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How To Properly Water Your Succulents : The Right Way
Learning how to water succulents is imperative to the success or failure when it comes to the health of your plants.
Succulent plants are unlike any other plant. If you try to water them like you do other plants, they just will not survive. Succulent plants store water in various parts such as roots, stems, and leaves. They are known to withstand droughts and can grow in arid conditions.
They can survive between watering's, but you will still have to water them regularly if you put them in your home or garden. You need to find the right balance and provide your succulents with enough water so that they thrive.
The best way to water succulent plants is through the “soak and dry” method. Soaking means soaking the soil completely with enough water so that it leaks from the bottom of the drainage hole. Drying the plant means letting the plant dry out thoroughly before you water the plant again. This will help keep your succulent plant in the best possible health and shape.
Let us look more into the tools required to water succulent plants and how you should water the succulent plant that you are bringing up indoors.
The tools required for watering the succulents
The right set of tools will ensure plants thrive well. These are three tools you need to keep your succulent plants healthy and strong:
- A pot with a drainage hole
- Well-draining soil
- Set of high quality succulent plant tools
An important piece of the watering method is to use a pot with a drainage hole. Succulents detest sitting in the wet soil for too long. If your pot doesn’t have a drainage hole, it is tough for the soil to dry out completely.
A drainage hole at the bottom of your pot is very helpful to allow the excess water to flow out of the pot. This will keep water away from your succulent plant roots. It is also a great way for air to circulate through the soil and aid it to dry out quickly. Another crucial function of the drainage hole is to flush out the excess salts from fertilizer application.
Your succulent plants need well-draining soil and should be planted in a pot with a drainage hole.
Succulent plants hate soggy soil and rot if they sit in the water for too long. Rotted roots equate to dead succulents. You must use soil rich in nutrients to keep these lush beauties growing well and healthy.
A set of quality succulent plant tools is something we highly recommend to maintain your plant in tip-top conditions. Look for garden tools that are easy to handle, and whether you are a beginner plant keeper or have lots of experience keeping plants, they are sure to come in handy.
Experiment with them and discover how effective they are in helping you with your plants.
The Common Mistakes People Make with Succulents
If you are new to bringing up succulent plants, there are some common mistakes you are probably making and don’t even realize! If you can avoid these mistakes, your plants will grow as fast and robust as you want them to.
Using a Pot Without a Drainage Hole
Some plant owners grow succulent plants without a drainage hole. It can be done, but it could be quite tricky for you to bring them up and maintain. You must constantly check your container to ensure the moisture conditions are perfect; this is a lot of time and effort wasted.
Using a pot without a drainage hole increases the probability that you may overwater your plant. When there is no drainage hole, all the moisture will gather at the bottom of your pot and drown the roots of your succulent. So, you should buy a pot with a draining hole as a first step. You will do well to opt for a pot with a large drainage hole.
If you require more assistance, check out the pots we recommend here to find out what pots. Succulent plants make for lovely ornamental plants. If you are looking for something decorative to house them in, then have a look at this lovely handmade pot with a good drainage hole.
Using Improper Succulent Soil
The soil in which you bring up your succulents will play a crucial role in the success of your plant. You can glean more information on the right soil to select so that your plant growth will not be poor by having a look at our post here. Here you can find the best formula with the best natural features to help in your plants developing into lush beauties.
You must ensure your succulents don’t sit in waterlogged soil. The soil should be fast and well-draining. Some soils are suited for outdoors and some indoors. A pot that drains the soil effectively will help to maintain well-draining soil; one that isn’t soggy or waterlogged.
Misting as opposed to watering
You may think that succulent plants don’t need much water to survive and so misting is more than enough. Merely drizzling water with water is just not enough. If you notice that the soil is completely dry, you need to give your succulents a complete soaking.
Check out How To Save An Overwatered Succulent
How often do you water succulents
You should consider various factors to determine how often you should water your succulents. The temperature, weather conditions, whether you are bringing up your succulent outdoors or indoors, the kind of container and soil you are using.
