Your location, the conditions in which your succulents grow, the season, and the needs of each plant will all play a significant role in determining how often you need water them. Though there are numerous contributing aspects to take into account, don’t be alarmed; succulents are remarkably adaptable and will survive as long as they are not over-watered.
First off, only water succulents when their soil is almost entirely dry. By inserting a dry chopstick into the soil or by using a moisture meter, you may determine how dry your soil is. The succulents don’t need watering if moist earth adheres to a chopstick. Another choice is to use your finger and get dirty. It’s time to water if there isn’t much moisture surrounding the root ball.
Second, there isn’t a magic schedule for watering succulent plants. Waterings may need to be done daily or as infrequently as every three to four weeks, but always err on the side of underwatering. When the temperature is a little warmer, such as in the summer and spring, more frequent waterings may be necessary, whereas fall and winter call for less frequent waterings. Additionally, compared to succulents cultivated outside, indoor-grown varieties are probably going to need less frequent watering. Again, checking the soil’s moisture content is the simplest approach to assess whether your plant needs watering.
Third, the time of day is one of the most frequently disregarded guidelines for watering succulents. Never water succulents after 2 o’clock in the afternoon in the summer or after 11 o’clock in the winter. We’re not sure where this regulation originated, but it seems to make a difference.
How to Water Succulents
There is no one right technique to water succulents, however the following advice will help you get the best results.
Start by using a watering can or hose adapter that says “rain.” Basically, you don’t want to spray the plants or the soil around them with high-pressure water. Overly strong water currents can harm plants and shift the soil around their roots, which can lead to instability.
Second, give your succulents plenty of water. Similar to how it happens in nature, succulents develop robust, extensive root systems through the alternating wet and dry periods. By completely soaking the soil, you are training your plants to become accustomed to intense irrigation. Naturally, a time of “drought” must follow, which you may manufacture by letting the soil to totally dry out. In preparation for the upcoming “downpour,” the plant will naturally start to spread its roots during this period.
When water pours out of the drainage hole in your plants’ containers, the roots are fully saturated. Avoid letting extra water sit in drip trays because this might keep the soil soggy for a longer period of time and cause root rot.
My succulents’ soil feels too dry.
It’s better to keep your succulents too dry than too wet because of the unusual way they store water. They do occasionally become thirsty though, so like with any other plant, it’s crucial to be aware of their requirements.
How can one determine when to water their succulents, then? Let’s look more closely, shall we? After a protracted dry spell, your succulent may start to develop wrinkled leaves. This could be a sign of dehydration. However, make sure the soil is fully dry before you begin watering, and if it is, water at night when the plants breathe.
How do you tell whether a succulent needs to be watered?
There is a ton of information on the internet regarding watering succulents, specifically about overwatering them. You already know that overwatering is one of the seven deadly sins of succulents and will almost certainly result in your succulent being less than perfect. However, succulents do require watering, so how can you tell when it is necessary to water them or if you are just going to let them wither away in a pool of water?
A succulent with enough watering would have thick, sturdy leaves. There should not be much give when you squeeze them between your fingers. They probably require watering if they are soft. Wrinkled leaves are another telltale clue; when plants are thirsty, they pucker and wrinkle their leaves.
“Only water when the earth is fully dry,” is a common phrase. This is true, but sometimes it can be challenging to detect when the soil is dry if your plant occupies most of the pot or if you have a topdressing. Keep in mind that you want to ensure that the soil is dry throughout the entire pot, not just on the top.
Picking up the pot is my tried-and-true, highly scientific method of determining whether my plants require water. Learn about your plants; eventually, you’ll be able to discern if the soil is dry or not by the weight of the pot. It goes without saying that a pot with dry soil will weigh far less than a container with moist dirt. Therefore, pick up your pots after watering them and feel their weight. Then, pick them up once they are dry and feel their weight once more. After some practice, it will come naturally to you to know when your plant needs to be watered.
Another simple approach is to poke a wooden skewer into the ground; if it emerges clean and dry, your soil is probably dry and your succulent needs watering. Your succulent will be alright for the time being even if it comes out dusty and moist.
Water meters are available in garden centers and on Amazon if you wish to use a real scientific method. These ought to make it clear to you if your plant requires watering or not.
Always keep in mind that succulents require a full soak; water them until the drainage pores are completely filled. Not even a spritz will do.
You now know how to determine whether your succulent needs watering. Do you have a favorite way to determine whether your plants need water? If you do, please tell me about it! You can leave a comment below, or you can find me uploading photos of my plants on several social media platforms; the links are on the sidebar.
What amount of water should I be giving my succulent?
During the months that are not winter, when the temperature is above 40 degrees, you should water your succulents every other week. You should only water your succulent once a month in the winter (when the temperature falls below 40 degrees), as it goes dormant at this period.
A few situations constitute an exception to this rule. Because their tiny leaves can’t hold as much water as other varieties with larger leaves, some varieties of succulents need to be watered more frequently. In the non-winter months, feel free to give these small leaf succulents a water if they appear to be thirsty. When they are thirsty, succulents generally exhibit a wrinkled appearance. But always keep in mind that being underwater is preferable to being overwater.
How can you tell if the ground is moist?
