How To Care for Your Succulents

Hi everybody! Now I know that some of you are succulent professionals, and some of you are brand new to this just like I am, so because of the wide variety, we are going to make this post about a little bit of an elementary succulent topic.

How do you care for a succulent?

You always hear people talking about how succulents are the “miracle plant” because they are so easy to take care of, they claim to be indestructible, and they can still survive even after being forgotten about for a while. But just like all living things, they do still need SOME care.

However, no need for a green thumb here! I am going to give you five quick tips on how to best care for your indoor succulent, no matter your level of experience with them.

1- First on our list is making sure they get the right amount of sunlight. Yes, they are indoor plants, but it is said that they still need about six hours of light per day, so being conscious of setting them close enough to a window is going to be very important in your success with them. This can be dangerous though! Newly planted succulents are prone to frying in the sun due to them being fragile and not quite used to the sun yet!

2- This second tip is almost a sub-tip of the first, because it is another specification about their sunlight! You need to make sure you rotate your succulents so that every side gets touched by the sun. They do not necessarily need to be rotated throughout the day, but as soon as you notice that the succulent is starting to lean towards the sun, you should rotate it so that it’s leaning away and it can stretch over to the other side.

3- Third in line for the succulent care tips is keeping them clean! We are currently talking about indoor succulents, so they will definitely be collecting dust which might stunt their growth. In order to prevent this, you should regularly wipe off each leaf of your succulents with a damp cloth.

4- Water the soil directly! This is a vital fourth step because it is a common misconception that you should mist the succulents with a spray bottle, but all that does is cause mold to grow on the leaves and makes the roots delicate and weak due to a lack of direct hydration. Make sure to pour water precisely into the soil, a soil that is made up of more rocky materials than dirt or potting soil to make sure it is suited for drainage, and keep pouring until the water starts to leak out of the drainage hole.

5- We have hit the final point and we are onto more watering tips! Unlike other traditional houseplants, you need to be highly cautious not to water your succulents daily. They require a watering schedule in which they are watered to the point that you see water come out of the drainage hole at the base of the pot. However, you then cannot water your succulent again until that soil has dried out enough that the top 1-1.5 inches are completely dry, which could take up to two weeks. It is important to note that the succulents will need to be watered more frequently (and may even require a bit of fertilizer) in the spring and summer than in the other seasons due to that being their thriving time.

From one highly inexperienced succulent lover to the rest of you all, I hope this gave you some guidance while starting (or fixing) your succulent care journey!