Succulents are drought-tolerant plants that store water in their leaves and stems, so they don’t need to be watered as frequently as other plants. They should be kept in direct sunlight, such as a well-lit kitchen or bedroom, and kept warm. Avoid chilly spaces or containers without holes at the bottom. To ensure proper watering, water them thoroughly once a week in summer, twice a month in spring and fall, and monthly during winter dormancy. Rotate them frequently, water according to the season, and choose containers with drainage holes. Plant them in well-drained soil, keep them comfortablely warm, and water them when the soil feels dry to touch.
Succulents need at least six hours of full sun per day, and they should be watered properly. The right pot and soil, with a porous and well-draining soil with a loose and grainy texture, is ideal for succulents to avoid prolonged watering. Watering should be done according to the season and the type of succulent.
📹 Succulent Tips for Beginners // Garden Answer
This video was made in partnership with Espoma Organic Follow us Here: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gardenanswer …
Why is my indoor succulent dying?
To diagnose the cause of succulent plant decline, a detailed examination of the plant is required to identify the presence of pests, including scale insects, mealybugs, webbing, and fungus gnats. It is important to examine the leaves and stems for indications of overwatering, such as the presence of soft, mushy leaves and stems, and a lack of water, as evidenced by shriveled or brown leaves. Insufficient irrigation can result in root rot, while infestation by pests can cause damage or death.
How to tell a succulent needs water?
Succulents have fleshy leaves that store water, helping them survive in the desert. However, they can become thirsty due to shriveled and dry leaves, wrinkled and droopy ends, and brown leaves. Overwatering and underwatering are common watering issues for succulents. To avoid these issues, it is essential to follow basic rules and know the right time to water or stop watering. This guide covers key highlights to ensure that your plants are being watered correctly, including knowing when to stop watering and what to do if you unintentionally do any of these actions. By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your succulents are being watered properly and maintain their vibrant and low-maintenance nature.
How do you survive a dying succulent?
To propagate a succulent, one must first extract it from the soil, remove any excess soil, and then sever any roots that are rotten, brown, or black in color. The plant should then be left on a mesh or strainer until the roots have undergone a two-to-three-day air-drying process. Once the plant has undergone complete desiccation, it should be replanted in its original container. In the event that the roots are entirely rotten, it is necessary to remove them and any puckered or black spots on the stem.
Are succulents easy to keep alive?
Succulents are a popular indoor plant that can survive dry conditions with minimal effort due to their adaptations such as fleshy leaves, thick stems, or enlarged roots. These plants are known for their striking textures and transform into living sculptures for interior rooms. Succulents are adapted to survive dry indoor environments, especially in winter due to the dry air and low relative humidity in homes. They can survive without ugly side effects and can be grown indoors with minimal effort. To care for these plants, learn how to grow them and how to care for them.
Why are succulents so hard to keep alive?
Succulents are easy, low-maintenance houseplants that can be successfully grown if the right conditions are provided. However, many people struggle with them due to inadequate light and improper potting medium regulation. Succulents need a lot of light, especially in a south-facing window with at least half a day of bright sunlight. To ensure the right amount of light, check the plant tag or online description before purchasing.
Lack of light can be a major issue for succulents, as it can be difficult to judge the amount of light in your home. For example, a south-facing window may not be enough light for your plants, as the building next door blocks the sun for a significant portion of the day. To assess the amount and duration of light your plant receives, observe it every hour or two over the course of a day and record your observations in a chart.
The hours of light in a day may vary depending on the time of year, so it may be necessary to do this multiple times in different seasons. Once you assess your light needs, you may decide that a houseplant with lower light needs will be easier for you than a succulent. Understanding these concepts can help beginners grow succulents successfully or find alternative options.
Do succulents like heat?
Succulents typically thrive in temperatures above 80-90 degrees F, but they can be deadly when combined with heat. Most smooth-leaved succulents need sun protection in summer, especially above 80 degrees. Echeverias in bright shade are healthy but have lost color, while those in greater sun have red edges but are smaller. Jade (Crassula ovata) is stressed by heat and dryness, slowly draining its leaves to stay alive. After irrigation or rain, leaves will be plump and greener, indicating that heat and sun can be harmful to succulents.