Using a hand trowel or a sharp shovel, delve into the soil to check the soil moisture beyond visual inspection. Dig down two feet into the dirt with a straight-edged blade. Make a second soil cut about an inch in front of the first one, then grip the new cut with your hands. Check the dark portions of the soil by laying the soil slice on a piece of white paper or fabric. The soil is dry if the soil slice is light; the soil is damp if the soil slice is dark. How far the damp layer penetrates can be determined using a ruler.
Grab a handful of soil and use it as another tool to feel the soil. Squeeze the soil to determine its moisture content. The soil is moist if you squeeze it and it sticks together. However, if the soil breaks apart or stays in a loose pile after being squeezed, the ground requires additional water. Now set the soil aside and scrub your hands clean. If your palm appears clean, the ground is quite dry.
Pay attention to your plants
The best advice for general plant maintenance is to give your plants regular attention! One of the main factors contributing to poor plant health is improper irrigation, which frequently results from neglect. It can be simple for us to forget to check on our plants due to our hectic lifestyles. How many times have we thought, “I should water that later,” only to forget to do it? most likely quite a few.
If you check on your plants once every two days or so, you can spot tiny changes like withering leaves. Being alert to such changes will enable you to take preemptive action if your plant is drying out, which is significantly more efficient than following a set watering schedule.
Research your plant’s needs.
You should research the individual plant care needs of any new plant you intend to grow, whether it be an edible or indoor houseplant. Numerous articles on how to care for different houseplants and food plants are available. For each plant species, you can create brief notes that you can immediately refer to.
For instance, a quick Google search for “Prayer Plant plant care” revealed that they appreciate moist but not saturated soil that drains well. For my Prayer Plant, I only let the top inch of soil to dry out between waterings; this often takes a week, though it can dry out sooner when the weather is warmer.
One excellent approach to stay on top of your watering schedule is to understand which plants will dry up more quickly than others. Keep in mind that plants in warm, dry rooms and those in hanging baskets should be checked frequently because they dry up very rapidly. Most plants won’t require as much water when they are dormant, so you can cut back on your watering frequency as autumn approaches.
Check the surface of the soil
You can determine if the dirt on the surface of your pot is dry at a look. Since dry soil is nearly always lighter in color than moist soil, lighter brown soil implies surface dryness.
Although this method provides a general indicator of plant dryness, it works best with plants like umbrella palms and Boston ferns that can be maintained permanently moist.
For drought-tolerant plants like cacti, succulents, and Ficus species, it is less helpful because watering them when only the top layer of soil is dry will certainly result in overwatering. To determine whether these plants require watering, you need to dig a little deeper.
Poke your finger into the soil
Sticking your finger into the dirt is one of the simplest ways to determine whether your plant needs watering. Compared to just looking at the surface, this provides a clearer idea of the moisture content of the soil. You can feel how moist or dry the soil is by extending your hand 2-3 inches into it. Due to its restricted reach, this method works best with smaller potted plants. When using this technique, take care not to harm the roots; if you feel roots, try another section of the pot.
Lift your pots to determine their weight
Lifting the pots of your plants to check their weight is another approach to evaluate whether they need watering. When watering, nurseries frequently do this.
The plant will be lighter than usual if it is dry because water contributes to its weight. If you have a lot of potted plants, this rapid method is suggested! Try tilting larger pots to determine their weight.
The more times you use this strategy, the better you’ll get at it. You may determine which potted plants need watering by routinely picking them up. Lift the pot once you have finished watering it to determine its heaviest weight. This makes comparing its weight a few days later simpler. It probably needs watering if it seems much lighter.
Use a moisture sensor
You will undoubtedly be in a good position to determine when to water your plants if you put all the methods listed above into practice. However, given that you can typically find them for less than $10, there is no need to disregard a smart technological solution.
By inserting the probe of a moisture sensor approximately 3/4 of the way into the potting medium, you can utilize it. On a dial, moisture levels will be displayed and occasionally color-coded as follows: red (dry soil), green (excellent moisture level), blue (soil is too wet).
How does a succulent that has been overwatered look?
How can you tell if your succulent is getting too much water? You can usually determine if a succulent is being overwatered or underwatered by looking for telltale indications. A plant that has received too much water will have soft, mushy leaves.
The leaves would either turn translucent in color or appear lighter than they would on a healthy plant. A succulent that had received too much water would frequently lose leaves readily, even when only lightly handled. Usually, the lowest leaves are the ones to suffer first.
The plant will look to be unhealthy overall. When this occurs, the plant is either being overwatered, sitting in the incorrect soil that does not dry out quickly enough, or both.
Your plants are being overwatered if you have been giving them regular waterings or if you have been following a watering schedule regardless of how the plant appears.
On the other hand, a succulent that has been submerged will have withered, wrinkled, and deflated-looking leaves. The leaves will appear thin and flat. The entire plant will appear withered and dry.
The leaves of a good succulent plant should be thick and solid, not mushy or desiccated.
To learn more about this subject, visit my post titled “How To Tell If Your Succulent is Over or Under Watered,” in which I go into great length about how you may determine whether your succulent plant is being over or under watered.
This String of Pearls ‘Senecio Rowleyanus’ plant leaf is one that has been overwatered. If a succulent’s water storage capacity has been exceeded, it may physically burst from overwatering.