Watering Succulents: Frequency & Points to care

how often should you water succulents

Watering succulents, why the need?

Succulents are in trend these days due to the vibrancy that they add in a place. Lots of people prefer them in their homes and offices, as succulents need lesser care and sunlight. But, one more thing also that differentiates them from other plants is their requirement of watering succulents. And to be factual, overwatering is one of the reasons these plants succumb to an untimely death.

“The watering of a garden requires as much judgment as the seasoning of a soup.”

HELENA ELY

Because succulents are less popular and our traditional plants need adequate watering to grow. It has created a notion in the minds of people that all the plants need wet soil whole time for nourishment. Contrary to this, succulents are uncomfortable with higher water availability all the time; the reason behind it is their origin climate.

Origin of succulents

Succulents have come from desert areas, and are habitual to heavy rains and drought or drier conditions. This is the reason why succulents store water in their leaves and stem. Because, they use this water in the drier conditions. And by abundantly watering these plants, we upset their existence. The very fundamental thing that they are born for gets disturbed. And, that leads to undergrowth or departure sometimes.

It is highly essential to discuss the water requirements of the succulents. And, also the right method and procedure for watering these plants. And it’s highly crucial for the novice in the gardening to have this knowledge. As without the factual information, it not seems possible to have a healthy growth of these plants. Or thing could go even worse, and we may witness a dead plant corpse in our garden. This is the reason we will discuss here the succulents’ needs first. And, then will move on to methods and tips for improving the effectiveness of the watering procedure.

Why succulents have different watering needs?

As we know, succulents are adaptive to thrive in drier conditions. They store water in the stem, leaves, and roots in the time of rain or water abundance. And swelled up with water bubbles, succulents utilize these water resources at the time of need, drought conditions to say. And because they have adapted themselves to this, it’s advised to keep them too dry rather than overwatering them.

Leaves of succulents puff up when they fill with water. And, when this water gets used, leaves contract, as stored moisture in them gets utilized for the growth. And, these shrunk up leaves are the indicators that your succulent needs watering. Although some of the varieties of the succulents tend to drop their old leaves like they are withering. In fact, that is a healthy sign for them as new leaves are replacing them soon.

Expert advise for watering succulents

Experts advise that we should water a succulent only when the soil is too dry. Obviously because of their arid background; if the soil is moist, it’s better to avoid drenching them. A tip to check when is the right time to water a succulent is to dig in your finger 1 inch deep in the soil. And, if you feel that bit is too dry, water them.

Succulents refill their depleted water storage when they find more water in the soil. But, what happens when they get filled with water and the ground is still too moist. When we water a succulent frequently, succulents reach a condition where the reservoirs in the plant fill up with water. And, due to overwatering cells and tissues start absorbing more and more water resulting in internal damage. Another sign of that is the rotting of leaves and roots; the firm leaves of succulents turn into spongy petals.

How succulents need differentiate?

Succulent is less capable of handling over-watering situation nicely in comparison to regular plants. And, therefore they drop dead sometimes. And recovery from this condition is tough or may lead to re-plantation. So, for best, it is advisable to keep them away from wet conditions.

Like other plants, the possibility of the flourishing of succulent highly depends on the type of soil. While regular plants require well-drained soil for proper growth; succulents ask for fast-draining one. They need oxygen to get to their roots and prefer to rest in well-drained soil, not on the moist clod. When preparing the right soil for planting a succulent, you can go for the mixes available in the market, or make one yourself, be ready to do a small soil test for judging the soil’s water-holding quality by squeezing it between your hands. And if it doesn’t hold like a wet lump, you are good to go.

Tips for watering succulents

Now, when we have a better idea about the watering needs and the preliminary preparations that we need to do for it. We can move on to the tips and facts that we should care about in the watering process. As we will now understand them better. We will get a clearer picture of the well-known fact that succulents need little care. By caring little, it doesn’t mean we should neglect them completely. In fact, we need to include some simple methods in practice. Which will provide them water nourishment for better.

how often to water succulents

We plant the succulents in three ways indoor in containers, in outdoor containers, and the ground; although the watering method for all is quite similar, it differs in some ways. Here also soak and dry technique is preferred. But, due to different conditions indoors like low light, lesser humidity, and size of the pots, things are a bit contrasting.

Succulents need more water in spring, a bit lesser in summer, and even lesser in winter. Succulents in outdoor containers demand more water. Keep a check regularly for the moisture, as shallow containers hold less moisture.

Popular method for watering succulents

Outdoor succulents in the ground also prefer the soak and dry method and dislike standing water, for that it is advisable to raise the soil with a mix of perlite and PermaTill in it, and you can also add some other nourishing items in that heap.

The soak and dry method, quite a famous technique among the succulent lovers, it means that we should water a succulent when it’s too dry. And there is a reason behind it; this method helps the root of the plants behave like they are in their natural arid region. They grow better root systems in search of water, which assists them to be healthier and make them strong enough to withstand the drought conditions better than other plants.

Extra tips for watering succulents

Do not use the spray method to water large succulents. Regular watering of succulents with small amounts of water, as we prefer with other plants, results in a weak root system as they manage to get water, they don’t advance to far corners in search of it. Also, water that is stuck on leaves after spraying can cause the leaves to rot. And that also makes succulents weak they get in the habit of regularly watering, and if you miss they can’t survive, and in spraying technique, water doesn’t reach deep in the soil, which is also a cause of premature death of succulents. The spraying method is best for baby succulents because, at that stage, succulents absorb water from leaves instead of roots as in larger ones; also, spray bottles come with measurements, which helps a lot.

Planting a succulent in a pot with a drainage hole elongates their life, as they don’t like wet soil. A drainage hole allows excess water to flow out and also provides an alternate way for air in the soil. You can cover the drainage hole with mesh tape to stop nourishing things to drain away.

Sometimes the reason for white dots on the leaves of succulents is their watering with tap water, which contains minerals like magnesium, calcium, etc. So, it is best to use rainwater, distilled water, or filtered water. You can collect the rainwater in the rainy season and use it throughout the year and if using tap water becomes a compulsion, store it in a bucket overnight so that the minerals in it can scatter into the air.

Like the other plants, it is advisable to water the succulents in the morning time avoid watering them in humid or rainy weather, or the afternoon.

Bottomline

With some easy steps and caring methods, you will see your lovely succulents bloom in your garden, adding a vibrancy of new colors boosting up the ambiance of the surroundings. Now move! Your babies, your succulents’ are calling for you!