You should wait for a sign from your succulent before you water. Check if the soil is bone dry or if there is still some moisture remaining. You can water once every two weeks, check how your succulent responds, and change your water schedule accordingly.
What do you water your succulent plant with?
You can use watering bottles or watering cans with long small spouts. This way, you can water gently and directly at the root ball. Watering bottles and watering cans are both excellent options because they are inexpensive, lightweight, and effective at controlling how much water you give your plants.
Not only are watering cans and bottles great to control how much water you use for your plants, but also to aim for the soil (and therefore, roots) directly without getting water on the leaves. You can avoid water spots and leaf rot.
You can use a homemade water bottle from one of the older water bottles lying around. You can mark the bottle to keep tabs on the quantity of water being used every time. A watering can is another inexpensive alternative and very effective, especially if you are growing a lot of succulents. With these, you can water even three succulent plants indoors as opposed to just one.
A huge watering can work well for outdoor succulents. You can get all your plants watered at once without having to refill every time which is what you should do if using a smaller watering can.
How to water succulent plants indoors
For succulents you are bringing up indoors, it’s best to not get water on top of the leaves. If water sits on the leaves for a long time, it could lead to leaf rot. A small watering can or a squeeze bottle works perfectly.
You should give succulents a good soak till you see water run from the draining holes located at the pot’s bottom. Remember to drain the extra moisture from the saucer under the plant pot – too much wetness will cause root rotting.
Before you water the plant again, you should allow the soil to completely dry. Check-in after a week; if the soil feels moist, you should wait for another week before you water.
Your succulent plant will require a lot of water at the beginning of the spring season. This is when your plant will start growing well. During summer, it may require much less water. Water requirements will be very minimal during winter. It is because the plant will be dormant during the winter months.
During winter, you can wait up to a month before you water the plant again. The soil takes longer to dry out in the winter, so they have less need for water during this time.
Water bottles, watering cans, and even your home water faucet are all effective equipment you can use to water your indoor plant.
How to water succulent plants outdoors
When it is summer, it is a great time to move your succulent plant outdoors. You should get them accustomed to the outdoor conditions by placing the plant in a spot that is partially shaded before you move it to a spot that receives a lot of sunlight.
Getting water on the leaves of outdoor succulents is not much of an issue because outdoor plants will receive a lot of aeration and sunlight which will dry up the leaves quickly. Even if the leaves get wet, it will not lead to rotting.
You should take care to pick the right soil to plant your succulents in. You should also think of the climate and temperature in your place. During cold climates, watering once a month is sufficient. During the winter months, your succulent will go dormant, so you can bring your plants inside.
The air circulation outside is more, and water evaporates faster.
So, you should water them more regularly than your indoor succulents. When the temperature outdoors starts soaring, the soil will dry up quickly. Watering early in the morning so that the soil can soak up all the water it needs to keep the plant thriving.
As to when you should water outdoor succulent plants, it is when the soil starts to feel dry. You should check every few days as opposed to a week. You can bring the plant inside if the temperature gets above 90 degrees. You don’t want your succulents to get sunburnt!
When it comes to a watering schedule for your succulent plant: less is always more. The rule of them to determine much and how frequently you water your succulent plant is the lesser the better. It’s easier to salvage an under-watered succulent than an over-watered succulent. Overwatering is one of the main causes of your plant dying out!
How should I water succulent seedings?
This is the one time where it is okay to use a spray bottle! Whether you are propagating your succulent leaves indoors or outdoors, you need to remember to water the plant every day.
Healthy succulent roots look white, pink, and shiny.
Final wrap on watering succulents
Succulents are amazingly lush and beautiful plants you will love growing in your home garden. Good soaking, proper drainage, and wholesome soil will ensure happy and vibrant succulents.
The soak and dry method – soaking the plant in water from top to bottom and then allowing it to completely dry before the next watering is very effective. It is during the “drought” between watering's that your succulent will grow new roots. Stick to this method, and you will be helping your succulents develop a large, healthy root system.
Now that you know the basics of watering your succulent plant, go ahead and grow them in your home or garden.
Happy gardening!
