Depending on the type, succulents need six hours of sunlight each day because they are light-loving plants. You might need to gradually expose newly planted succulents to full sun exposure or give shade with a translucent screen because they can burn in direct sunshine.
What is the ideal location to keep succulents?
Succulents thrive in hot, arid conditions and don’t mind a little neglect due to their unique capacity to store water. They are therefore ideally suited to growing indoors and are the perfect choice for anyone looking for low-maintenance houseplants. Follow these instructions for successful plant care if you’re choosing succulents for the first time.
Select a succulent that will thrive in your indoor environment.
The majority of succulents need direct sunshine, however if your home only has a shady area, choose low light-tolerant plants like mother-in-tongue. law’s A trailing variety, like string of bananas, is an excellent option if you intend to grow your succulent in a hanging planter. To learn about your succulents’ requirements for sunlight, size, and spread, always read the plant labels.
Give the plants a good draining potting material.
You should repot your succulent as soon as you get it home since nurseries always plant their succulents in soil that is overly rich and holds too much moisture. A coarse potting mix with sufficient drainage and aeration is a good place to start. You can use an African violet mix or unique cactus and succulent mixtures that you can purchase at the nursery. Add perlite or pumice to the cactus or African violet mix (up to 50% of the total potting mix, depending on your particular succulent’s moisture requirements) to further increase drainage and prevent compaction. To make sure the mixture is moist throughout, always moisten it before using.
Decide on a container.
When repotting, use a container that is at least 1 to 2 inches bigger than the nursery container and has a drainage hole. Avoid using glass containers (such mason jars or terrariums) for long-term potting since they prevent roots from breathing and over time may result in root rot. Place your plant inside the container and backfill with extra pre-moistened potting mix after filling the bottom one-third of the container with pre-moistened potting mix.
Put the succulent plant in a pot somewhere sunny.
Try to arrange your succulents close to a south or east-facing window because most succulents need at least six hours of sun each day. Insufficient sunlight may cause your succulents to become spindly or to extend toward the light.
Between waterings, allow the potting mix to dry out.
Overwatering succulents is the most common error people make with them. It’s best to water more, but less frequently. Before the next watering, completely saturate the potting mix (while making sure the water drains out of the drainage hole properly). The plant can finally perish if the potting soil is left moist every day.
Succulents should be fertilized at least once a year.
Fertilizer works best for plants in the spring (when the days lengthen and new growth starts) and again in the late summer. Use a water-soluble, balanced fertilizer (such as 8-8-8 or 10-10-10) that has been diluted to half the strength indicated on the container. Since succulents are semi-dormant in the winter, there is no need to nourish them. Because they are not actively growing, they do not require the nutrient boost.
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!
How frequently do I need to water my 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 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.
Do indoor succulents require sunlight?
It might be challenging for succulents to receive adequate sunlight inside. They typically require 6 hours each day of bright, indirect sunshine outside.
However, indoors, you should put your succulents close to a window that receives light throughout the day. Place your succulents close to the brightest window or area of your house or office if this is not an option.
Watch this video to learn more:
How can I make my succulent plants happy?
Succulents may not need much attention, but they do need a few essentials to survive:
- 1. Provide plenty sunlight. Succulents require adequate light—at least six hours each day of direct sunlight. Maintaining succulents outside can be quite simple. However, if you have a succulent indoors, you must keep it in direct sunlight near a window. A plant that is slanting toward the light is not receiving enough sunlight, yet a plant with burnt areas on its leaves is receiving too much direct sunshine.
- 2. Use proper water. Depending on the season, succulents might have different water needs. Succulents should be irrigated if their soil dries completely during the growing season, but excess water should be avoided. When a succulent’s roots have time to dry out in between waterings, its lifespan is increased. In the chilly winter months, succulent plants go dormant and require less water. Only water your succulent as often as necessary because overwatering the soil is one of the main reasons of most development problems.
- 3. Use the proper soil and pot combination. The appropriate container and potting soil can make all the difference, whether you’re growing your own succulents or purchasing one from a nursery. Your succulent planter needs to include a drainage hole if it is going to be an outdoor succulent. Proper drainage allows moisture to escape, allowing the soil and root systems to dry and prevent rot. Use well-draining soil instead of standard dirt if you have an indoor succulent. It is coarser than regular soil, enabling more air to pass through and encouraging evaporation rather than requiring to be drained. To increase aeration, perlite and pumice can be added to some potting mixtures.
- 4.Remember to fertilize. The periodic fertilizing is beneficial for even low maintenance desert plants. To give your succulents a boost, use a diluted, water-soluble all-purpose fertilizer a couple times a year. Although it’s not entirely required, if you notice that your soil needs some help, add a little fertilizer.
