Succulents enjoy direct sunlight, but if yours is always in the same position, only one side is probably receiving enough of it. Langton and Ray advise often rotating the plant. Rotating succulents will help them stand up straight because they like to slant toward the sun. (Leaning might also indicate that they need to move to a more sunny area.)
A succulent may get too much sun, right?
Although photosynthesis requires sunshine, certain plants might receive too much of it. While some succulents can be grown in full sun (defined as 6+ hours of direct sunshine each day), not all of them can, and some may even suffer from too much sunlight. Sunburned leaves will appear brown or black and could start to shrink or callus. Moving your plant to a location with less exposure or intense light is the best technique to treat sunburn on that plant. While untouched areas of the plant will continue to be in good health, sunburned leaves will never fully recover.
By observing other leaf symptoms, you can tell sunburn from rot. A plant that has recently been exposed to the light will still have big, thick leaves that have started to turn black or brown but may still be glossy. Older sunburns will be dry, shriveled, or even fully desiccated, and they will be black or brown in color. The appearance of rotted and overly wet leaves will be mushy and wrinkled.
If a plant at the store or one you own has sunburn, it probably wasn’t properly cared for and was exposed to too much light at some point rather than being sick and dying rapidly. Remember that burnt segments frequently shrink up, so even though the plant may not seem attractive, it may still be healthy and continue to grow for many years. The easiest approach to avoid purchasing plants with sunburns is to only purchase them from local, independent nurseries and vendors rather than big-box retailers, where this kind of damage is more likely to be visible.
These advice should aid you in identifying and treating any problems that may exist with your succulents. For you to always bring home a plant that can be your companion for years to come, we’ll be showing you things to avoid when shopping for plants and succulents in our upcoming post!
Does direct or indirect sunlight favor succulents?
I’m regularly asked on Instagram for advice on how to grow succulents, so I thought it would be a good idea to provide those instructions here as well. I consider myself a succulent aficionado, but I am by no means an expert, so let me start there. (Always feel free to correct me!) Given that my plants are all quite robust and numerous, I’d love to share with you what has worked for me.
When cultivating succulents, I’ve discovered that there are three key things to take into account:
Soil
Succulents prefer soil that drains properly. For a while now, I’ve been purchasing a Palm & Cactus mix from Lowes, and it’s been fantastic. I’ve discovered that my soil dries out a little bit too rapidly during the hotter summer months. If your soil doesn’t seem to be holding onto water for long enough, you can add a little bit of ordinary potting soil to your cactus soil to improve water retention. Tea cups, Mason jars, and baby food jars are a few examples of containers I occasionally like to use for my plants because they don’t have drainage holes. To aid with drainage concerns in this situation, I will either add sand to the soil or stack stones on the bottom of the container.
Water
The idea that succulents don’t require much water is a prevalent one. They may be able to go longer lengths of time without it, but they won’t “thrive” in a scenario similar to a drought. This is a lesson I had to learn the hard way when I initially began my collection. My plants would become dry for weeks at a time, and they would not grow. They weren’t also perishng. On the other hand, my mother regularly watered her plants, and they were thriving! I started giving my plants more frequent waterings after deciding she was right. Now, I always recommend watering the soil when it is dry. For me, that is roughly once per week in the summer and a little less in the winter. I water the earth, not the plant, when I water. (I’ve heard that allowing water to collect on the leaves can lead to rot and leave ugly stains.) I soak it thoroughly until the water drains from the bottom of the saucepan. (I don’t soak plants that don’t have drainage holes. I tend to “sip” more.) I frequently witness people overwatering their succulents to death. By making sure the soil is completely dry in between waterings, you may prevent this.
Sunlight
Succulents thrive most in direct but bright sunshine. Different species can tolerate various levels of light, but I’ve noticed that the majority of my plants tend to suffer in prolonged exposure to direct sunshine. Keep your plants where they get a lot of shade but still get enough light to prevent burning and scorching. My healthiest plants can be found outside on window sills, where modest overhangs shield them from direct sunshine. As I previously mentioned, certain plants are more tolerant to direct sunlight than others. To find out what grows best where you live, you simply need to experiment with your plants. Your plants may grow lanky and extend toward the light if they don’t receive enough light. Your plants can be kept growing straight up by rotating the pot occasionally or slowly moving them to a brighter location if they are bending or extending out toward the light. You might want to multiply your lanky succulents. (For further information, see my post on propagating succulents.)
