knew, but I didn’t know the name for it. We had an elkhorn fern in the house growing up, which was not the most common plant. Our once-a-month cleaner had never seen the plant before, and assumed the leaves were dusty, despite my mother dusting like someone was doing surgery in the living room each time the cleaner was due to come in, so the cleaner painstakingly wiped the dusty coating off every massive leaf. From the way our parents reacted like the plant was actively on fire for the next six months, me and my siblings learned to just… Let plant leaves be unless otherwise instructed. The plant lived another fifteen years. Turns out it’s very hard for fungus and pests to get a hold of a plant in a household where someone feels the need to clean before the cleaner comes in. The cleaner didn’t get any dire consequences either, just a polite note that she needn’t trouble herself dusting the plants.
my boyfriend just bought me a succulent, a mexican snowball or echeveria elegans i think, and this article is SO helpful!! i’ve never had a plant before so im trying to do as much research as i can. her flowers are blooming but the leaves at the bottom seem to be drying out. hopefully after these articles she gets back into shape
Amazingly I have a bunny ear opuntia cactus that lives outside year round in Michigan which is zone 5 meaning it freezes up in the winter. The cactus does fine, it shrivels up a bit in the winter and goes dormant and then it wakes up and thrives again starting in may until it freezes again! It’s getting bigger and having babies every year! I ❤️your website!
Thanks for another outstanding plant care article. All your advice is spot on. I too bottom water most all my plants by the full submersion method. I place the plant in a bucket or in the sink and fill the water level to the top rim of the pot until the water seeps up through the soil and let it soak for a minute or so and then remove it to completely drain away before placing it back to its spot. My soil mix is very airy and well draining for all my plants, and by watering like this gives the root system some fresh air. When the pot is submerged all the air that in the soil is pushed out by the water and fresh air is pulled in as the water drains out. I do top water every so often to flush any fertilizer salts that tend to build up. 👍
I love your idea of bottom water the plants since I struggle trying not to get the leaves wet. I’m starting to do that now. And leave all my plants in its original pots even my HUGE plants lol. I just double with decoration pots. I find it grows better. It seems every time I transfer my plants it died on me. I just double my own for pretty decoration. Thank you for the tips so helpful!
I touch succulent leaves to check if it already needs water 🙂 if they’re soft, it’s a sign that it’s already used up all the water from last watering. I’ve notised light layer that succulents have on their leaves and that touching brushes it away 😀 so I have 1 leaf on every plant that I use to lightly check for moisture xD Thanks to you now I know that the layer is called farina 😀
Thank you so much for making this article, somehow I completely forgot that moisture meters existed and I guarantee my plants will thank you with their lives. Also I had no idea about the coating on the outside of succulent plants, it makes me think of the mucus coating that fish have and I definitely understand why it’s so important to their health
Great article! So many great tips! It’s definitely a learning curve and I did a lot wrong when I first started growing years ago. They are such rewarding plants ❤ My plants live outdoors and require quite a bit of waterings to thrive and not become dehydrated. I usually wait about a week after the soil has dried to water like you do. It all depends on the type of succulent it is. Thanks for sharing.
Your advice for England and other countries with similar weather and similar levels of sunlight are perfect. But are not the best advice for hotter climates. My succulents are out in full sun and only ever receive some rain water if and when it rains. And they are thriving. The way that USA divides the country into weather ZONES to help gardeners is brilliant as USA has so many variations across the various states. I am happy that your succulents are doing so well. I am just as ruthless with my pelargoniums and they thrive too without any attention too Whereas it is my Rhododendrons that are the prime prima donna demanding performers that need the coolest part of the garden and plenty of mulch (NOT touching the stem of course) .