- 5. Examine your plant life. Pest hazards are more likely to affect a succulent indoors than outside. Make sure your plants are periodically checked for gnats or mealy pests. These insects are a sign that your plants are receiving too much water or fertilizer. Mealy bugs can lay hundreds of eggs and consume the plant juices that serve as their host, gradually harming your plant. Rubbish alcohol can be sprayed on your succulent’s leaves or soil to effectively kill mealy bugs and their eggs. Check the leaves and soil of the succulent before bringing it home from the nursery to make sure no bugs are present.
How do you tell whether a succulent needs to be watered?
Succulents are better off dry than wet, but that doesn’t mean you can ignore the need to water them. In fact, the plant needs water to survive, and much like people, it will exhibit dehydration symptoms. Your succulent clearly needs extra water if its leaves are wrinkled and shriveled.
The cells attempt to bring in more water to make up for the water that has been lost as they release their stored moisture to the rest of the plant. The cells shrink as they run out of water and the plant is forced to rely on its limited reserves, which causes the once-firm and full leaves to collapse and shrivel.
What are some succulent garden planting tips?
Just like in any garden, you must select plants that speak to you. What kinds of plants you want depends on whether the garden will be indoors or outdoors. That advice also holds true if you’ve made the decision to develop a succulent garden. Pick the ones that seem good to you and that you enjoy.
Watching how frequently you water the plants is the other piece of advice. Keep in mind that succulents don’t require a lot of water because of their nature. Throw away any extra water that collects after you water your succulents in saucers if you are keeping them inside. If you selected an air plant variety, simply spray the plants.
In addition, make sure you read the instructions that come with the plants and consult with a plant or gardening expert if you have any doubts about how to take care of any particular plants you intend to add to your garden.
How do you take care of succulents? Do succulents need pruning?
One of the low-maintenance plants you will come across is possibly a succulent. That depends on the variety you have selected, of course. Succulents, on the other hand, grow slowly by nature, and the vast majority of species do not vine like other plants. They don’t typically require pruning, which is why they are so well-liked for indoor plants. They require hardly any pruning and very little moisture.
Read the instructions that often accompany with the plants you purchase for maintenance. Do not overwater them or allow the water sit on the plants.
Contact Ambius if you manage a commercial property and need succulents that will be well-maintained.
How do you water a succulent? Is there anything special to know?
The best approach to water a succulent is to take it out of its saucer and water it with lukewarm tap water, just like you would other plants. Replace it in the saucer you are using underneath the pot after letting the water entirely drain through it. Later, check to see if any extra water has collected beneath the plant and discard that.
Never forget that succulents cannot endure prolonged wet, muddy soils. See if the soil seems very dry by inspecting it. Check the watering guidelines included with the plant you purchase as well.
When should someone plant succulents?
There is no planting season because the majority of people utilize succulents inside. Any time of year is suitable for setting up an indoor succulent garden. The greatest times to plant succulents outside, though, might be in the spring or summer.
Succulents need to be planted when the soil can be handled, even though they are hardy and can even survive the winter rather well.
If planted during the warmer months, they will probably fare considerably better.
In what soil should a succulent be planted?
Succulents are typically already planted when you go to buy them. It will probably be soil. Succulents are fantastic since they require little care. Succulents shouldn’t typically be taken out of the container they were shipped in, nor should the soil be changed.
Of course, succulents tend to prefer coarse, rockier, sandier, well-drained soil if you are building any type of indoor succulent garden and have to take them from the pots and the soil that they arrived in.
Succulents actually thrive on inorganic soils like silt, clay, or sand. They don’t require a lot of soil because they have rather shallow root systems. Finally, despite the fact that many succulents are sold in tiny pots or containers, there is no need for concern. Succulents thrive in small pots and containers due to their nature.
Where should I plant succulents?
Succulents should be planted in an area that receives plenty of sunlight if you live in an arid region where they will flourish. Remember to ask your garden center’s professionals about planting requirements if you have any questions.
Should succulents only be planted indoors or are there outdoor succulents?
There are many different kinds of succulents, and some of them thrive both indoors and outdoors. Where you reside and the climate there can have a big impact. Keep in mind that succulents prefer dry, hot, and arid locations; they do not require a lot of moisture and probably won’t flourish as well there.
The brevity of the response is, however, both. They can be cultivated both inside and outside.
Do my succulents belong outside?
Succulents are drought-tolerant plants because they can retain water in their large, irregularly shaped leaves. Succulents have a broad variety of eye-catching shapes and textures, which provide any landscape aesthetic interest. Can succulents live outside? is an often asked question. The quick response is “yes”! Growing succulents outdoors is an excellent alternative because they do well there and can withstand some neglect. They also do well in sunny areas with warm, dry weather.
Succulents can be grown in the ground, in pots, or hidden in unexpected planting locations. Take the uncertainty out of caring for these wonderful conversation pieces with stunning foliage by reading our suggestions for growing succulents outside.