WHAT TO DO TO GROW SUCCULENTS

Succulents make ideal houseplants for home gardens for two simple reasons: they are beautiful to look at and almost indestructible.

Technically, a succulent is any plant that has thick (succulent) water storage organs. Succulent leaves, stems, or roots store water. From Africa (where many are native to) to North America’s desert, they’re adapted to survive arid conditions throughout the world.

Adaptation to this environment has resulted in a staggering array of leaf shapes and leaf forms, such as paddle leaves, tight rosettes, and bushy or trailing columns of teardrop leaves. Plants belonging to the succulent group include some of the best-known plants, such as aloe and agave, as well as some relatively unknown varieties found only in nature. In addition, cacti are a subset of the succulents and have unique care and appearance characteristics.

Whatever succulent you’re growing, the rules are similar across species. These are the general rules for growing succulents of high quality.

Light
Whether grown indoors or out, succulents require a lot of light, and should receive at least six hours of sunlight each day. To verify whether they are getting enough sunlight, you can check their leaves. Some species will scorch if exposed to too much sunlight, while others turn white or brown as the plant bleaches out and the soft tissues are damaged.

In contrast, under-exposed succulents will grow elongated stems and widely spaced leaves, a condition called etiolation. The solution is to provide the plant with a more efficient light source and prune the plant back to its original shape.

Soil
You should pot succulents in a fast-draining mix that’s designed specifically for cacti and succulents. To increase aeration and drainage, you can add perlite to a normal potting mix if you do not have access to a specialized mix.

Succulents can also be potted in terracotta or clay planters to help with soil drainage. Because the materials are porous, they will help to drain moisture from the soil and prevent root rot.

Water
All summer long, succulents need to be watered generously. Plants’ potting mix should be allowed to dry between waterings, but you should not submerge them. As pilosocereus go dormant during the winter, water only every two months.

Overwatering (and the rot that can result) is the primary cause of succulent failure. Despite appearing plump and healthy, an overwatered succulent could already be dying underground due to rot that has begun in its root system.

The leaves of overwatered succulents may turn yellow or white and lose their color when they are overwatered. The plant might not be able to be repaired, but the roots can still be examined when it is removed from its pot. If aeonium species list are brown and rotted, you will need to cut them off and replant them into a drier potting mix, or you can take a healthy cutting and propagate the parent plant.

An under-watered plant, meanwhile, will stop growing and then shed its leaves. The leaves may also be affected by brown spots.

Temperature and Humidity
Cold is not a problem for succulents as many people think. Despite the stark contrast between day and night in the desert, succulents do best at night, where temperatures can sometimes drop below 40 degrees. The ideal temperature range for succulents is between 70 degrees Fahrenheit and approximately 85 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as between 50 degrees Fahrenheit and 55 degrees Fahrenheit at night.

The humidity requirement for succulents differs from plant to plant. Generally speaking, they do not mind humidity levels slightly above or below 80 percent as a rule of thumb.

Fertilizer
If your succulents are growing during the summer, fertilize them like your other houseplants. During the winter, you should stop fertilizing completely.