How often should a succulent be watered

How Much and How Often to Water Succulents — Retro Den

March 18, 2018 March 18, 2018/ Ashley Palmer

This is probably the number one question we get at the shop. And for good reason. Your succulent's life hinges on how much water you give it. Though the answer to this question varies depending on several variables (which we will go into later on!), the general rule of thumb is that you never want your succulent to stand in water. When your succulent stands in water, it dies. A succulent can come back from under-watering, but over-watering leads to a succulent's demise. You may think we are being dramatic, but c'mon, succulent death is kind of a big deal. So the short answer to the question of how much to water a succulent is: water it, but not so much that it's left standing in water.

Some of the variables that may affect the amount of water to give a succulent include:

Container type- If your container has a drain hole, you can give the succulent more water because excess water will drain out. If the container doesn't have a hole, you need to be extra careful not to fill the container with water up to the roots. Also, succulents in smaller clay pots dry out faster and can take a bit more water.
How it was planted- putting pea gravel in the bottom of your planter boosts the succulent's roots up off the bottom of the planter leaving room for excess water. Plus, pea gravel allows air to get down into the pot more easily and dry it out more quickly. If your succulent isn't planted with pea gravel, go ahead and replant it! Here's how.
Succulent location- If your succulent is outside in the heat and wind, it can take more water than if it is indoors.
Succulent size- larger plants take more water than smaller plants.

You should water your succulents every other week during non-winter months when temperatures are above 40 degrees. During the winter time (when temperatures are below 40 degrees) you should only water your succulent once a month because it is dormant during this time.

There are a few exceptions to this rule. Certain types of succulents require more frequent watering because their leaves are teeny tiny and can't hold as much water compared to other varieties with plump leaves. For these tiny leaf succulents, feel free to give them a drink up to once a week in the non-winter months if they look thirsty. Succulents typically look a little wrinkly when they are thirsty. Remember though, it's always better to under-water than to over-water.

Scenario #1: This succulent is about five inches wide and a foot tall. It's planted in pea gravel in a clay planter with a drain hole and lives outside on a patio (except during the winter).

Answer: This succulent would like about two cups of water every other week in the non-winter months and 1-1.5 cups of water once a month in the winter.

Scenario #2: This succulent is about three inches wide and three inches tall. It is planted in pea gravel, but it is a shallow container that doesn't have a drain hole. This succulent is living indoors near a west window.

Answer: This succulent would like about 1/8- 1/4 cup water every other week in non-winter months and 1/8 cup water once a month in the winter.

Scenario #3: This succulent is about 2 inches wide and 4 inches tall. It has tiny leaves, is planted with pea gravel and in a container with a drain hole. It lives inside.

Answer: This succulent would like about 1/4 cup water every week to week and a half in the non-winter months and 1/4 water every other week during the winter.

Have a succulent watering question? Leave a comment below! Or if you'd like to learn more about succulent care, please read on! We love to talk about plants.

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How to Water Succulent Plants

Succulents are not like most other plants. So naturally, if you try to water them like other plants, especially other house plants, they aren’t going to survive!

However, this doesn’t mean you can neglect them completely.

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These two extremes are what make it seem like succulents are hard to grow. But with this simple watering method, you’ll be able to give you succulents enough water to thrive.

If you're ready to dive right in, you can jump to one of the following:

How to Water Succulents
How frequently should I water succulents?
Why does this work?
Using the right soil is critical
Use a pot with a drainage hole
How to water leaf propagation
Watch for signs from your succulents

To help you even further, download my free cheat sheet to see what it looks like when your succulents need more or less water. Click here to grab that, it'll be super helpful.

PinEcheveria 'Blue Atoll'

Keep a record

One of the best pieces of advice I can give you to help your succulents succeed and to help you get your watering schedule “just right” is to record when you've watered.

Knowing when you've watered last will help answer a lot of questions about whether or not it's time to water again.

There's a lot of great ways to keep track of this — pen and paper, excel spreadsheet, notes on your phone — but my favorite way is to use the Succulent Tracker app (Apple | Android). It allows you to easily record each time you water, shows your watering history for each plant, reminds you when it's time to water, and allows you to keep a photo history of the plant too.

There are a lot of different ways to use the app, but keeping track of watering has been a gamechanger for my succulents!

