Succulents are different from other houseplants due to their resiliency to water needs. The time of year will determine how much water is required to keep the plant alive. Neglecting the watering schedule to lose the plant is commonplace. Besides, watering a succulent like any other houseplant will be the demise of the succulents. The following guidelines will help keep the plant alive and healthy in different seasons.
Create a Record or Phone Alert
A question might always be around your mind: How long has it been since the last time I watered my succulents? In order to eliminate this problem, a watering schedule is necessary, and creating a quick alert to check the plant will help keep a constant plan.
Typically, 7-14 days between watering are necessary to keep the plant alive; however, this may differ depending on the plant or if an arrangement is planted. A journal will help keep a quick record of watering and dates, ultimately allowing the plant to live longer.
I highly recommend the app, Planta to you. It is a succulent tracker app, that helps you identify the plant so a robust watering schedule with alerts can be created before planting. (Image below is the screenshot of the app: Planta)
Indoor Watering by Seasons
Before watering indoor plants, you should keep a few critical matters in mind. Firstly, it's essential to know the specific watering needs of each plant in your collection. For example, some plants prefer to be watered more frequently, while others only need water once a week. Paying attention to the soil moisture level is also essential, as overwatering can be as damaging as underwatering. Additionally, avoid getting water on the leaves or leading to the growth of mold and mildew.
Spring and fall: For most live succulents, spring and fall are their active growing seasons. Typically, it would be best to water your succulents about once weekly or whenever the soil completely dries. When you water them, ensure to thoroughly soak them, allowing the water to penetrate the soil deeply. Long-neck water can is recommended to avoid water splitting, or the water sits in the crown of succulent plants.
Summer: Watering your succulents during the summer months can be a bit tricky. Typically, it's better to water your succulents deeply once per 10 to 15 days than to give them a little bit of water every day. Former watering behavior encourages their roots to grow deeper into the soil.
Bottom-watering succulents is another interesting and efficient method that is widely used in many succulent nurseries to promote root establishment and avoid overwatering succulents.
You may wonder: When and How to Bottom Water Your Succulents?
In addition to controlling the amount of water, it is important to place succulents in an area with good air circulation to help the water evaporate quickly. This will help prevent succulents from fungal infections and insects such as mealy bugs, which are common problems during the summer season.
Winter: When watering succulents in winter, it's important to remember that they don't need as much water as they do during the warmer months. Succulents are adapted to survive in arid conditions, so they have developed the ability to store water in their leaves and stems. Water your succulents sparingly, only when the bottom leaves of succulents shriveled. This is a distinct sign of underwatered succulents. Then during sunny days, water deeply along the inner side of the planter.
Tools and Tips for Watering
It may cause rot on the plant leaves if the excess water doesn't drain through the soil. The following tools and tips will help keep the plant alive for a long time with minimal leave rot and mealybugs.
Watering Bottle - Using a watering bottle to stream is a quick way to water the plant. This tool suits all succulents, whether big or small.
Soil - If the soil is dry then it is a good indicator the succulent needs water, usually, soak the soil and let the plant sit for the next watering. A good indicator the plant is lacking either sunlight or water is the leaves turning to rot or dying off, make sure to move to sunlight and add more water. Picking the right soil is also necessary high drainage soil is helpful and will ensure the plant roots take form. We highly recommend our organic soil mix for succulents. You can add some gritty rocks and simply make your own succulents soil. Be careful of overwatering the plant, this will cause weaker root systems as the roots to become too saturated and do not grow out to find moisture. Click here to learn how to save overwatered succulents.
Pot with a drainage hole - A pot with a drainage hole in the bottom is suggested due to the water runoff having a centralized exit. This will prevent the succulents from sitting in soggy or muddy soil, resulting in roots rot. Another reason is watering succulents from the bottom is feasible. Filling the catch pan with water and the soil will absorb the water and won't retain excessive water, cause to overwater succulent.
Soil moisture meter - Another garden tool that can help water succulents is a soil moisture meter. This tool is designed to measure the level of humidity in the soil and provide an accurate reading on when it is necessary to water the succulent plant. By preventing overwatering, which can lead to root rot and other issues, the Soil Moisture Meter ensures that your succulent plants are watered at the appropriate time and with the correct amount of water. It is a reliable tool for maintaining the health of your plants and ensuring optimal growth.
Why does this crazy method of watering work?
Succulent plants are typically desert plants, and the limitations of water have allowed these plants to adapt to extreme conditions. For example, the desert will have quick rain over 24 hours and months without water. The soil will become saturated during that rainstorm, and the succulents will pre-absorb the moisture into their leaves; however, if they absorb too much, their cells will be burst. That's why they don't like sitting in waterlogged soil. So creating a similar watering schedule for the indoor succulent plant is essential to growing a robust and beautiful plant.
Overall, an indoor succulent is a simple and easy plant to keep alive. The weather changes with Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter create unique watering schedules. If you are always free, there's a watering method which calls 'soak and dry' that applies to full-year growth for succulents; keep monitoring the soil. Once it is completely dry, then it's time to water.
Transform your living space with the effortless beauty of indoor succulents! With minimal water and attention required, these plants are the perfect choice for anyone looking to add a touch of green to their home or office without all the hassle. Choose from a variety of indoor succulents available on the market and elevate your interior design game today!