Watering Tips : Do's and Don'ts for Cute Succulents

Succulents are marvels of nature that store extra water in their leaves, stems, or roots.

Because they have the reputation for growing in arid conditions, many people fail to realize that when we bring them into our home and garden environments, they do need to be watered regularly.

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Succulents like well-drained soil. In addition to quality potting media, make sure your containers have drainage holes, because too much moisture can result in rotten roots. 

As per our survey, 80% of succulents gets damaged due to over-watering.

Signs of over-watered succulent plant :

Succulents have water storage capacities in their tissues, leaves and stems. They can go for long periods of time without water. When a succulent gets too much water, their leaves and tissues start to swell up and eventually burst. Our plants will show some or more of below signs

1. First sign of over-watering is yellowish, soft, mushy and translucent leaves.
2. If over-watering continues for longer leaves start to rot and you will see them turn black
3. Finally they start to drop from the plant.

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We can we fix the damaged plant due to over-watering using simple tips:

1. Remove all damaged parts- leaves , stem and roots and Air dry plant for 2-3 days
2. Replace the wet soil with total dry soil.
3. Place in indirect bright light. Don’t water until the plant recovers.

How to avoid over-watering : 

As we know prevention is always better than cure. Follow these simple steps to avoid over-watering

1. Water only when needed. Always check the soil if it is dry an inch below and check the leaves if it gets thin.
2. Water it thoroughly, this means water should drip down the pot
3. Watering should be done at regular intervals , which depends on your local climatic conditions, season and placement of the plants. 

A good rule of thumb: it’s always better to under-water succulents, than over-water.

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Under-watering

Succulents are desert plants and can stay longer than other without watering, however that does not mean they don't need water. Succulent leaves have small water storage in their cells, when they don’t have sufficient water from roots, they start using its water reserve from its leaves. Causing the leaves to thin out.

Signs of under-watered succulent plant :

1. Leaves feel soft and flat : The first sign of under-watering is soft and flat leaves , they will start to droop and get wrinkled as they go longer without water
2. Dried up, brown, dead leaves: You will notice plenty of dried up, dead leaves from the bottom of the plant. As the plant start losing its water storage, the bottom leaves start to dry out first

How can we fix a succulent with severe under-watering:

Water the succulent thoroughly until the wrinkles goes away.

How can we avoid under-watering:

The Best way for watering plants is to follow a routine.

Watering should be done at regular intervals , which depends on our local climatic conditions, season and placement of the plants.

How to Water Succulents Indoors:

• Rather than giving your succulents sips of water here and there, give them a good soaking—to the point the water runs out the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot.
• Be sure to empty the water that runs into the saucer beneath the plant pot.
• Then let the soil dry out completely before watering again.

How to Water Succulents in Outdoor :

• Outdoor plants generally require more water than indoor plants. Again, your conditions will dictate how often succulents will need water.
• Start by checking on a weekly basis, paying attention to the condition of the potting media and whether it’s bone dry or moist.

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Watering succulents as per the seasons:

• Succulents require more water in the early spring when the plant is growing. Water needs may lessen in the summer and even more so during the winter. When the light decreases during the winter months and most succulents are in a dormant period, their water requirements also decrease.
• During winter, water your succulents when the soil is dry. This could be as infrequently as once per month but will depend on your conditions.
• Summer is a good time to move potted succulents outdoors. Though they love sun, give them a chance to acclimate to outdoor conditions by placing them in a partially shaded area before moving to a sunnier location. Keep them out of intense sunlight from late morning to mid-afternoon.