How to Water Succulent Plants (indoors and outdoors)

The best way to water succulents is with the “soak and dry” method. Soak the soil completely then let the soil dry out completely before watering again. And make sure the succulents are in a well draining soil in a pot with a drainage hole (more on that in a minute).

Pretty simple, right? See this method in action:

For indoor succulents, it is generally best if water doesn’t get on top of the leaves. If it sits on a leaf for too long it can cause rot.

Use a small spout watering can (this one is fantastic) or a squeeze bottle (like the one in this super handy tool kit).

This isn’t as much of an issue for outdoor succulents because there is more airflow and the water will dry out quicker.

PinAloe ‘Blue Elf', Agave parryi, Aloe hybrid

If possible, just pour water onto the soil around your succulents until it is completely soaked. DO NOT water your succulents again until the soil has dried out — from the top of the pot to the bottom.

Succulents do not like to sit in wet soil for more than 2-3 days.

So then comes the question…

How often should I water my succulents?

Succulents should be watered only when the soil has dried out completely. There is no universal watering schedule that works for every succulent in every climate.

Many indoor succulent growers find that watering 14-21 days is a good frequency to keep their succulents alive. Use this timeline as a starting point and adjust as needed.

PinGasteraloe ‘Flow', Gasteria brevifolia, Crassula pubescens ssp. radicans “Large Red Carpet Stonecrop” in Bonsai Jack Pot

Remember to get the free cheat sheet to see what it looks like when your succulents need more or less water. Click here to grab that.

The best frequency for watering your succulents is whenever the leaves show very early signs of under watering. Grab that cheat sheet above so you know that that looks like.

Since most succulents are very prone to rot with frequent watering, you’re best off to wait for a signal from your succulent before watering.

But if nothing else, don’t water again until the soil is totally dry.

And remember, keeping track of your watering schedule is really important. I can't tell you how many times I “think” I haven't watered in a while, only to find out, thanks to my notes in the Succulent Tracker app (Apple | Android) that it was just a few days ago.

Find out a few things that may affect how often you water your succulents in this video:

Why does this watering method work?

Succulents are generally native to areas where the soil drains quickly and water is heavy, but infrequent. Think about cacti (a subcategory of succulents) out in the desert… They get flash floods of water, with storms lasting 24-28 hours, followed by weeks without any water at all.

While your succulents, especially indoors, don’t need a watering schedule this extreme, they will benefit from the “soak and dry” approach.

With a deep watering the succulent has plenty of access to water. During the “drought” between watering, the succulent will begin to grow new roots, searching for more water.

The soak and dry method helps the succulent develop a large, healthy root system which will enable it to withstand longer periods of drought than most other plants.

DO NOT use a spray bottle for watering. Constant watering with small amounts of water, like with a spray bottle, will produce a weak root system that can’t withstand very long periods of drought.

That means if you don't water for a couple days your succulent will die. Or if you don't get the water deep enough when you spray with a spray bottle, the succulent will die. So don’t do it 🙂

Soak and dry… soak and dry…

The right soil is crucial for watering success

At the very beginning of the article I mentioned your succulents should be planted in a well draining soil AND in a pot with a drainage hole.

Succulents will quickly rot if they are in wet soil for too long. Ideally, your soil will be mostly dry, especially the top half of the pot, within 2-3 days.

So what makes a soil “well draining”?

I’ve dedicated a full post just to talking about the perfect soil mix for succulents. You can read that here.

The short answer is a well draining soil looks “gritty” because it has ¼” (6mm) particles. ⅔ of the soil should be inorganic (rock) and ⅓ should be organic (pine bark, coconut coir, etc.).

PinBonsai Jack Gritty Soil Mix for Succulents

Traditional soil will not work well for succulents. It stays wet for much too long. I don’t generally recommend using most of the “Cactus and Succulent” soils found at most nurseries either. They tend to be too organic and still don’t drain fast enough.

If you’re new to succulents or have killed a few succulents from too much water, I highly recommend getting a bag of Jack’s Gritty Mix for your succulents. This is the best succulent soil I’ve used. 95% (or more) of my succulents are planted in this and they are thriving!

Beyond that, take a look at the soil post to get recommendations for other materials and how to modify other store bought soils to make them work better for succulents.

Use a pot with a drainage hole

Another important piece of this watering method is using a pot with a drainage hole.