Do succulents purify air?
House plants, especially succulents, are great for purifying air and adding greenery to your home. However, air purifiers are a powerful solution to tackle air pollutants. The LEVOIT Air Purifier is an excellent choice due to its advanced filtering, which captures 99. 97 of airborne particles as small as 0. 3 microns. It features an intuitive touch control panel, adjustable fan speeds, and a sleep mode for quiet operation. Its sleek design allows it to blend seamlessly into any room and provide powerful air cleaning capabilities.
What is the trick to keeping succulents alive?
Succulents thrive in a variety of conditions, including high temperatures and full sun exposure. They need sun protection, especially if the temperature hits the 90-degree mark or they are small. To protect them from sunburn, choose plants with red, gray, blue, or spines that reflect the sun’s rays. Start with the right soil, such as a fast-draining cactus mix or amending a traditional potting soil with coarse perlite, crushed lava, or pumice. Low-water isn’t no-water, as they need water when soil approaches dry before being watered.
Small pots should be watered once a week, while large pots should be watered every two weeks. Despite the importance of providing shade, overwatering or under-watering can cause rot in succulents. To ensure optimal growth, follow these guidelines and ensure your plants receive the necessary water during dry periods.
Do succulents need direct sunlight?
Succulents thrive in bright direct light, needing at least 6 hours of natural light daily. For shady corners, choose plants like mother-in-law tongue that thrive in low light and place them near a south or east-facing window. Hanging a trailing type like “string of bananas” is recommended. If your succulents already have good light, use goose-neck plant lights to give them an extra boost.
Should I mist my succulents?
To ensure healthy indoor succulents, water them directly by soaking the soil mix until it runs out of the drainage holes, without using a spray bottle. Place pots in a pan of water and allow the water to absorb through the hole. Once the soil is moist, remove from the pan. Keep the plants clean by wiping off leaves and spines gently with a damp cloth or a soft paintbrush. If pests are a concern, spray the soil with 70% isopropyl alcohol to eliminate eggs and larvae, as gnats are attracted to wet and poorly drained soil.
📹 Indoor Succulent Care: 5 Tips for keeping your indoor succulents healthy
Growing succulents indoors doesn’t have to be tricky, if you follow my steps! In this week’s video, I share 5 tips for keeping your …
Couple of extra tips that might help: When re-potting, remove the succulent carefully from its current pot, and put to one side. Place the now-empty old pot into the new one, on a shallow layer of soil, so that the rim of the old pot stands a little proud of the rim of the new one. Infill around the old pot with the compost, and press the compost to firm it, but not too compact. Gently remove the old pot and – voila! You have a ready-made hole to exactly fit the succulent, which you can now place into the hole you have precisely made for it! The level of the new soil should be a fraction below the level of the soil around the succulent (or cactus, even!) in order to keep the neck/stem of the plant, slightly above the level of the watering line. This will help to prevent stem-rot. Use purpose-made gravel to surround and support the plant, if the neck is a little wobbly. Succulents will, in time, lose their lower leaves, exposing the stem more and more, which is fleshy and prone to damage from water, or handling, so gravel will help shield it from those dangers. Here to help – !! :o)
Great article, thanks for the tips! You mention watering the succulents right after you plant them. I’ve found that when I do this, mine are more likely to rot. I found some tips online saying not to water them for the first week after planting, and have found much more success with my succulents being healthy afterwards! Wanted to throw that in there.
Great Advice! Here’s something most people dont know: NEVER plant in terracotta or clay pots INDOORS because they dry out the plant, mold, crack and are VERY prone to getting flies, especially over the winter. I always plant in the original plastic pot then place it into a bigger pot, like a coffee mug. Otherwise, this is great advice! thanks 😀
I’ve killed more than a few succulents and others 😔 but I seem to have gotten the hang of it, the major turning point for me was when a friend told me not to water my plants directly from the tap water. The chemicals in the water were killing my babies! Instead, she told me to fill up a gallon of tap water and let it sit for 24-48 hours to allow the chems to dissipate.
