Succulents Basic Care Guide – If you tried to grow succulents in the past and ended up with withered plants after a few weeks, you are not alone. This problem is common for most people who love planting.
Don’t feel discouraged! As you grow them, you will gain more experience, and you will also learn to identify the problems.
There are so many ideas, tips, tricks, and care guides on keeping succulents healthy. But, on the other hand, as a starter, you need a primary care guide to help you start efficiently.
Caring and growing of succulents don’t have to be complicated. Succulents are low- maintenance plants. You can prevent them from dying if you get the basics right.
Succulents Basic Care Guide
As a beginner, choosing a healthy succulent is essential. When acquiring a plant, choose a healthy foliage plant with beautiful color, texture, and shape. It is also necessary that the plant is free from insects and diseases.
Soil Mix
Succulents generally come from dry regions that don’t have much rain and inferior quality of soil. Therefore, the soil requirement for succulents is different from regular houseplants. Houseplants need more nutrients from the soil than the succulents need.
And from that, it is best to recreate natural soil conditions for succulents as closely as possible. In the garden center, there is a specific soil designed for succulents. However, you can make your DIY soil mix for your succulents.
You can’t use regular potting soil alone because it is too heavy and holds too much moisture. Wet soil can cause root rot which is a common problem in growing succulents. It is preferred to use light and fast-draining soil.
Making your DIY succulent soil mix is more convenient, especially if you plan to grow a large garden of succulents. It allows you to create your own mixture however you want it to be.
In addition, you have the power to make the soil as fast-draining as you want it to be. To make your DIY succulent soil mix, you will need 1 part of regular potting soil and two parts of either coarse sand, pumice, or perlite.
Pots and containers
When choosing a pot for your succulents, it is fun to pick the most attractive planter on the shelf. Well, you can have your pretty container for your succulents but make sure that it has proper drainage.
Good drainage prevents your succulents from rotting. One thing to consider when choosing the right pot is the drainage. It is essential to have good drainage because it allows water to drain quickly.
There are so many adorable and trendy pots with drainage holes that you can choose from the market. But if you want to experiment with your artsy side, you can choose any container you want and create a hole in them.
You might see people growing some succulents in containers without drainage, but this requires careful planning and some skills to make this work.
Another thing to consider when choosing the right pot for your succulent is the size. You may think that planting succulents in a big bank can give them more room to grow, but it is not. Bigger pots tend to hold more moisture that can be damaging to the succulents’ health.
Pots made out of terracotta and ceramic are the best pots for the succulents because it allows air to flow and water to escape, reducing the chances of your succulents from dying from overwatering root rot. But be aware that your succulent may outgrow the pot after a few years of living in the same pot.
Repotting
You may ask why you should repot your newly bought succulents. Sometimes, freshly purchased plants can carry parasites, and repotting gives you a chance to inspect them.
Also, always check the stems, especially the roots, for parasites you might have missed upon buying: another reason why is because you need to change the soil and the container. When you buy a plant from the nursery, it usually comes with the wrong kind of soil in a plastic container.
Repotting is a simple process. First, make sure that your succulent is free from parasites before repotting it. You can do this by washing them with water but don’t let them soak.
How to water succulents?
How frequently you water your succulents? Improper watering, especially overwatering, is an absolute way to cause a problem. Still, a succulent can die of thirst. Therefore, mastering the right balance between wet and dry is vital in growing succulents.
The frequency of watering depends on the seasons and the weather. Ideally speaking, you should water your succulents when the soil is completely dried out. You can check the moisture condition of your succulent by poking your finger into the top inch of the soil.
When watering your succulent, allow excess water to run through the hole at the bottom of the container to make sure that you water it thoroughly.
Amount of light
Plants require a different amount of light depending on their variety. Succulents need bright light for them to thrive. You will wonder how bright is that exactly.
To give your succulent the right amount of light, place them where they can acquire four to six hours of morning direct sunlight every day. If you notice that your succulents are elongated and stretching upwards, this means that your plant is not receiving enough light. Don’t let your succulent starve from sunlight.
During summertime, avoid your succulents from burning in the afternoon heat because some of them are easily get burnt. On the other hand, when the light is less intense, you may need longer hours of the morning as in the winter season.
To sum it up, understanding the proper care for keeping your succulents healthy and identifying the primary reason they are dying will keep you from killing your succulents.
