Succulents are often claimed as one of the easiest plants to grow. It doesn’t mean that you can carelessly grow them without knowing the dos and don’ts, though.
Knowing the basic succulent care tips and other details will help get you a healthy and happy growing succulent.
1. What Are the Essential Points You Need to Pay Attention to?
As we all know, succulents originally thrive in a dry climate. Bringing them to be parts of our homes should be along with some considerations. There are at least four points all succulents’ growers need to pay attention to, namely:
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The succulent varieties
More than just emphasizing on the succulents’ visual, their varieties should be your main concern. This is especially related to where you are going to place them.
Some varieties can be put indoors and outdoors. However, certain varieties might be best to be put outdoors rather than indoors; or the other way around.
Considering this will help determine what you could do next; especially related to providing them with proper treatment and care.
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Watering
A big part of succulent care should be focused on providing the right amount of water.
According to Darren Irwin, the co-founder of The Succulent Source, ninety percent of taking care of succulent is watering. Both over-watering and under-watering can lead to killing your succulents.
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The planting medium
This one is especially related to soil condition and whether or not the succulents grow on planters. Along with the previous point, they will decide the growth of your succulents.
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Lighting
Another thing that is essential for succulent to grow healthily and happily is enough access to lighting. It is important to know that no succulents will survive without getting adequate exposure to sunlight.
2. Signs Your Succulent Aren’t Happy
Your succulent plants will immediately tell you if there’s something off with the treatment you give. Some of the indications include mushy leaves, rotting stems, withered leaves, faded color, mold germinations, etiolations and sunburns.
3. Why Do That Happen?
When you spot your succulent having one of those issues, you need to reevaluate your succulent plants care based on these following threes.
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Overwatering and under-watering
When you are overwatering your succulents, they will store the water inside their bodies. Hence, your succulents’ leaves might look swollen and mushy.
Another problem caused by water accumulation is mold germinations. Too much water turns the leaves moldy, and if it is left, it can gradually deteriorate the succulents’ health.
Overwatering is no good for succulent plants, and neither does under-watering. Withered and dehydrated leaves are the indications that you do not give enough water to your plants.
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Soil condition
Having too dense soil will cause rotting stem. Such dense soil does not allow water from drying. Hence, the plants sit too long in water and cause the roots and stem to begin to rot.
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The Lighting
Do succulents need sun? Absolutely yes! Again, neither too much nor too little are good for your succulents.
Too much sunlight will burn your plants – indicated by black spots on the leaves.
Meanwhile receiving too little amount of sunlight will affect the plants’ color. They will generally turn paler compared to those who get enough sunlight.
Besides color, the plants might also experience etiolation due to the lack of lighting. It is indicated by a leggy looking plant, as a result of stretching their body to get the sunlight they need.
4. Indoors Succulents Care Tips
Succulents can undeniably add structure to your room. They are stylish and versatile to be put in any rooms.
However, not all succulents can survive an indoor environment. Considering the succulent varieties, some popular picks such as Burro’s Tail, Jade Plant, Flaming Katy, Panda Plant, Pincushion Cactus, Roseum and Zebra Plants are worth a look.
After deciding what indoors succulent you like, you need to follow these care tips to make sure they grow healthily and happily.
First, choose the right containers. When it comes to watering succulents, you need to be sure to leave the water just enough to hydrate the plants. Succulent don’t thrive on wet soil. Hence, having containers with drainage holes is important to pull out excess water.
Second, prep the soil. Indoor succulents need less dense soil, so it doesn’t hold water. Mixing pine bark fines, turface and crushed granite to get the right soil consistency; this combination will pull water out of the containers.
Third, be mindful with the watering portions and tools. You can give the right amount of water by using the right tools.
Hardly frequent direct watering using hose, pitcher and pipette are recommended. The one you need to avoid is using a sprayer as it can trigger molds to grow all over the succulents’ body.
Finally, allow them to get enough sunlight. Let your succulent plants to sit under the sunlight for at least six hours per day.
5. Outdoors Succulents care Tips
Among many varieties, Hens-and-Chicks, Ball Cactus, Whale’s Tongue Agave, Pig’s Ear, Zwartkop and Sunburst are tough enough for an outdoor setting.
Caring for succulents outside your house is relatively easier with these following tips.
Though planting succulents inside containers still need drainage holes, no special treatment is needed if you plant them directly into outdoors soil.
Succulents do not need any special fertilizer to support their growth. Hence almost all type of soils but clay-like or compact soil is suitable for them.
You might need to water outdoors succulent more often than the indoor succulents as the soil dry faster due to the sun exposure.
It is worth noting that your outdoor succulents need to be trained with the direct sunlight. The first time you bring home the plants from a nursery, they need to adapt to the outdoor conditions. Their skin might be too delicate for direct exposure.
Thus, train them gradually by exposing to the indirect sun then followed by direct sunlight is highly recommended to avoid sunburns.
Another tip to make your succulent healthy and happy is giving seasonal care. Especially if you live in a four seasons country, you need to protect your plants during extreme weather.
Cover them with frost cloth during winter or place them under a shady place during summer can help them smile all year long.
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