Thanks 4 sharing. My advice from a killer, do not water often ( consider if winter, summer or depending on ur season, a week or month), do not put on direct sunlight thus only indirect light, if cold or winter then put the plants inside, use pots with succulent soil only and with holes, and fertilize accordingly or re-pot with new succulent soil. There u go… i learnt mine for my aloe vera and i’m trying to revive some of the remaining and i’m new to succulents, thanks i just reliazed it is spring time so lucky i am.
I absolutely love succulents and cacti. I have unfortunately killed off a few succulents (I find cacti much easier to care for) in the last few years. Watering them from the top, watering them too much, too much light and also not enough light! I’ve found keeping them pretty tricky so far. I’ve done a fair bit of research since then though and bought myself just one last week. Thought I’d better concentrate on keeping just one alive first before I buy any more! Great vid, some really helpful tips there! Thank you. 🙂
Hello Laura, I would like to really thank you for the informative articles you share and for your encouraging remarks. From over-watering to improper propagation, growing succulents for me was quite challenging. However, with the immensely useful knowledge you kindly provide, and with my curiosity regarding these beautiful plants, my failures became valuable learning lessons. In addition to proper plant care and treatment, the education you provide was key to my botanical success. Keep up the great work! 🌺 Best, Khalid
I just subscribed and clicked the bell. Last year, I had purchased a succulent and a cactus and succulent planting mix. My plant was doing great until a few months later when I ended up in the hospital. I was away from home 5-6 months. When I finally got home, my succulents along with my other plants were shriveled up and beyond saving. I have hens and chickens growing in pots outside. I don’t do anything special for them and they are doing fairly well considering how long I was away from home.
Going to try these tips. I got a succulent from my dear friends funeral that had passed away. I did amazing with it at first and it was so healthy. Now starting to have little leafs from the bottom of it shriveled and fall off… plants and any kind of nature was one of her favorite hobbies. Trying to carry on that for her. Wish me luck !!!
Im on my dad’s account rn, but he has a little succulent garden, and I remember my mom used to take dropped leaves from the succulents and plant them and they would grow into new succulents. Because I was bored, I found one with a tiny root and planted it in a small ceramics mug i made with rocks in the bottom. It’s actually growing and it’s so beautiful. I want to grow more, but I figured I might as well learn about what I’m doing before I go on ahead XD. Thanks so much for the tips!
This article was very helpful. One of my succulents does a couple of days ago from me over watering it, but now I know the correct amount of water to give it! Also, could you do a article on small bamboo. I have a small house plant size of my own and was wondering how much I should water it, if it needs fertilized, and how much sun to give it. Hopefully you see this comment!!
I am on my 2nd aloe vera and it’s definitely doing better than the last one did, but still battling to get it to perk up a bit more. I will probably try fertilizer on the next watering. Now I’m trying my first graptopetalum murasaki/pentandrum and it’s turned a green/blue color vs. the purple-y it was when I bought it. After perusal this, I at least know to leave that dust-like covering on the leaves alone! Thanks for making these articles for succulent newbies like me!
I had a succulent when i lived in a musty basement room (where I eventually found mold growing underneath my mattress) and it was tiny and i got it at a weird plant sale at school and it survived a long time, including a three week period where i went out of country for vacation. Upon arrival I expected it to be dead but found it alive and kicking. Fast forward to moving into an actual apartment, i forgot about it for a week and when i checked on it i found it completely dried out and dead 🙁 something about that musty basement really encouraged growth.
Funny how she says Watch out for bugs / insects take a picture of it to your local garden center. Here is the point in the Netherlands I went to the local garden center and what do I see? Cactus and Succulents in just plain garden soil…..they don’t even know how to pot the catcti or succulents, let alone tell you about what bug or insect is in your plant lol. I think it is better to go to forums and what not I bet that people discover what investation you got alot faster then someone who works at a garden center who knows nothing about the plants harritage but just to sell it
As always I love your articles!! BUT I’m giving up on the succulents 😢. I think the problem in my apartment is I don’t get much light and where ever there’s a window the ac/heat vent is on the ceiling above it. Until im able to afford one of the shelvings with the plant light im giving up on the succulents. i breaks my heart for my plants to die. Soooo could you please do a article on types of house plants that don’t need a lot of sunlight. I really really wants some plants in my apt 😢. oh and by the way my windows have no ledges either.