Which succulents grow best in full sunlight?
Greetings from the Succulent Series. We’ll show you which succulents grow best in full sun, partly shade, and full shade in a special three-week series. This week, we examine the resilient yet attractive species that can thrive in direct sunlight.
Join us for a very hands-on tour of succulents that grow in full sunlight. We demonstrate which succulents will flourish and how to arrange them in a large pot or in your garden so that they look attractive.
Decide where you want to plant your succulents in step one. Although any area in your garden that receives lots of sunlight would work, we chose a sizable wooden planter.
Step two: Depending on the size of your area, choose some boulders. The succulents are wonderfully anchored by them, and they also add height, texture, and aesthetic appeal. One was all we had in our exhibit.
Choose your succulents in the third step. We mixed a variety of
- Cotyledons,
- Graptopetalum
- Pachyphytum
- Copperstone Sedum
- The Lampranthus-Vygies
- tiny aloes
- A. P. Parry
- Agave Echeveria
- Plant known as the panda, Kalanchoe
Step four is to cover the space with soil. To get an excellent aerated soil for your succulents, supplement with high-quality cactus and succulent mix.
Five: Set your boulders in place. It makes sense to utilize stones that are pretty large in a larger garden bed, but the size you choose is entirely up to you. Cover the base of the rock with earth to make it appear as though it has always been there rather than brand new.
Sixth, surround the stones with your chosen plants to form eye-catching plant clusters. Keep in mind to use plants of various hues, heights, textures, and sizes to add aesthetic appeal.
Considering each plant’s growth is important. Some plants will expand in height (cotyledons), width (echeveria agavoides, aloes), and length (long stalks), all of which require pruning (graptopetalum, sedum, pachyphytum).
Step 7: Add gravel or stones to the area to give it a finished appearance. It is both useful and aesthetic because a thick coating of gravel stifles weed growth as well.
Care tips
Give everything a little watering to help the chosen succulents establish after you have planted them and done with the pebbles. Like all succulents, they don’t require a lot of water.
The bottom outer leaves of some succulents, like Echeverias, may wither and die. If this occurs, gently take them out. The plant is content as long as its inner leaves are developing normally.
There are other choices…
Be aware that other succulents will also thrive in hot, sunny locations besides the ones mentioned above. These will work nicely, too:
- the kalanchoe luciae
- many cotyledons
- sempervivums
- variations of senecium
- jade plant, crassula ovata
- campfire with crassula
- hybrid gibbifloras of Echeveria (most succulents with tender soft fleshy leaves are NOT sun-hardy, but the Agavoides and Gibbifloras are)
- most aloes
- burnt euphorbia sticks (needs a large area to grow, as they grow tall)
- Eugenia milii
- Theo Zwartkop
- many agaves (not Attenuata)
- various sedums
- Graptoveria (especially Fred Ives)
What’s the key?
Having fun is the key. Everybody has a distinct approach to gardening; some choose to use only rocks and very few plants. Succulents have the advantage of being incredibly tolerant; they tolerate neglect and eventually develop into stunning, low-maintenance settings.
Are succulents sun or shade creatures?
Here, the succulents get plenty of sun. The maritime layer frequently settled in first thing in the mornings and then again in the early evenings when I lived 7 blocks from the ocean. In full sun, morning light, and bright shade, I had succulents growing. Compared to Tucson, the evenings are cooler and the sun is not as strong.
How frequently ought one to water succulents?
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 tiny leaf succulents a drink 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 I determine whether my succulent needs more light?
Succulents quickly begin to display signs of stress from excessive heat or intense sunlight.
Succulents frequently “blush” or change color when they are receiving enough sunlight. What a lovely transformation to witness!
However, if they begin to receive excessive sunlight, the leaves will actually burn. The succulent leaves may start to show white or pale areas. This harm cannot be undone.
As an alternative, make an effort to relocate your plant to a location with less intense sunlight and wait for new leaves to emerge. It is optional to remove damaged leaves if there are just one or two of them.
The leaves may truly turn dry and black in rare circumstances. The margins of the leaves will first turn black, and it will be dry and crispy (in contrast to blackening from rot which starts in the middle of the plant and is wet and mushy).
Once more, this injury won’t go away until the leaf totally withers and new leaves emerge.
A succulent in the shade may start to turn a golden or yellow tint if it is still quite hot outside. Instead of turning entirely white, as would happen with sunburn, the succulent instead appears warmer or more yellow than usual.
