In general, succulents that are grown indoors or outdoors during the cooler months will need less water. They can go without water for one to three months.
Indoor succulents will be less exposed to the weather outside because the soil dries out more quickly outside than it does indoors due to the wind and sunlight.
The soil remains moist for extended periods of time in milder climes, typically fall and winter.
To avoid overwatering indoor plants during the cooler months, read more about our toothpick test here.
To avoid root rot, it’s crucial to examine the soil before watering indoor succulent plants and to make sure it is completely dry between waterings.
Succulents: Can they endure a week without water?
Succulents can typically go without water for up to two weeks. Despite the fact that some succulent species, such as cactus, can go for extended periods without water.
The precise amount of time a succulent may survive without water varies depending on the type, size, and age of the plant, among other things.
For instance, a succulent plant may endure without water for a longer period of time if it is larger and older.
Keep this in mind when watering your plants because you might need to change how frequently you water them depending on their requirements.
When I go on vacation, what should I do with my succulents?
It is much simpler to leave your succulents alone or go on vacation in the winter than it is in the summer. Succulents don’t require much watering during the winter because they go into a dormant state.
In the winter, leaving succulents unattended for a month shouldn’t provide any issues. In general, you only need to lightly water succulents once a month if you keep them indoors throughout the winter. By doing this, roots won’t completely dry out. if remaining outside, use much less water.
Depending on the species, you may be able to keep your succulents indoors or outside during the winter. Although some succulents are more resistant to frost, temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) can be harmful to them.
Bring your succulents inside if it’s likely to be cold outside if you’re going to leave them outside for a month or so in the winter. Verify your succulent species’ tolerance to frost and weather predictions.
You can leave your succulents outside if frost or temperatures below freezing typically last only a few hours every day. Cover them with this or a comparable horticultural frost cloth to keep them outside. It will add 5 to 10 degrees of additional protection and provide rain protection.
Plastic-made frost cloths should be avoided as they limit air exchange. This might lead to decay. Rain should also be covered with a towel to prevent soil from becoming flooded.
Leaving succulents for a month in summer
You should also get ready if you intend to leave your succulents for a few weeks throughout the summer. Succulents with thicker leaves typically withstand heat and a lack of water better than those with thinner leaves.
Water your succulents normally before leaving if you’re only going to be gone a short while. But avoid placing your succulents in an area that receives a lot of direct sunlight. This is because it will hasten the evaporation of water.
Additionally, avoid setting a saucer of water under the pot. Even while there will always be water available, your succulents will spend a lot of time submerged in it, which can cause rot and saturated soil.
Don’t leave your succulent on your home’s most sunny windowsill if you’re going away for more than four weeks. Leave in a shaded spot that receives some sunlight instead (only 3-4 hours or so).
They won’t require as much water this way. Place your succulents in a cool area of your home and water them as usual before you leave to give them a rest.
How long can succulents go without water?
The majority of succulents can survive without water for 3–4 weeks without any issues. However, many succulents can do without water for up to 6-7 weeks. After that time, they will frequently be alright with a long soak.
Succulents with thicker leaves and cacti may both survive longer periods without water than other types of succulents.
When you return, it’s extremely possible that your succulents will be wrinkled and dead. Don’t worry, though; just water them when you get back. Succulents are quite resilient, and the majority will rapidly return to normal.
Automatic watering options for succulents
You might check into automatic watering options for your succulents if you plan to leave them unattended while on vacation or at work. However, keep in mind that succulent soil needs time to dry out in between waterings.
Plant rot will result from constantly moistening the soil of your succulent plants. It also makes people more vulnerable to diseases and pests.
Try to stay away from any automatic watering techniques that will leave the soil drenched. Alternatively, those that will force you to leave your plants near a water source. When the land starts to dry out, you would need to draw water from the water source.
Let’s talk about some of the greatest self-watering alternatives for your cactus and succulents.
