Succulent Care

Are you new to growing succulents? Curious on the best way to care for your new plant?

You're in luck!! Succulents are very hardy and if you pay attention they will tell you what they need.

Here are some general tips that work for most succulents.

Light Requirements

Most succulents require at least 4-6 hours of direct sunlight a day. Direct sunlight is when you can obviously see the light hitting the plant. It's always best to take note of how long the sun hits the spot you want to place your succulent. If it's indoors, south facing windows tend to work the best.

How do you know if it is getting enough? It's quite easy, your plant will get leggy when it needs more light. That is when a succulent will stretch out to reach the sun or light source.
leggy succulent trying to reach a light source 
See how this succulent has a lot of space between the leaves? This is a sign that the plant does not have enough sun light. This plant was getting only 5 hours of sun.
Once this was moved over to get 7 hours of sun the plant stopped stretching out. The leaves should be very compact like they are towards the top.

 

Watering Succulents

This part can be a little tricky depending on the container you have your succulents in. Succulents are prone to being over-watered and getting root rot or mold/fungus.

If your plant is inside or gets only morning light, then a shot glass (1-2 oz) of water a week is sufficient for most succulents.

Pots and Containers

Depending on your watering style your pot may or may not need a drain hole. If you are not someone who tends to overwater, you can get a pot without drainage.

If your pot or container has a hole in the bottom to allow excess water to drain out. You also have to leave space around the bottom of the pot for the drain hole to work properly. 

Do you have your pot in a saucer to keep the excess water from getting everywhere? Make sure the saucer isn't filled with water because this can prevent the extra water from draining.

If your pot has a drain hole then you can touch the soil for dryness. If the soil feels dry by the drain hole, then it's time to give it a deep watering. Succulents like it when the soil drys out between waterings. If your pot is inside, this would roughly be every 2 weeks, every week if it's outside.

Succulent Soil

What you use or don't use for planting a succulent in the ground or in a pot is one of the most important things.

If you are like most, you go to your local nursery or home improvement stores and pick up a bag of cactus soil mix. This can work for your plants, BUT only if you amend it. The cactus soil mix generally retains too much water for succulents and you end up with root rot.

How do you amend the soil? The easiest way is to add perlite. Add enough perlite to your soil until it looks like salt and pepper.