How often to water succulents (and keep them alive)?
| These hardy unique plants need low levels of watering. The first and most important thing to remember about how often to water succulents: Only water your succulent when its soil is completely dry. Watering should be like an occasional rainstorm in a desert. Your other indoor or outdoor plants may prefer more frequent watering. Your succulent does not. Let’s look into succulents more. And in doing so, focus on what factors are important to consider when it comes to watering. We will also include some tips to keep your succulent alive. |
Contents
When to water succulents summary infographic
Succulents – what are they
In short, succulents are not like other plants.
Originating in dry, desert like or arid climates, succulents are thick, fleshy and drought resistant.
The term succulent is not a scientific term designed to divide between groups for families of plants. Rather, it is simply used to describe a set of characteristics of an individual type of plant.
The word succulent originates from the latin word, sucus, meaning juice, sap or moisture. And it is inside these thick, fleshy leaves or stems (and sometimes roots) on your succulent that they store reservoirs of water for survival.
Succulents are my favourite! They come in so many awesome shapes, colours and sizes, which explains their popularity. And so versatile and low maintenance in addition.
Do succulents need a lot of water?
In short, no.
Now, let’s consider that these are plants that can survive in very unfavourable conditions.
And if you were a plant made to withstand the tough conditions in the Saharan desert, you would probably not need of a lot of assistance from a watering bucket or human.
So first job of owning a succulent, DON’T KILL IT by doing too much or over watering.
Ok, fine.
But how often should I water my succulent? Once a week? Once a month?
This will be the focus of the article today.
Remember, succulents are hardy and can grow easily, so they may be a low fuss good addition to your small garden or indoor area.
But it still doesn’t mean you can neglect them.
How often should I water my succulent?
The basic and most important rule, as all other advice can be flawed:
| Only water your succulent plant when the soil in the pot or container is dry.
|
A good way to check whether it is time to water is to pick up a bit of the soil from the pot of the succulent. If it is not thoroughly dry and crumbling easily or looks moist, hold off on the watering. This way, you know you will not be overwatering them.
It is true that succulents can survive drought pretty well. However, they will not be at their best if the drought is too long so occasional watering (and watering well during those times) is still crucial for their survival and health.
Imagine your succulent is in a desert and gets the occasional storm. This is the same aim you have with your watering strategy.
But how many days apart should I water them?
The answer to this depends on too many factors (see below) to give an accurate answer but let’s say for most indoor succulents, watering them every 10 to 15 days apart should be sufficient during the warmer months and less frequently in winter.
What happens if i water my succulent too much?
Here’s the deal.
Remember how we said succulents store water in their leaves and stems.
When they are exposed to too much water, think overwatering or being a puddle, their leaves start to absorb more than is needed. And just like you placing your fingers in a bath for too long, they will start to look shrivelled.
If you continue to overwater them, the leaves will often turn darker, yellow, brown or black as they rot and over time begin to fall off.
A similar process occurs with their roots which can rot, leading to your plant dying.
So don’t overdo the watering.
Factors that affect how often to water succulents
There are several important factors that affect the ideal frequency of watering succulent.
Season
The season we are in is an important factor when it comes to how often to water succulents.
Succulents will need extra water during their growth phase, predominantly in spring. They will need similar amounts in summer.
And less water in winter when their growth slows due to low temperature.
Therefore, in summer or spring, you may even water them a couple of times per week depending on other factors.
On the other hand, during winter, you can stretch it out to even every few weeks. Let them rest in dry and cold peace during the winter months.
Still, we recommend sticking to the simple rule of watering when the soil is dry. No room for error there.
Climate
The watering frequency will of course depend on the specific region and temperatures you encounter (you cannot compare a scorching Australian summer to a more moderate one in San Francisco for example).
The warmer the climate, the more often you need to water the succulents.
Indoor or outdoor and exposure to sunlight
Succulents that are outdoors or more exposed to sunlight (especially strong sunlight) throughout the day will naturally need more frequent watering.
Humidity
Another simple one. Similarly to the above, if your climate is more humid or cooler, your succulent will need less water. The opposite holds as well.
Type and size of container
The succulent container is another factor.
Size: the soil of succulents dries faster in smaller containers so will need more watering compared to large containers.
Type: if the container has no drain holes, they will need a lot less water. Take care with this. (We recommend getting a pot with drainage holes).
Exact species of succulent
Different species of succulent may require different frequencies of watering.
For example, a cactus will need less water than another species, let’s say aloe plants.
How to water
As we said before, our aim is to recreate the drought then relative rainstorm scenario from the desert.
When watering your succulent, water the soil and not the leaves.
Don’t use a water spray, rather soak the soil with a watering can or bottle. And water it well. Watering well and less frequently works the best.
So the process is simple:
Firstly, soak the soil well and thoroughly with water. Let it drain completely and ensure there is no puddle or build up below.
Then, as discussed before, leave it to dry completely before the next time watering.
Some helpful care tips to grow succulents
We have found these tips useful to make your succulents flourish and keep them alive.
| Don’t overwater As discussed above. Just don’t.Use a well draining pot (!) ….and well draining soil.Water the soil directly Not the plant itself. Ensure they get enough sunlight Protect from extremes of temperature Rotate your succulents Use organic fertiliser to feed occasionally Clean your succulents Be gentle if re-potting Keep your succulent insect free Find out the exact type of succulent you have |
Do you have any advice on how often to water succulents?
Or any other helpful tips?
Please let me know in the comments below and help the community.
Hey, even a share a picture of your plant, so we can see your progress.
References
Sucus meaning, Wordsense dictionary, accessed October 2020, link here
Name that Succulent, Rowley, Gordon D. Written 1980. Cheltenham, Stanley Thornes, link to title
Succulent Plant, Wikipedia, accessed October 2020, link here
Kira T, succulent nursery owner and expert for her useful and much appreciated insight
This article on how often to water succulents is made for general garden and plant lover information only and not as specific advice. We hope you find the gardening advice useful but do not accept any responsibility for any liability arising from the use of the information, even if deemed inaccurate, as outlined in the terms of use.