Hi I have a question! I accidentally propagated a succulent from a leaf out of my friends wedding centerpiece, the cutting is growing nicely but it is very long. I was just doing some research and found out that it is not getting enough sunlight. Is there anyway to fix this plant? Will it die quicker from being long and not flat? I’d like to give it to my friends as a one year anniversary gift.
I lost all my indoor plants late last year due to a long hospitalization and they didn’t get watered. So starting over. Brought three succulents today and got them planted inside. I live in Nova Scotia so they won’t go outside at all. lol I love these little plants. After planting them in small terra cotta pots they just look so pretty! Thank you for your advice.
My first succulent, Oregon Sedum small stem from the wild, I thought didn’t need watered so it dried up. On top of that, I only had regular potting soil. The second time around I made sure to have proper soil and watered regularly until the roots established. Now I have a thriving set of sedums in the window sill. And apparently some outside that had fallen off from the main plant and dried in the sun. They perked up and lasted the winter under a shrub.
I had a few succulent gardens I made at a plant nite (paint nite but with plants). And they did very well until I bright them inside for winter and the cat killed them. I just ordered 4 plants with plans to keep them better out of reach. I can’t wait to get them and really appreciate your advice! Wish me luck!!
I am a beginner learning about succulents. I have one plant called “sedum”. After perusal your show, I realize that I need to keep it in a pot, not the ground. I will try not to water too much because that has caused my problems in the past. I love your show because it gives me simple instructions. Maybe I can really do this and not kill the plant.
Greetings Laura (and Aaron), I love your articles! Your passion and joy for gardening is contagious and I’ve caught it bad. Especially with succulents. They are perfect in my climate, a very hot zone 9 in Northern Cali. I would love to see more detailed articles about care, arrangement, and compatibility. Which work better together? What’s a good arrangement for full shade/full sun? How to read the signs of what the plant needs, what it looks like when it needs more or less water or sun or whatever… maybe this would be better on your other new website (which I also love, BTW) but I’d love access to more of the vast stores of knowledge you’ve attained over the years. Thank you for everything you do. You inspire so many people.
Thank you for your great tips.. Always wanting to hear ways to keep my succulents looking great. I did have a problem with the Millie bugs or maybe aphids so I used dawn soap in a spray bottle mixed with water and they are gone and my succulent is doing fine.. Next time I’ll try the alcohol. Love perusal all your article’s.. Thank you..
Hey Laura! Maybe you could give me some specifics. My succulents suffer too much in the winter. It’s so dull and dark in MI. in the winter almost all of them elongated. Yuck. If I got plant lights for them to live under for the winter (they spend summer outside), would this be sufficient? I hardly watered and gave them the brightest light I have, but they are ruined. I can cut them off and plant them again, but our summers aren’t long enough for them to get beautiful. Once, years ago, I pulled them out of the soil and laid them in cardboard boxes and put them under my bed for the winter, and they did better than mine did this last winter. I hate to take that chance now, because I have echeverias that were kind of pricey. What are your thoughts, and are there any plant lights that are stronger? Thanks!
I love you articles thank you for posting and educating. We recently reported my aloe plant with miracle grow cats and succulent mix and now I have gnats. Do you have any recommendations? I was thinking of throwing out the soil ( even though its new) and getting different soil we also bought sand and perlite to add to the new soil.
Thank you for the leaf health tip Laura 😀 I have an Ogre Jade plant in my dorm room and it’s leaves are very thin and cylinder like. It is by the window and I’ve noticed the glass container it is in gets cold. The bottom of the container has medium rocks for drainage and succulent soil. My Haworthia also has a reddish burgundy color around the base of a few leaves. Any tips are appreciated 😊
Great article! What kind of lightbulbs do you use for your succulents in the winter time? I’ve been told that CFL bulbs are good. I’ve used them for my orchid and philodendrons and they do seem to work fine since most areas of my house don’t get a lot of light. Even less in the winter. I’ve also looked at grow lights. Thanks.