For me, part of the fun is touching them! In fact I encourage anyone new to succulents who visits to touch them. A lot of time I’m given a funny look. Next thing you know, even the most uninterested are looking closer touching them in awe. Mission accomplished! These plants are so tough, part of what makes them amazing. We don’t give them enough credit. They have survived Mother Nature in all her glory for ages, with no help from well meaning humans. I had them survive a winter in the basement or to long in the cold garage or even in frost. I love these plants, yet sometimes neglect is unavoidable. It’s been rare, that I have not at the very least been able to salvage by propagation. I used to save everything, because everything on these plants will pop babies! It’s truly incredible. Having a mimi meltdown one day, I decide to take a break and water. I come across a stick (basically), I stuck in dirt in a pot and threw it in with the rest. When I came across it that day, babies popping all around! I thought if that thing can make it, so can I! I named it “Fuck them pots!”. (Besides life, an order that was giving me a hard time that day. lol) The best advice I ever read was to read and take in all the advice you can. And then throw it out the window and do what seems right to you. My best advice (although no expert by any means, not even close) have fun with them! Enjoy them, experiment, kill some and start again! Try something the internet says they can’t do and be amazed when it does!
Another spot on article, equal parts good advice and mythbusting! I’m continually surprised at how many people believe cactus want to be in shade. At our shop we actually put up “please don’t touch the leaves, it leaves a permanent print” signs any time we get any nice Pachyphytum or Graptopetalum in, because people just can’t keep their fingers off of them. The farina may come back eventually but it will never be pristine again. 😢 Nothing sadder than seeing a beautiful white Pachyphytum or fancy Echeveria with a big ol’ thumbprint right in the middle of it. In our cool and often moist climate there are people who grow in pure medium- or coarse-grade pumice. It’s not the best practice for everybody but if you have rot issues and have your watering dialed in, it may be worth a try.
For about 3 months now… I have been buying succulents…. Keep them in the shade because I basically live under trees… They are in moist, fertile dirt…. They also get wet when I’m watering the other plants…. I have some that is right next to a water fountain…. They are constantly being splashed on…. I’ve also picked up many many from the different stores where they have fallen off different mother plants…. They began to shoot out one to two weeks after placing them on damp Even Cold soil in the shade….. The soil is cool and damp and moist…. They get rained on quite a bit… I have to keep cutting them back…. Also the case with the desert cactus small ones that ones that you buy at Walmart…. I have had great success…. Very thankful I haven’t lost any of them…. The only thing I have done to the cactuses is move them into a birdcage where our native American wren won’t poke its feet on the cactus Spike’s thorns…. They don’t get much sunlight either….. Again…. They are doing very well….
I’ve got a Peacock echeveria and it’s going mental. The stem, from the soil up, is a T shape, and at the end of both arms of the T, is a bloom. I don’t really want to separate them, so I’m making a little support out of wooden ice cream sticks to support the weight of each bloom. At the moment each one is resting on the pot rim. I need to get it into a larger pot with supports.
Good advice ! i have an echeveria which is a VERY good exemple of their need in water, in summer she needs watering (and not a small one) at least once a week (most of the time 2), while all my other succulents can survive and thrive with one every 2 weeks. And in winter every 3 weeks at most or i end up with a leafless stick. Its a weird and special one and her needs are so high that i took me some touch and go before i figured it out.
When I see plantTubers touching the leaves of their succulents I’m like O_O what…are…you…doing…and then in a article later they claim it isn’t doing so well… My succulents are on my windowsill on a shelf, my props are under growlight. I have clear pots and tried top watering, I noticed how much soil the water avoided! It was fascinating to watch the water, not wet the soil in any way. So I’ll stick to bottom watering, I typically sit same genus together and leave to soak up water. I have beheaded leggy plants…All leftover stems have given me pups!
I have tried a lot of different substrates for my succulents and the best results are with pure mineral airy soil, usually pure pumice or lava rock. It store a lot of water for a day and is totalky dry the next day. All succulents I have tested absorb easilly water from this substrate, passing from wrinkly to plump in hours or even minutes. Probing the soil for moisture is a bad idea. In winter they dont need water for months even if the soil is completly dry. The best way is to touch gently a leaf and try to bend it. A properly watered succulent will remain plump and dry all winter and begin to use stored water only in spring.
for the succulents with farina: is natural rainfall bad for the plant? i imagine if its pouring, the farina would wash off. the only place in my house with full sun is my roof deck, and even then the sun passes behind the headhouse at around 1. I currently have all of my succulents on my windowsill, and they only get sun once the sun goes behind the headhouse. I was thinking of moving all of my succulents up there for the summer, but one of them has very delicate, fiberglass-like spines that come off with a light breeze and another has farina. my jade is in fact fairly spindly and I feel so bad because I thought it was doing so well! I’ve propagated it multiple times, and all of the propagations I’ve kept are growing very well.