Remember how I mentioned succulents don’t like to sit in wet soil for very long? It’s very difficult for the soil to dry out completely if your pot doesn’t have a drainage hole.

The hole in the bottom of the pot allows for excess water to flow out of the pot and away from your succulent roots. It also provides another way for air to flow through the soil and help it dry out faster.

PinPot from Susan Aach | Drainage holes covered with mesh tape

If you’re just starting with succulents, a pot with a drainage hole is going to be extremely helpful for you.

If you want to know how to keep succulents alive in a pot without a drainage hole, click here and I’ll show you what to do.

How should I water the succulent leaves or babies I’m propagating?

This is the one time–and the only time–that it's okay to use a spray bottle for watering your succulents–when you're propagating!

However, even still… I recommend using a squeeze bottle (like the one in my favorite tool kit) to ensure the soil gets thoroughly wet.

When you're propagating succulent leaves indoors or outdoors, you can water them every day. You want to keep the soil damp (though not sopping wet) so the leaves have plenty of access to water.

PinGraptoveria ‘Opalina’, Graptoveria ‘Debbie’, Sedum rubrotinctum, Crassula rupestris — Click here to purchase these succulents

Just spray the top of the soil with a spray bottle (or use the squeeze bottle from above). Like the roots of large succulent plants, the leaves will absorb water from the air around them, so spraying the soil with a spray bottle is usually enough in my experience.

Keep an eye on your roots–they may dry out if they aren't getting enough water.

Often I can look at the soil and know I need to water.

Other times, especially when I'm starting to reduce my watering frequency for these babies, I'm not sure if it's time to water or not. Checking the Succulent Tracker app (Apple | Android) reassures me it's time to water. Plus I can record photos in the app and see the progress of my babies too!

Watch your succulents for indicators

Now that you know the soak and dry method, it’s time for you to give it a try!

Pay attention to the signs your succulent is giving you. It will start to change if it needs more water or less water. Be sure to click here to grab my cheat sheet to see what that looks like. It’ll be super helpful.

And lastly, when in doubt go without!

It is much easier to save your succulents from too little water than from too much. If you think you’ve over or under watered your succulent, click here to find out what to do next.

How to water Succulents correctly | Blog Exotica

Succulents (from Latin succulentus, "juicy") came to us from arid countries and do not need frequent watering. Many lovers of exotic plants plant succulents knowing that they are very unpretentious. These plants are able to do without water for a long time, accumulating moisture in thick leaves and stems (depending on the species). However, in order for the plant to be healthy and please with its appearance, it must be watered correctly, knowing at least some rules. nine0005

The most common mistakes when watering succulents that can lead to plant death:

1. Succulents are overwatered! For them, a lack of moisture is better than its excess (the root system quickly rots, the leaves turn yellow and fall off).

2. Overfeeding (a lack of nutrients will not harm the plant, but excessive care leads to death).

3. If, due to insufficient watering, the leaves turn yellow, dry up - inexperienced gardeners consider them "dead" and cut them off, which causes great harm to the plant. With further proper watering in small but regular portions, such leaves will gradually accumulate moisture and become healthy. nine0005

What kind of water to water succulents?

The water must be soft and free from impurities. Hard water will damage the root system and prevent the plant from developing normally. Distilled, reverse osmosis or rain water is perfect. Also, some gardeners use water after freezing (simulating melt water).

Another very important rule: the water should be warm, preferably from 25*C to 35*C! (Never water chilled. ) This watering will be close to the conditions of the natural environment and will promote the favorable growth and development of all types of succulents. nine0005

How often should succulents be watered?

The answer to this question is quite simple: after the complete drying of the earthen clod and not before. Water thoroughly, plentifully, so that the water completely passes through the ground and flows into the pan. Watering "a little" will only mislead - whether the plant lacks moisture.

In the warm season (spring and summer) watering should be more intensive and frequent every 4-5 days. But again, watering should be done only if the earth lump has had time to dry completely. nine0005

In autumn, succulents gradually wean themselves from the abundance of water and reduce the frequency of watering to once every 7-15 days. (depending on ambient temperature). And in winter watered every 2-3 weeks. But again, it all depends on the humidity of the room itself!

The main signs that your plant lacks moisture:

Brittle and dry top foliage;
Shrinkage of the whole plant;
Appearance of folds at the ends of shoots; nine0056

In such cases, reduce the interval between watering.