I just moved to California from the east coast. I inherited a large outdoor jade plant when I moved. It’s quite old from the looks of it no pruning was ever done. It’s not dense with leaves but had a lot of leggy stems that were curved. I have it outside still but not in southwest facing area and the stems have grown towards the sun. It’s quite red now due to the heat and sun. I know I need to repot it. The soil is rock hard. I just noticed white silvery film on the tips of a lot of leaves. They don’t seem to be the bugs you mention in the article. I have no clue what it could be. Any thoughts?
I have a friend/neighbor that purchased a succulent some time ago. When she decided to transplant it from the pot that it came in, she didn’t have any soil that was suited for succulents and potted in regular potting soil. I saw the little thing when she first repotted it. Well, let me tell you, that little thing too off! She gets the afternoon sun and it’s done nothing but to be happy in it’s pot and place of domicile.
Hi! What type of grow light do you recommend? I’m in the midwest and it’s very cold right now and we don’t get a lot of sun. I have a purple grow light that I use for my aloe and cacti but I think its causing my succulents to stretch. And tips or advice would be appreciated! Thanks for the article, very helpful!
I’ve got a succulent from a baby shower I went to as a gift and never found out what it was. I used regular soil for like flowers and things like that. I’ve had this succulent for over a year and since then I’ve collected many more using the same soil I did for my first one. They are all happy and healthy so my question is if I should change the soil? Also none of them have drainage holes but they seem to be doing fine but I wouldn’t want them to be unhappy.
Hey ..I like your article and I bought one succulent a month ago, sorry i don’t know the name of the succulent. My succulent has grown a lit bit but the shape of stem has changed.. instead of growing straight they are growing curly and the leave is also got shrinked a lit bit.Kindly suggest what needs to be done.
I know this might be a silly question, but is there a way to make putting soil work (at least temporarily) or is this like a death sentence to them? Would adding perlite, rocks or something help? If yes, what ratio? I recently just bought some succulents and just realize their package doesn’t include the soil, I only have regular potting soil though I tried incorporating some drier (used) soils too in hope it might work. Also I didn’t water them (plan to use spray bottle to damp the soil) yet as I don’t really know how to handle new succulent and the soil should have some moisture. I will try to find cactus soil ASAP as it isn’t common in my area, is there a recommendation of best ratio for cactus soil components?
my mom bought me a succulent as a gift and i didn’t know how to take care of it. i overwatered and some of the leaves on the bottom began to become soggy and rot. once they fell off i repotted it because it had grown a lot very fast by that time and was to big for its pot. i let it dry out and left it outside on my porch with my moms other plants for about, a month checked on it every now and then. and it’s very strong and healthy now it’s leaves are super firm. their almost alarmingly hard is this a sign of anything bad? it’s a fox tail agave.
I live in Minneapolis Minnesota I tell you this because then you would know how dry it is even have humidifiers upstairs and a dehumidifier downstairs I checked the soil level I still can’t get them to live I decided one more time to buy a big huge succulent plant set up arrangement must make it live live
Hi my name is Claudia Im fron guatemala I love your website I learned a lot from you but i have a question do you Know why the same kind of succulent in one container looks pink and in the other container looks turquoise and some look redin one pot and in the other pot looks green do you think is its the sun? I like the effect but when I want green turns red so I want to know what is it that gives them that variety of color thank you 🙂
I have a powder puff, i keep it in the shade during the morning and direct sunlight in the afternoon. What should i do differently? Also, what should i do if my little plant son gets hit with really cold temperatures? Is there anything i can do? Because i want my little wilbur to be alive as long as possible.
I’ve just become a succulent dad and I’ve never been big into plant keeping but I was at Lowe’s and saw this poor baby succulent half dead (leafs were completely dead, soil was so dry just touching it made it fall apart, leafs were dropping). I irrationally bought it, bc I kinda felt connected to it. I replanted it yesterday, debrided the dying leaves and watered it. This morning it’s at turgent and full of life :)🌵
I bought a succulent months ago and I placed it in a cute small bowl without a drainage hole because Ill be putting it on my desk. I read a lot of articles from websites to learn how to take care of it that’s why I water them with limited amount only on Sunday mornings. I think my succulent is fine because it just gets enough water. But when I watched this article, I learned that succulents stretches when they didn’t get enough sunlight, which is happening to my succulent right now. I’ll try to open my window more for the sunlight to go in. Thank you for the tip!