At timestamp 5.30, re: not getting water on the leaves. I tried looking thru other comments to see if this was already addressed and didnt see it, so apologies if this is a duplicate question. Anyway, in a plant’s natural outdoor environment, the way that they receive water is through rain. And rain comes from the sky and it gets on all the leaves, so how is this different than getting water on the leaves when you water inside? Sorry if this is a stupid question, I’m pretty much a novice at succulents. I do have a 20 year old pothos that’s still alive and thriving, (tho that’s not saying much since they’re pretty easy). 😸
Haworthia doesn’t do well with huge amounts of direct (south facing window) sunlight. Some are good with it, some it can burn them a bit. Sometimes this makes them look interesting though and doesn’t hurt them. I have a few I purposely allow to get stressed by the sun because they turn deep red. Doesn’t seem to hurt them, and they turn back green in the fall/winter.
Thanks for this article, I’m just getting into succulents, so am really enjoying all this content. I just bit the bullet and repotted an echeveria ‘AfterGlow’ with a cactus and perlite mix, love this plant, so pretty, but the poor thing is suffering, I’m so careful not to touch the leaves then accidentally drop it and step on it 😱🤦♀️ So I’m trying to propagate some of the lower leaves. What do you think about feeding with granules mixed in with the soil instead of a water feed?
last week, I bought 2 cheap but pretty succulent cactus but one of them stem/leave suddenly fall off. After perusal this, I might gave them too much water. 😭No wonder they so fat. I dont know how to save them but hopping for the sun saving them and I need to remind myself gave them water once in 2 weeks.. It was my first time taking care of them and didnt know succulent kinda hard to taking care of it.
I have to use grow lights because of the way my house is laid out and a car port and such so I use grow lights but I am very confused on how long to use them and if it will even work. Some of them look great while others don’t look 100 percent. In the spring I can surely put then outside more but in the winter I am just not sure if I am doing the right thing.
what you mentioned.. Jade plant are special succulents. They can grow in water. I still grow one of them in water about 10 month ago 😀😊 I also put little fertiliser. Not too much at all. The plant grows new leaves and Lot of roots. Someone on Instagram plant expert recommend me to keep in soil but i wanted to try how is the kindda hydroponic solution. So I cutted a wee branch of my jade and 10 month after still grows without problem 😀😀😀😀 My “swimmer jade” doesn’t care at all. I change once a week water and that’s it plus fertiliser and she is nearly window. I just laugh on some plant expert… 😀
I was using just my fingers to test for dryness; but that doesn’t work to well. If the plant has a large rootball. Your going to have a hard time getting your finger down far enough to ensure that the soil is dry enough for the plant itself. (For me.) I bought a moisture meter. These can be tricky. The one I bought worked well for a while and then started giving me false readings. This nearly killed one of my plants and so I stopped using them. I don’t blame the company because I am ignorant in using the device. Nonetheless, I now check by placing a finger in the the bottom of the pot. If, the soil is wet there at the bottom. I don’t water. I wait a couple more days and check again. This has been working for me so far. Still, with very large plants this isn’t really an option. I would love to see a article on how to properly use a soil meter and which meters are the best. (Only if you have the time sir. ) Thanks for this article it was appreciated.
OH MY GOD i have watched so many articles about succulents since i got my first one a few months ago, and this is the first time someone mentions to not touch the leaves and that the white dusty looking stuff is GOOD for them! i literally thought my succulent was ACTUALLY dusty and i kept removing it :((((
Richard – I cannot seem to find a article of Dracenas. . I have a very typical dracena that has always been easy to care for, and has looked beautiful, but I have noticed that the NEW leaves coming from the center, have markings on them that I have never seen. If you have a videa of dracenas, pleast lmk and I will watch it. Thank you so much! Nancy Marano, New Jersey, USA. . .