Self-watering option 1: Cotton/woven string drip system
You can give your succulent plants (including cacti) water while you’re gone by covering them with a woolen or cotton string or fabric. Fill a bucket with water and set it on a chair or other surface above your plants to use this technique.
towel a bucket of water towel. Fill the bucket with water.. Then, insert the string’s opposite end around 2-4 cm (1-1.5 inches) into the ground. To water each plant, add as many strings to the bucket as there are plants.
String will absorb water and deliver it in modest amounts to potted plants. Succulents don’t require a lot of water, so this can help them last while you are away for a while.
Self-watering option 2: Blumat watering stakes
These Blumat irrigation stakes allow you to automatically water your plants while you are gone. Those are traditional methods for watering your plants automatically.
Blumat, however, will only work for bigger pots because of how big they are. Mini succulents in pots with a diameter of less than 6-7 inches are not appropriate.
In general, because they are concerned about overwatering, most succulent growers are a little hesitant to adopt automatic systems. However, you can probably make it work with a few changes.
Put the water bowl underneath the actual plant to make your Blumat watering stakes hydrate your succulents when the soil is medium to dry.
This will stop more water from being released into the soil by gravity. Less water will siphon into the soil if the water bowl is lowered. You can put it on the same level as your succulent pot if it is rather large and dries out rapidly (perhaps in the summer).
Self-watering option 3: Drip irrigation system with a timer
This could be an alternative for you if you want to construct or invest a little more in a more complex self-watering system with a timer like this one. It enables not only the frequency of watering but also the length of watering.
In addition to having a timer, this system would be comparable to Blumat. The majority of succulent keepers are aware of the approximate frequency of watering required, so setting up a timer is really helpful.
You must read the setup instructions for this system in order to properly configure it. To prevent too much water dripping into your succulents, establish timers and don’t place the controller lower than the water bowl or bucket.
Self-watering options to avoid for succulents, including cacti
Succulents and cacti shouldn’t be grown using the majority of self-watering solutions since they wet the soil too much and create problems.
For this reason, stay away from any self-watering pots for your succulents because they will constantly keep the soil moist.
Avoid using self-watering aqua globes and plastic/glass bottles with holes in the caps that are placed upside down. Your plants will become excessively damp as a result of everything.
Additionally, you shouldn’t try to create a greenhouse effect by covering your succulents with a plastic bag. Your plants could easily die as a result because the increased humidity within the bag is terrible for succulents.
Additionally, your plants will dry up and burn if you position your succulents in direct sunlight and the sun’s rays hit the bag. This is due to the bag’s interior temperatures rising dramatically.
Can you leave succulents in the rain?
Your plants are highly likely to be alright if you left your succulents outside in the rain. When their soil is dry, cacti and other succulents prefer a lengthy bath. If your succulents are housed in a soil mixture that drains efficiently, any extra water should be rinsed away by rain.
Put your succulents in a bright sunny location to dry properly if they become quite damp. Take your succulents indoors to dry if you anticipate further rain the next day or days. To ensure that the soil dries completely, make sure to keep it from getting wet again.
However, if your succulents are housed in a mix that doesn’t drain well (thick, dense soil), you might consider heating them to promote evaporation. You might take away any stones that are currently resting on soil for the time being. Rocks prevent water from evaporating, which is why.
Leaving succulents in a car
Consider carefully before leaving succulents in a moving vehicle. Unfortunately, cars lack ventilation and can get very hot in the summer.
Most succulents find temperatures over 86 F (30 C) to be too excessive, and cars may get considerably hotter than this. However, it will undoubtedly vary depending on where you reside and whether you park your car in a sunny area.
In addition, loose materials like plants on your dash could provide a threat while you’re driving. The same would apply to hanging plants on the car’s front end.
Succulents should not, however, be kept in a hot car for an extended period of time, especially if the front is exposed to direct sunshine. However, if it doesn’t get too cold, keeping your succulents in a car during the winter may be successful (depends on cold sensitivity of your succulent species).