I bought two succulents to keep me company during the lockdown, and one of them turned out to be not as healthy to begin with, while i was driving from the store two leaves fell off, so by the third day at my home half of the leaves had fallen off. The worst thing is I felt strong emotional connection to my plants and cried throughout the day by just remembering about the poor plant (which I even named, Whizzer) sooo that’s been… an experience.
I have notoriously been known to kill plants. I received my first succulent at a wedding in April 2021 and I have managed to keep it alive and it’s growing! I just bought my 3rd succulent plant yesterday and I can proudly say I am a succulent mom! It’s my new hobby. I’ve even been able to propagate a leaf and got 2 babies!
I know I’m late, but my biggest struggle was succulent streching… My echeveria streched in winter from very low light, I panicked at first, but then decided to buy a grow lamp. Also I am going to pluck the bottom leaves of that echeveria and propagate them, cut the top rossete and put it in another pot and keep the stem, so that way I get a good use of every part of that plant and it will look nicer than it before. I recommend everyone to try that if your succulent stretched 🙂
I’ve been keeping succulents for a year. Apart from this one rot incident, I’ve never had any problem with repotting and propagation. It’s amazing how they withstand. The only thing I struggle with is…sometimes I had to keep my plants away from me so as to not feel compelled to water them too often…
In my recent first attemp to make a terrarium, I repot my succulents in a pot without drainage holes. The moist cactus mix soil started to make one of them looking ”dizzy”. I took them out to the balcony, and sun made his job right. Now they look great and alive, but i water them once a month just in case, haha… 😀
I kinda wish I had known this when I bought a succulent in May last year. The person I bought it from told me to water from the bottom, and was very adamant about NEVER watering from the top, though she didn’t give me a reason why. She also sold the succulent in regular potting soil, not anything grainy, and she never told me that I would need grainy soil, so when it got too big for the little pot it was in, I repotted it (without looking up a tutorial or anything, but that’s on me) with regular garden soil. She also told me that I should only put a tiny bit of water into the dish I had the pot sitting in once every week. And then she told me that succulents take years to grow big enough that you would have to repot them (still haven’t checked that) and the leaves should never die. Finally, the only guideline she gave me for water was to wait until the bottom leaves were getting wrinkly. She didn’t even mention anything about soil during the 10 minutes she spent telling me how to care for them. She had a shop full of little succulents and other plants, so for this long I never bothered looking up anything else. I just assumed that she knew what she was doing. It’s been doing really bad over the past several months. The leaves are all flat or dried up, the stem thing has grown more than an inch and all the leaves on there fell off so it kinda looks like a succulent tree, and I can’t tell whether I underwatered it or overwatered it. I’m gonna order some gritty soil and start watering it the right way, and maybe get a lamp for it because I don’t think it’s getting enough sun sitting by the brightest window in my house.
You asked what was the best thing I learned from this article. ☀️Sunlight ☀️ I got a succulent arrangement for Mother’s Day and I have kept it on my dining room table. It has stretched out so much. I will be checking out your article about stretching. Thank you. 😁 Hopefully, you have some articles on identifying. My husband took off the tag. 🤦🏽♀️. I have no idea which ones they are. And they are dying. There is a one with flowers in the middle and a vining one. I think chicks and hen?? I’m lost. 🥴
I am glad I found this article. I made succulent planters to give to family at my mother’s memorial mass and luncheon. I have enough time to replace and replant. I wanted to use mugs and glasses as planters…. what a mistake. Thank goodness I have time to rectify this so the poor plants do not die. Thanks fo r the tips. I may even reconsider using succulents since maintain ace is tricky.
I have been using a self made mix of organic cactus/succulent mix, small pine bark and perlite for repotting my succulents and it’s been working quite well. I always use a water meter to check moisture content as the upper layer can be very deceiving in reading the overall water level of the soil. Give your indoor succulents as much southern light as possible and turn them often.
Thank you Thank you Thank you! I have been growing a succulent for many years and wondered why it spread out so much! I could tell it was growing toward light and have turned it frequently to encourage more even growth, but now I know to provide more light, to ensure more compact growth! I realize now that it has grown best with a south facing window, which it only had in two of the 3 offices I have had and hasn’t had at all since I moved it home!!!
