We’re back with another plant to feature, and this week it’s the ever so popular succulents! There is a HUGE variety of succulents in the plant world, so it’s impossible to focus on just one, but for the most part they all have relatively the same care essentials. Keep on reading for all our best tips and facts!

Lighting 

One of the most important care requirements for succulents is making sure they get enough light. Succulents LOVE light and need about 6 hours of sun per day. They can handle more direct sunlight than most plants, but be careful with young succulents, they can still get scorched leaves! Even if your succulent is getting enough sunlight everyday, you will need to rotate it regularly so that each side gets equal amounts of sun. Try to rotate about once a week!

Watering 

Succulents are susceptible to overwatering, so be cautious when you water your plants. Our best suggestion is to water when the top 1 – 2” of soil are dry, it’s easiest to test the soil with your finger or a moisture meter! When the soil is dry, you’ll want to thoroughly water the succulent until water drains out of its drainage hole. One of our favourite methods for watering succulents is bottom watering. Simply place your succulents (in their grower pots) into a tray or pan that’s filled with water and let them absorb the water through the drainage hole. When the top of the soil is moist, remove the pot from the water!

Since succulents originate from a desert environment, they are fairly drought resistant, and don’t like too much humidity. Do not mist your succulents to create more humidity, this can quickly cause moldy leaves and weak roots.

Soil

Potting your succulent in a well draining potting mix (we always recommend our favourite Cactus Mix) and a pot with drainage is vital to growing a happy + healthy plant! Terracotta pots are on of the best options for succulents since they are porous and allow for extra drainage and aeration.

Succulent Problem Solving

Luckily, succulent are fairly low maintenance and don’t have too many common issues! The most common issue you can run into is overwatering. Falling, mushy leaves and swollen stems are all signs of an overwatered succulent. Check the soil and let the plant dry out completely before watering again!

If you’re extremely cautious with watering and notice shriveled, crispy leaves, the plant is likely underwatered. Give the succulent a big drink until water drains through the drainage holes and try to set up a more consistent watering regimen.

Leggy stems? Your succulent probably isn’t getting enough sunlight and is reaching towards a window! Move the plant closer to a light source to help prevent the stem from stretching out even more.

With over 10000 succulent varieties to choose from, they make a great plant to start a collection of!