Can a dried succulent be revived?
- Symptoms. Succulents’ leaves can become soft and mushy and become brown or black, but the intensity of the cold damage will determine the exact symptoms.
- Causes. Although some succulent plants may endure a light frost, this is uncommon because most succulents are native to hot climes and normally suffer in temperatures lower than 50F (10C).
The majority of succulent types are not cold tolerant and will perish if left in temps below 50F (10C) for an extended period of time.
The majority of succulent species thrive in a standard room temperature environment, with a range of 55F-80F (13C-27C) being ideal for aloe vera.
Succulents’ leaves and stems may become mushy in texture and appear dark or black if they are subjected to chilly weather or even frost.
How to Revive Cold Damaged Succulents
Place your succulent in a location in your home or garden where the temperature is consistently between 55F and 80F (13C and 27C). Make sure that none of the leaves are directly in contact with windows, as these areas of the house can get much colder than the rest of the house. Reduce watering for the time being.
The cold damage should not likely worsen once the succulent is in a more stable environment.
Wait a few days, if not weeks, and the succulent’s mushy, cold-damaged section should dry out and callus over if the leaves feel gooey.
Cut the leaf back to below the injured section once the mushy portion has dried out. Cold-damaged succulent areas normally do not recover, but the succulent plant as a whole can recover.
In order to avoid additional potential issues, you should only restart watering the succulent once the callus of the leaf cut has completely healed over. Cold damage increases the danger of root rot.
The succulent can ultimately sprout new leaves and begin to regain its usual appearance after being damaged by the cold, but it takes a lot of persistence.
Key Takeaways:
- The most frequent cause of succulent death is root rot brought on by over watering and poorly draining soils. Plants that can withstand drought, succulents need the soil to dry out between waterings. A succulent that has mushy, brown, yellow, or black leaves is withering because the soil is excessively wet.
- Overwatering or sunburn cause succulents to turn brown. Brown, mushy succulent leaves are a sign of excessive moisture around the roots. Due to a rapid rise in sunshine intensity, scorched-looking brown succulent leaves may be the result of sunburn.
- Because of excessive moisture around the roots brought on by frequent watering, wet soils, or pots without drainage holes, succulent leaves turn yellow. The soil needs to dry out between waterings for succulents. Yellow and mushy succulent leaves may be a sign of root rot brought on by over watering.
- If succulents are exposed to too much shade, they become tall and lanky. Succulent leaves grow tall in the direction of the strongest light since the majority of succulents need bright, indirect light or full sun. Tall succulent leaves can droop under their own weight and often have weaker, withering leaves at the base.
- Due to inadequate or excessive watering, succulent plants experience drought stress, which causes their leaves to shrivel. As a means of survival, succulents store moisture in their leaves. Underwatering your succulent causes it to draw on the moisture reserves in the leaves, giving it a shriveled appearance.
- Recreate the circumstances of the succulents’ natural environment by planting them in well-draining, rocky soil with the appropriate amount of sunshine, and watering them when the soil becomes dry. To preserve the succulent, take cuttings from healthy areas of the plant.
Succulents can they withstand drought?
Succulents are renowned for their resilience in the face of adversity. On the other hand, every plant is unique. Is it true that all succulents can withstand drought? is a good question to ask.
Almost all succulents have a water-efficient mechanism, making them drought resilient. Their thick leaves hold water when the plant needs it, and their wide, shallow roots maximize each watering. The plant can retain moisture thanks to additional characteristics like the fine hairs on its leaves.
Knowing which succulents can survive in harsh situations is useful if you live in a dry area but wish to add plants to your house or yard. Although there are many different varieties of succulents, they all share a number of characteristics that make them water-efficient. This article will explain why most succulents can withstand droughts and provide some tips for selecting a drought-tolerant succulent.