Hi! I struggle with bottom watering any thing at all because I am constantly struggling with fungus gnats! As soon as the weather warmed up here in Indiana, it was like the stupid gnats just came out of hibernation or something! I had none during winter but now it’s been under attack! I make sure to check every plant for decaying or rotting and I swear these daggone bugs are everywhere!
Actually there are alot of succulents that thrive in bright indirect light and actually prefer only a few hours of direct light, too much can burn them, so don’t take this as a one fit suits all as succulents and cacti like all other plants have a wide range of optimal growing conditions.. some will go into dormancy during winter, some will go dormant during the hottest heat of summer, take lithops as the most picky example, winter they need no water as they draw water from there leaves as new ones push through, mid to late summer they need no water as they go into dormancy, they have a couple of months gap to water them and even then if you water too much they can quite literally explode on you😂. So best bet is to research your plants on a case by case basis as these plants still have there own traits which vary massively in some cases
I’ve made some homemade orange oil in an olive carrier oil to use on the garden to ward off pests; I’ve battled with I think thrips and gnats and my blueberries have, not spider mites but regular spiders lol. After hitting the jades with the oil, they greatly disliked it! 😮 80% of the leaves fell off, my babiesss lol
I’ve got 3 succulents in a south facing window. My oldest of the three keeps getting taller and taller. The 2nd oldest is definitely leaning towards the sun (even though I keep turning the pot) and slowly rising. I’ve been told they do that because they are trying to reach the sun. I don’t know how my window is inadequate…they literally can’t get any closer.
About eight years ago I had cactus standing on the south facing window in bright light. It grew less than 15 cm in two years and died. Last year I’ve bought cactus of the same species. It also lives on the south facing window, but in half shadow bc of a balcony in front of it. This time it grew 20+ cm and thriving. Have no idea how it works.
I really wish I had watched this article a few weeks ago, I’ve started to branch out (excuse the pun) when it comes to succulents, and I have one of these and I was really confused and didn’t know if my plant needed watering or brushing down. I touched a few of the leaves, and now they’ve rotted away and I feel so guilty for it. I suppose every day is a school day when it comes to plants.
So, they need direct sunlight?? Or can they be put in, indirect sunlight, that has enough sunlight, but somewhat in a shade? Example……I live in Texas, most if not all sunlight is in the backyard. The front door has a partial/full sunlight, until 12noon. And then around 1-2pm then it’s shaded, but still has enough natural light! Does that make sense?
Could someone please help me? I have a panda plant and the tip of one of it’s leaves is getting mushy. I bottom-water it every saturday. I leave it at a spot where it gets indirect sunlight during the noon and direct sunlight at the evening. It has happened previously to another leave but it stoped, the mushy part dried up. Really don’t know what I did… :/ Thanks in advance.
You keep saying that succulents are so easy to propagate but I’ve not been able to get them to root. I’ve tried countless times without success.I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. All of my other plants are easily propagated with no issues. I don’t know what I am doing or I’m not doing. Any help? Thank you .
In the first minute, you mention keeping succulents in full sun/as much sun as possible, but, aside from the obvious points like there are some succulents that actually prefer shade or not full sun and your article here seems to lean towards indoor succulent care. If you live in an area, like, say, some parts of Australia, too much full sun can damage and kill succulents, even if a lot of sources online say full sun. I don’t know why, if it’s because the ozone is thinner here so the sunlight is actually harsher or if it’s due to the fact that most succulents come from climates/biomes that are actually quite different compared to Australia’s. This isn’t from some scientific study, this is just coming from someone who lives in Australia and who has lost several succulents or have had several become sun damaged/burnt because I’ve left them out in the full sun. Especially on the very hot days.
so if i dont water mine ever day i forget, so what i do with plants that need less water, i just give them small amounts every day, like just little pours. same goes for if you don’t have drainage holes! otherwise, i prefer putting mine in baskets, and i’ll put some cling wrap in the bottom of the basket so the water doesn’t drain out to fast! and anyways, flower baskets are cuter! and i try not to throw away my plants until i know they’re dead, because i’d feel bad if i threw away a living think! like, that’d be the equivalent of having a baby and not being able to change their diapers properly so you just throw them out! XD!