It should be remembered that young succulents, as well as after transplantation, require additional care. Such plants require more frequent watering, but more reduced in volume. Spraying should also be included, but not the leaves or the stem, but the earthen clod itself (once a 3-4 days under the root with warm water). Such sprays will help the plant in the development of the root system and improve its growth.

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You can always order succulents here with delivery all over Russia

How to properly and often water succulents at home?

Succulents are one of the most popular plants that beginners prefer to buy. The secret of their popularity is that they are considered unpretentious, and are able to survive even with rare watering. Many people choose good succulents in a beautiful pot for their home or office, put them on a table or on a windowsill. Thick stems and leaves look solid and fit perfectly into the overall environment, even if there is other flora in the room. nine0005

Contents:

1. Features of succulents

2. How to water succulents?

3. Rules for watering succulents

4. Common mistakes when watering

It is thanks to thick leaves and stems that succulents are able to do without water for a long time - all moisture accumulates in them, reserves are used to feed the plant. Even if the soil in the pot dries out, the flower will still be able to feel good for a long time. At the next watering, all excess moisture will be absorbed again and will be in the "storage" to maintain the life of the plant. Despite this feature of succulents, you still need to know the features of caring for them and maintain acceptable conditions for the growth of this flora. nine0005

Features of succulents

These plants came to us from arid regions, where such exotic flora grows. During their life with humans, they have become accustomed to good care, but have not lost their standard resistance to rare watering and live in the “rare rains” mode. Succulents feel great, even if the soil is completely dry - for a long time the plant will be green, and its leaves and stems will be elastic and hard. You just need to remember to water and fertilize them occasionally. nine0005

One of the adaptations for drought in succulents is the reduction of water evaporation:

the round shape of the leaves reduces contact with the sun and heat of the flower;
most representatives have a cuticle, this is a protective film that prevents moisture loss;
succulents have few respiratory pores through which water vapor escapes;
with a long absence of moisture, the upper part of the plant dries up and dies, but the flower itself does not die.

If you take such a flower home, you need to remember the main rule - never overfill the water. It is better to leave a succulent without drinking for a while than to suffer later with the removal of the fungus or with rotting of the roots. Before watering, you should make sure that the plant really needs water. To do this, follow the basic rules for watering such plants.

How to water succulents?

Proper watering is the basis of proper plant care, it depends on how well the flower will feel. It is important to pick up water and make a schedule, strictly adhering to the days that depend on the time of year. The moisture requirements of such plants largely depend on the ambient temperature, humidity, lighting and growing season. The owners must take into account these features and adapt to the needs of the new home occupant. nine0005

The table shows the features of watering succulents at different times of the year:

Period	Explanations
Watering in autumn-winter	Some succulents remain active in winter, so they need to be watered constantly. Procedures are best done as the soil dries out, usually once every 2-3 weeks. If you skip watering, the leaves may become sluggish and begin to fall off.
Spring-summer watering	Most plants adjust to the warmer summer temperatures and begin to take root. They are watered once a week in small portions, with heat over +30 degrees - 2-3 times in 7 days.

Follow these plant care recommendations and you will be fine - the flower will store the optimal amount of moisture, will be able to grow and develop normally. In addition to watering, you need to carefully monitor the temperature in the house, it may vary in different rooms. Only rare watering in small portions will help in the cultivation of this unpretentious plant. nine0005

Rules for watering succulents

In order for the plant to feel comfortable, it is necessary not only to follow the watering schedule, but also to carry out this procedure correctly. You should determine if your pet needs water and water the roots with a small amount. Water for irrigation is also carefully selected, collected and specially prepared.

Here are some tips:

Make sure the succulent needs water by assessing the soil, it should be completely dry to a small crust. This means that the plant should be watered. nine0056
Use only rainwater that is collected in a container, settled and filtered. For lack of a better, in winter you can work with ordinary water, but it must be properly defended.
Do not water the succulent with cold water - it should be at room temperature. Bring it into the room, put it next to the flower and let it warm up.
Pour water directly under the root, try not to disappear on the stems and leaves. If this happens, gently wipe off the drops with a dry cloth. nine0056

Common Watering Mistakes

Sometimes beginners make mistakes when watering, due to which the plant begins to hurt. Succulents are sensitive to the volume of water and do not like to be "coaxed" too much. Any surplus can turn into serious problems in the future, which will have to be dealt with.