Succulent maintenance is quite simple. After all, they belong to a family of drought-tolerant plants that are widespread in nature.
Succulents come in over 600 kinds, and while they generally require the same care, it’s crucial to know what they can occasionally need and how their preferences might alter with the seasons.
Here are some recommendations for taking care of your plants. If done correctly, they ought to have long, robust lives, and they might even reproduce. They might even bloom if done properly, with extra love, and a little luck.
It’s critical to distinguish between air plants, commonly known as Tillandsia, and rooted succulents. While air plants are included in the broad category of succulents, they require differing amounts of water and light depending on whether they are rooted in soil or not.
Light: Succulents like prolonged exposure to direct, bright sunlight. It is ideal to put them near windows so they may receive as much light as possible. LED grow lights will be beneficial in locations lacking such access. Green succulents should thrive even during the darker months, however multicolored succulents may struggle to obtain enough light indoors.
Drainage: Your succulents need to be kept in pots with good drainage before you can water them. That implies drainage soil and a hole in the bottom of the container for some water to escape are required. Under the soil, gravel and boulders are helpful for improving drainage (they can also be colorful and decorative in a glass container). Succulents are naturally drought-resistant and at home in arid conditions, while water-logged soils can cause root rot and eventual death.
Watering: Rooted succulents should be sopped in water, not misted, unlike air plants (as you’ll see). Avoid watering the leaves or stems and concentrate on the soil and roots, especially if the succulents are in the sun. The majority of succulents can receive water every five to seven days, but it’s essential to make sure the soil is completely dry before doing so. Dry soil shouldn’t be watered. You shouldn’t water succulents every day.
It’s crucial to understand that if you intend to retain both of these unrooted succulents, you’ll need two different sets of care instructions because they demand different care than other succulents do.
Light: In order to survive, tillandsia (air plants) need strong, indirect light. Avoid hanging them from the ceiling or placing them on the windowsills. Almost everywhere is a good bet as long as it is not directly in the sun. You’re still in luck if you reside in a basement apartment or want air plants in an office area with little to no natural light. Since fluorescent light bulbs replicate the spectrum of natural light, air plants can thrive in spaces with fluorescent (not incandescent) light bulbs.
There are two different ways to water air plants, which can be used independently or in combination. Your decision may be based on personal convenience, but you should also consider how your plants will react.
Spray your air plants wherever they are once a day or every few days with a spray bottle to mist them. Because you don’t run the risk of the plant sitting in water, which can cause decay, misting is a safe way. Be sure to sprinkle the plant’s whole surface.
It is possible to soak once every one to two weeks. For 10 to 20 minutes, submerge the air plant in water that is at normal temperature. Shake off any remaining water gently after removing them, and then set them aside to dry upside-down. This guards against root rot, which can result in plant death. It’s better to soak them in the morning so they can dry by the end of the day and carry on with their regular breathing cycles throughout the night. Brighter areas with strong air circulation will hasten this procedure, which should take three hours.
When in doubt, err on the side of less water because underwatering is worse than overwatering. Particularly air plants will turn crispy and brown to indicate that they require more water, and they should recover. Overwatering can cause the leaves to fall out and the root to turn brown or black. But by then, it’s probably rotting and already too late.
Correct for humidity: Succulents and air plants will require extra watering during the drier and hotter seasons of the year. They will require less when it is humid and there is a lot of water in the air.
Seasonal variations: Succulents with roots know how to get ready for winter: They essentially appear to hibernate. In the fall and winter, they need less watering, but once spring arrives, they will need more than usual.
Make an assessment of your surroundings: Just because it’s one way outside doesn’t mean it’s the same inside. Keep in mind the potential temperature in your apartment or house, the amount of light coming in, the potential moisture content of the air, and the way the air moves. This will help with irrigation.
Succulents are distinctive because they are living things with individual quirks and aspirations. So pay attention to them and observe how they handle the weather. To assist them in surviving and thriving, don’t be reluctant to move them or alter their watering routines.
LED grow light: Succulents require light to thrive, therefore a grow light can be helpful, for instance, if you want them to grow and bloom in a basement apartment. For taking care of a collection of succulents, we prefer BESTVA’s 600W Grow Light.
Humidifier: Buying a humidifier could help your succulents and air plants thrive and save you a lot of labor if you have a big house and lots of them. This Honeywell console model is thorough and aids in maintaining healthy humidity levels in the air.
Mini humidifier: It makes sense that some people could find a normal humidifier to be too much. If so, choose a little version instead.
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Portulacaria Afra
The Portulacara afra can flourish in either humid or dry areas, but they require well-draining soil and enough sunlight (indirect sunlight).
These requirements will enable this succulent plant to thrive even when kept outside during the warmer months.
One succulent variety that thrives in humidity is the Portulacara afra, which, when grown outdoors in the summer in temperate locations with high relative humidity, can flourish.
Unlike other plants, this succulent does not require perpetually moist soil. Instead, the potting mix only needs a small amount of moisture so that air bubbles stop appearing on the surface.
Crassula Ovata (Jade Plant)
The Jade Plant is another name for Crassula ovata. This succulent reaches a height of about 12 inches and has flat, oval-shaped, grayish-green leaves with silver patterns.
The Crassula ovata thrives in high humidity levels but does not fare well in dry environments.
You must keep your crassula ovata in a humid area with temperatures that alternate between 60°F in the winter and 80°F in the summer for it to flourish.
Depending on how much sunlight they receive each day, these plants should be watered once per week or two. These plants want to be overwatered just enough so that their soil feels damp but never soggy.