Thank you so much for the awesome article! I can never keep my indoor succulents alive. They mostly end up rotting which I never understood because I got the “potting soil” meant for succulents and rarely watered them. Like once every two weeks I would water them and they would still rot. I will definitely be purchasing the rock mix you shared in the article, I think that is the biggest issue. Lastly I didnt realize by spraying them they would have smaller roots so I will be changing some things. Thanks again!
Thanks so much for sharing your info! I just ordered the gritty soil mix you suggested! I’m excited to try again with indoor succulents! I have grown Hens and Chickens outside for years. They were so easy that I thought I could buy others types and they would be easy indoor too, but they were not! So now I’m confident that I can try again! Excellent article!
Many thanks for a very clear, helpful piece. I had already bought a Cacti & Succulent Potting Mix. It says is has Seramis grit and sand mixed in, which seems like some clever way of absorbing water and then letting out it to the roots as seems necessary. Even through a quite thick plastic bag it feels coarse and gritty. So I’ll try it. Thanks again, from the UK.
I discovered your website and YouTube website today, so I have learned a lot. I am a semi-beginner to succulents and plants in general. I’m used to caring for big trees and just having some landscaping evergreen bushes. I don’t have the greatest luck with houseplants because I get busy during the day and forget to water them frequently enough, so I started to lean towards succulents that I can water once every few weeks on a schedule. I found a ton of small, beautiful succulents on clearance recently and bought several. I used your website and a few others to identify them and get an idea of their general care. I have a few zebra plants and jade plants that should do well indoors…and some plants that I’m going to have to move outside eventually.
Thank you! I am new at this and I got a zebra Hiawathia from Walmart and I don’t really know what I am doing. I realized from this article that I should get a pot with a drainage hole vs the pot it came with. I should also change the soil composition. I also realized instead of watering about 1 tbs per day I should soak the soil and then let it dry out so that the plant can grow big roots. I do have one question, recently my zebra haworthia started to get a small redish hint on the tip of one of the leaves, do you know if that is natural or a sign of something wrong?
Your soil advice is worth it. I’ve been using potting soil and even when I let it dry out my Jade doesn’t seem happy. I’m changing the soil today. As for light, it is stretching but I didn’t know that was bad. Living on the 45th parallel in Far Northern Vermont, I’m sure it’s not getting adequate sun. Thanks for the tips and clear instructions.
Hi. Is it normal for a succulent cutting to fall some leaves off when planted on the soil? Even without watering them for a week? I always has this problem and it’s just frustrating that my succulents don’t look good anymore after a week of planting them on the soil because most of their leaves turn yellow and eventually fall off. What could be the problem? Thanks in advanced!
My comment is based on my experience growing succs mostly outdoors (but many in containers) and in Zone 10A in SW Florida. The Turface in the BJ soil seems to hold too much water during our humid and rainy Summer season. I do buy Turface because I think it’s a nice top dressing, particularly for smaller pots, and its color sets off the blue/green of many succs. I use a soil mix recommended by a small, local nursery specializing in rare succulents (mostly from Madegasgar) – equal parts CocoCoir and Perlite, with a scoop of Zeolite (minerals consisting of hydrated aluminosilicates of sodium, potassium, calcium, and barium) . I buy the Coir in dry blocks and rehydrate just enough to break it down. I buy Hoffman’s chunky Perlite, because I think it enhances the drainage compared to most Perlite varieties.
Brand new to succulent growing indoors. I have a beautiful south facing window with a counter as well as a ledge so they get plenty of sunshine. My biggest concern is this: I’m never sure if the soil is completely dry. Due to the nature of the mixture I use, I cannot poke my finger in very far. I can use the feel the weight method, but I’m fearful of over watering. I’m going with a watering of about once every 1 1/2 weeks and then just leaving them alone. So far. so good. Your article was very informative…Thank-you!