If the succulent is transferred to a colder setting, this usually disappears or the succulent returns to its normal hue.
I can keep succulents alive very well sometimes, but not always.
I recently relocated to Arizona from Utah. Growing succulents can be challenging for a variety of reasons, including relocation. You must pay close attention to how much heat and sunlight each area of your garden receives.
Although it’s a little humiliating, I’m going to show you what my garden looked like when it received excessive sunlight and heat in the video below.
Hopefully, this example will show you what to watch out for so that your garden doesn’t turn out like mine did.
Succulents in bathrooms: are they possible?
Yes, you can put succulents in the bathroom, although some succulents will do better there than others, is the quick response to the topic.
The bathroom is frequently the last location people consider decorating with plants when they bring them inside.
This is so because restrooms typically feature high levels of humidity and little natural light. The majority of succulents, though not all of them, are naturally resilient and may flourish in normal toilet circumstances.
The finest succulent plants for bathrooms with indirect light, filtered light, or low light circumstances are those that enjoy partial to full shadow and high humidity.
Do succulents like humidity?
Some species of the very adaptable succulents, which don’t all enjoy humidity, can take in the excess moisture in the bathroom air and store it in their leaves and stems.
The ideal window for succulents is…
Our great friend and succulent specialist Sara claims that succulents are the camels of the plant kingdom—the most resilient plants you can discover. Hearts of gold on the inside, tough as nails on the outside. Despite the fact that these plants are as tough as camels, regular care is still required.
Before meeting Sara, I recall purchasing a cactus from an unreliable retailer, planting it in soil (a grave mistake; see our planting instructions here), placing it in the middle of the room with little light (How could you, Ashley? ), and watering it whenever it appeared sad (that is wrong too, check out our basic care tips here). Don’t worry if you are caring for your succulents in this manner. Where you are now, I was once. All it needs is a passion for the plant and a desire to learn.
Why are my Succulents Dying?
Beyond the fundamentals, Sara has taught me that not all succulents are created equal. Have you ever felt that some succulents in your home are more successful than others? While some types prospered, others died a protracted, painful death? It can be because succulents like low light or high light environments in your home. Yes, different succulents prefer different kinds of light. The unknown
High Light Succulents
Succulents grown in high light are typically more colorful than those grown in low light. These are the stunning flowers that have pink, crimson, and purple undertones. Since the majority of succulents are high light plants, they require at least six hours of sunlight each day. The ideal windows for these plants are those that face south, but if the west window is not overly shaded throughout the day, they can also tolerate the heat from that window. Additionally, they enjoy the sun’s rays and can survive outside in weather above 40 degrees. Nevertheless, if they have spent a lot of time indoors, remember to gently them into the sun. Even while succulents enjoy the sun, they too can get sunburned. Just visualize spending a hot summer day in the open air on a beach without any protection from the sun. Yikes! When transporting your succulents outside, keep this scorching image in mind.
A high-light succulent will start to stretch in search of light if you place it in a window that doesn’t receive at least six hours of good sunshine. Sometimes people confuse growth with stretching. Don’t be fooled by this. Your succulent is likely requesting more light if it suddenly grows longer and its leaves start to spread wider apart than previously.
Low Light Succulents
In comparison to succulents grown in bright light, low light succulents typically have a darker green tint. They also frequently resemble aloe more than flowers. These succulents have lovely textures and shapes despite not having vivid reds and purples.
Low light succulents prefer morning to afternoon indirect sunlight. This means that a reduced light succulent can still thrive in your home even if you don’t have a South facing window that gets a lot of sunlight. Although they don’t need as much light as their high light relatives, low light succulents still need light! Put these fellows close to an East-facing window so they can get three to four hours of direct sunlight every day. Again, give a succulent more light if it is growing swiftly and beginning to lean.
The Right Succulent for Your Home’s Light
The following time you’re seeking to adopt a succulent, try to choose one that will thrive in your house and in the available light. It will be much nicer for both your plant and you (no stress about destroying it) (no stressing about being killed). Ask one of us Ashleys about the high vs low light succulents if you buy for succulents at Retro Den (which everyone in the world should do). We’ll be happy to point them out to you. We are the kind of people who behave in that way.
Please have a look at our easy-to-care-for plant guide for some lower light plant choices if you believe that your home does not have enough light for even low light succulents.