Sedum (Stonecrop)
One of the most well-liked succulents for beginners is Sedum, sometimes referred to as Stonecrop, and it comes in a variety.
Because they can survive in extremely hot or cold temperatures (-40F/-20C) if provided with enough sunlight, they are frequently referred to as “impossible plants.”
It prefers humidity levels that vary between 60 and 80 percent with sufficient ventilation, but it can also thrive in environments with 30 to 50 percent humidity and little water as long as it receives enough light each day.
Sedums shouldn’t be overwatered because doing so could make them decay. Due to poor airflow in the potting soil, this occurs when too much moisture collects around the roots.
Sedums need to be watered at least every three days in humid locations in order to prevent their leaves from wilting from dehydration.
Kalanchoe Blossfeldiana
Succulents like Kalanchoe blossfeldiana are native to South Africa. It features orange flowers and green leaves.
The plant grows best indoors in warm, humid environments with temperatures between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 65 to 70 degrees at night.
Due to the plants’ dormancy over the winter, once Kalanchoe blooms, it will require less water to maintain its health (November through March).
During the summer, depending on their growth and how much sun exposure they are receiving outside, they need more frequent watering every few days.
Wait till after dark if you can to provide them with the most benefits of humidity!
Final Thoughts
Do succulents enjoy humidity, to sum up? The quick response is no, succulents don’t appreciate a lot of humidity.
When the conditions are ideal, they may thrive in low-humidity situations. If your succulents become too dry or you want them to develop more quickly, a humidifier may be required to maintain these conditions (depending on where they live).
The trick is to conduct your study and make sure you’re providing the appropriate circumstances because each species of succulent has different humidity requirements.
Is humidity beneficial for cacti?
An average residence has a humidity level of 30 percent or less. The majority of plants, including succulents and cacti, enjoy humidity levels of 40% or greater. The majority of tropical plants need at least 60% humidity. In our experience, a humidity level of at least 50% is ideal for both people and plants in a house.
Your plants will probably let you know if they need more or less humidity, so you don’t need to measure it precisely (hint: keep reading to the next sections). However, there are several affordable, trustworthy hygrometers accessible online if you are worried about getting the humidity precisely right. This is the one we employ.
House plants typically require less warm air and more wet air than you may imagine. Usually, leaves that are papery or thin, like those of a fern or air plant, require more humidity than leaves that are robust, like those of a fiddle-leaf fig. If you wish to cultivate plants other than succulents and cacti in your house, we advise using one of the following strategies to raise the humidity there. This will ensure that your plants are healthy and happy.
Do humidifiers benefit your plants in any way?
Here’s an easy query and its clear-cut response:
You can help your plants retain more moisture by increasing the air’s humidity, which is obviously advantageous to their growth.
One of the nicest things you can do for your indoor/house plants is to get a humidifier.
Natural processes like evapotranspiration will opt to evaporate more water vapor from the air due to the increased humidity in the air rather than taking moisture from your plants.
Although there are various ways to increase the humidity in your home, a humidifier is the best option. Only temporarily can misting effectively increase humidity levels. In order to keep up with the continuous humidification a humidifier delivers, it would need to be done every half-hour.
Succulents dislike dampness, right?
Humidity has varied effects on plants. Some plants, especially succulents, have trouble with it. In fact, rot brought on by extreme humidity can easily kill some species of succulents. If you live in a humid climate, you can keep succulents. To combat the impacts of excessive humidity levels, you will need to do a few specific actions.
Succulents do not, in general, enjoy humidity, at least not for extended periods of time.
Succulents enjoy misting, right?
When I first learned about succulents, I was fascinated by the notion that they couldn’t die. They were frequently referred to as very low maintenance plants that adored being neglected. That sounds fairly simple, hmm.
To add to my bewilderment, I frequently heard the word “succulent” used in the same sentence as the word “cactus.” We won’t get into it here because there is a really fantastic essay on this site that explains the link between cacti and succulents, but a widespread misconception regarding cacti is that they never require water. Because I believed succulents required little to no water, I occasionally misted them rather than watering them. They love to be ignored, right? They require little upkeep, right? Well, I hate to ruin the surprise, but my succulents barely made it through this abuse.
The scoop about misting and watering is as follows:
*Water: After the dirt has dried, drown your succulents in water. Put them in water until the bottom of the pot is filled with water. If you have a catch pan, remove any water that has accumulated there. The best kind of pots are unglazed, porous ones with drainage holes (think terracotta pots). Your succulents will appreciate that they allow them to breathe.
*Low Maintenance: Succulents grow in nature with shallow roots that quickly absorb water and store it in their leaves, stems, and roots for periods of drought. Succulents are considered low maintenance because of this. They are designed to hold water for extended periods of time, so you don’t need to water them as frequently as some plants, like every other day. They won’t wither and die while you’re away, so you may travel with confidence. Just remember to give them a good drink when you do water them!
*Water Type: Rainwater or distilled water are the ideal water types to utilize. Numerous minerals in tap water can accumulate in the soil and even appear on plant leaves.
*Watering Frequency: A number of factors determine how frequently you water (climate, season, humidity, pot size, pot type, drainage etc). The best general rule is to wait until the soil has dried before watering it again. The roots may decay if the soil isn’t given a chance to dry up or if water is left in the catch pan. You can stick your finger into the ground and feel around to determine the amount of moisture in the soil, or you can use a moisture meter (commonly sold in gardening centers or online and relatively inexpensive).
Leave the misting to the babies, please! Actually, fully developed succulents dislike being misted. Because they prefer dry environments, misting them will alter the humidity in the area around the plant. Additionally, this might cause decay. To gently hydrate your propagation babies’ tiny, sensitive roots, spray them.