I’m a new succulent mom. I’m realizing now mine might not get enough sunlight in my apartment. I’m wondering what your thoughts are on having succulents be indoor/outdoor plants? I’m hesitant to leave them out all the time and I know they won’t get enough light inside, so I could take them out each day and bring them in the evening? I was also wondering what your suggestion would be if I already potted them in the lowes cactus mix without adding anything to help with drainage? Your articles have been so helpful already!
I’ve had 2 of my succulents (from a monthly subscription) die so I’m perusal articles on what to do to keep my others alive. (I have no problem keeping regular plants alive.) I keep seeing that soil is very important so I just bought the cactus/succulent soil today. It felt pretty soil like in the bag and not like small stones. I’m glad you mentioned to mix Perlite in the mix. I will do that. Hoping that will work!
Who could dislike this article??? Thanks so much, I am learning to properly care for my succulents perusal your articles. The only thing I can’t find is how to bring an aloe (not idea what kind, its small, soft spikes and white spots) I got as a gift and although it has been in the sun (indoors) and I thought I was doing Ok taking care of it, it got red, skinny and stretched out. I read it could be the sun in the window was too strong but when I moved it to a different spot it didn’t get any better 🙁
I just purchased my first succulent and it’s multicolored (green, purples and reds). Like most people I was attracted to the colors and how beautiful it looks in a wood box. Now I’m not sure how to take care of it! After perusal this article, it obviously does not have a drainage hole. Do I replant it?
My struggle with my succulents is for their healthy survival through being indoors in Michigan winters. Some want more water, some less and some die as I try to find their preferences. I have had a large collection but it continues to shrink as they decide they don’t like Michigan, or maybe just don’t like my care of them! Your article helped tremendously, even though I have heard you give these suggestions before. (And thank you for your expertise) Indoor winter light is a problem and I use grow lights, which help, but don’t stop the frequent stretching. I will work on choosing the right ones for my area, replanting into better soil and being sure there are drainage holes so I can water deeper.
I remember when I 1st started on growing succulents now 3 years ago I watched as many articles I could find and you are one of my favorite. Thank you for this vital information. I have still made many mistakes but have enjoyed much success as well. I just redid all my snake plants that survive well inside here in the Vancouver Canada area. I was trying to search if you can put pearls with the snake plants as my pearls seems to get mealy bugs and I have lost too many. Someone just gave me a whole pot of pearls–should I just keep them that way? As what kind of light do they need? Thanks for all your sharing it sure has helped my journey with these wonderful and fascinating plants.
I received a Succulent Plant with a variety of succulents. I live in the Seattle area and getting the amount of sunlight is very Iffy. I have put it in the bathroom at night where the bright ceiling light that is also the heat lamp in the bathroom. I am finding that the cactus part of the succulent is growing very rapidly. I didn’t realize they actually grew. I don’t feel comfortable repotting this early.
This is my second time trying to care for a succulent and ive been doing more research this time. I need to teach myself more responsibility and stuff and also adore succulents- im hoping that this may both help me with self-care stuff, and get me into gardening more! I wanna be able to do more gardening stuff with my dad too and maybe caring for succulents together could be a fun thing,,
I bought 2 succulents and i really struggled with soil. First the soil they came from the shop holds a lot of water so i had replanted them after 2 days. Then the leaves of the succulents started to wrinkle and turned soft and the tips were dieing so again i replanted them in a soil with less fertilisers. And for now they are fine. my mexican snowball looks a bit weird without a lot of lower leaves.
I’ve been trying to take care of a handful of succulents for a couple of months now! They’re alive… but some I have struggled with. I ended up getting a grow light for them because they were stretching. But now that they’re stretched I’m lost. They aren’t getting worse. But they aren’t getting better either! Lol and I didn’t know the cactus potting mix wasn’t good to go as is! I’ll have to get some pearlite!
My biggest problem has been that my succulents rot.. but these tips seem very helpful and very knowledgeable, for instance I used to spray them just a little bit thinking that a little moisture would be good, I now see that that was not such a good idea. Thank you very much for these tips. Great article!
My biggest issue has been UK winter, as putting them near the windows means they are far too cold, and the light isn’t even that great. I put them in a tiny greenhouse on the window sill to keep them warm, but its still not enough for them to dry out quick (my compost is 80% gravel). Think once I get my own place the only way would be to not have pretty plants during winter and grab a grow light.