Watering Succulents
Watering succulents is one of the first skills any succulent owner should learn. Having the proper technique is key to having a happy, healthy succulent that is ready to thrive. Here, I break it up into four easy segments:
Also, be aware that during leaf propagation, you need to water more often, up until your succulent is big enough to fend for itself.
Watering with a Drainage Hole
1) wet the soil, not the plant. This is because watering the foliage may take off the precious farina. You can water with anything you like: straight from the tap, with a water bottle, with a squirt bottle, or a drip bottle. It doesn't matter as long as you wet the soil.
2) water until the excess water drains out of the drainage hole
3) wait (1-3 weeks) until the soil is bone dry
4) repeat
The theory behind this method is that it doesn't rain too often in the dessert, but when it does, it pours! Watering too often will kill your plant, but it does need water to live. By soaking the soil completely, the roots have to reach all the way down and build up an extensive, strong root system. Wetting only the top will keep the roots at the surface and consequently weak.
Watering without a Drainage Hole
If you're like me and like succs in cups without holes, you need to change up your watering method. Soaking all the soil will cause the moist soil to stay on the bottom of the cup, a great place for mold and other diseases to grow!
1) wet the soil around the base of the plant, not the plant (same as above)
2) use a squirt bottle or a drip bottle (the kind used in chemistry labs and succulent kits. They only cost about a dollar or so.)
3) repeat when soil is bone dry
Underwatering
Your plant will get sad and wilty. It may look like a wrinkly prune or get crispy. To save such a plant, just water it using the methods above. It may take a week or two for it to look good as new, but succulents have all the right adaptations for life in the dessert and the drought. There's hope!
Overwatering
Your plant will start to develop yellow leaves on the bottom that are clear or discolored. These are sacrificial leaves that the succulent pumps all the excess water into before dropping them entirely. Instead of removing these leaves, since the plant will simply choose the next leaf up as the next sacrificial leaf, stop watering the plant immediately and wait until the soil is bone dry. Alternatively, if you have more succulent soil on hand, mix the wet soil in with some new dry soil to give your succulent some immediate relief. Too much water is succulent death, causing root rot and other horrible things. Don't worry though, your succulent may still be salvageable. After doing these steps, watering according to the methods above.
BONUS: Interested in some interesting prints full of unique, one-of-a-kind creativity and characters? Meet (JBASS) Julie Benbassat, a freelance illustrator educated at the Rhode Island School of Design. She has illustration experience in children's books, editorial magazines, world building and character design. For prints of some of her work, go to her shop, or if you would like to contact her about freelance work, email her at JBASS.ILLUS@gmail.com.
- Watering with a drainage hole
- Watering without a drainage hole
- Underwatering
- Overwatering
Also, be aware that during leaf propagation, you need to water more often, up until your succulent is big enough to fend for itself.
JBASS
Watering with a Drainage Hole
1) wet the soil, not the plant. This is because watering the foliage may take off the precious farina. You can water with anything you like: straight from the tap, with a water bottle, with a squirt bottle, or a drip bottle. It doesn't matter as long as you wet the soil.
2) water until the excess water drains out of the drainage hole
3) wait (1-3 weeks) until the soil is bone dry
4) repeat
The theory behind this method is that it doesn't rain too often in the dessert, but when it does, it pours! Watering too often will kill your plant, but it does need water to live. By soaking the soil completely, the roots have to reach all the way down and build up an extensive, strong root system. Wetting only the top will keep the roots at the surface and consequently weak.
Watering without a Drainage Hole
If you're like me and like succs in cups without holes, you need to change up your watering method. Soaking all the soil will cause the moist soil to stay on the bottom of the cup, a great place for mold and other diseases to grow!
1) wet the soil around the base of the plant, not the plant (same as above)
2) use a squirt bottle or a drip bottle (the kind used in chemistry labs and succulent kits. They only cost about a dollar or so.)
3) repeat when soil is bone dry
Underwatering
Your plant will get sad and wilty. It may look like a wrinkly prune or get crispy. To save such a plant, just water it using the methods above. It may take a week or two for it to look good as new, but succulents have all the right adaptations for life in the dessert and the drought. There's hope!
Overwatering
Your plant will start to develop yellow leaves on the bottom that are clear or discolored. These are sacrificial leaves that the succulent pumps all the excess water into before dropping them entirely. Instead of removing these leaves, since the plant will simply choose the next leaf up as the next sacrificial leaf, stop watering the plant immediately and wait until the soil is bone dry. Alternatively, if you have more succulent soil on hand, mix the wet soil in with some new dry soil to give your succulent some immediate relief. Too much water is succulent death, causing root rot and other horrible things. Don't worry though, your succulent may still be salvageable. After doing these steps, watering according to the methods above.
 |
| Overwatered leaves: clear, yellow, with black dots |
BONUS: Interested in some interesting prints full of unique, one-of-a-kind creativity and characters? Meet (JBASS) Julie Benbassat, a freelance illustrator educated at the Rhode Island School of Design. She has illustration experience in children's books, editorial magazines, world building and character design. For prints of some of her work, go to her shop, or if you would like to contact her about freelance work, email her at JBASS.ILLUS@gmail.com.
JBASS
Comments
Post a Comment