Gardening Tips: How To Care For Indoor Succulents
Succulents can make beautiful additions to your home thanks to their unique appearances and bright colors. You can easily add succulents to almost any area of your home in various decorative planters and pots. The great thing about succulents is that they aren’t too difficult to care for, so long as you stay on top of their maintenance. If you’re looking to grow some healthy and strong succulents inside your home, this easy guide will help you learn how. Here are some simple tips on how to care for indoor succulents.
Give Your Succulents Enough Daily Sunlight
Succulents need a sufficient amount of sunlight in order to grow healthy and strong. While some types of succulent may need more or less sunlight than others, they generally need about six hour of sun each day. Pay attention to which areas of your home get the most sunlight so you know where to place your succulents.
It’s important to keep in mind that new succulents that are freshly planted will need time to adjust to the sunlight. These new succulents are prone to burning in direct sunlight, so you’ll want to create a slight blockage to protect them. You can easily do this with a sheer curtain, so the sunlight will still shine through but not scorch the plant.
Windowsills are usually the best place for indoor succulents since they will get better access to the sunlight; however, they can usually be placed in any spot in rooms with large windows. You might have to adjust the positioning of your succulents until you figure out the best sunlight areas in your home. You’ll also want to rotate the plants around regularly so each side of the plant gets an equal amount of sunlight. This is a highly crucial step in maintaining the health and growth of your plants.
Make Sure To Water Your Succulents When Soil Is Completely Dry
One of the nicest things about succulents is that they don’t need a lot of watering, which saves you time. While you don’t need to remember to water succulents daily, you simply need to pay attention to when it’s time to give them some water. While other types of plants need constant water, succulents are a special breed that require a slightly different routine.
The main rule of thumb is that you should only water your succulents when the soil is completely dry. When the soil is 100% dry and crumbly, that’s when you can give it some water. The reason for this is because succulent roots will rot if they get too moist, causing the plant to die. It’s highly important that you follow this watering schedule if you want to keep your succulents healthy and growing.
There’s not necessarily a specific timeline to follow when it comes to watering your succulents, because it depends on how long it take for the soil to dry out. For instance, larger containers will hold moisture for a longer period of time, so they’ll typically need to watered less often than small containers. Also, time of year is another factor for watering. Usually in the spring and summer, the soil will dry out faster because these are the seasons where they grow the most.
Choose Succulent Containers With Proper Drainage
Before picking out your succulent plants, you’ll want to make sure you have the right containers and planters for them to thrive in. There are many factors to take into consideration in order to keep your succulent healthy and growing. First focus on finding the important factors of the container, and then you can consider the decorative appearance of it.
The most important factor to consider is drainage. Choose pots and planters with drainage holes on the bottom, or drill your own if needed. It’s crucial to have these holes because the water needs to properly drain out, otherwise it will rot the roots. Because of this drainage, you’ll probably also want to add a plate or other water catcher underneath the container that you should regularly clean out.
Another thing to consider is the material of the container or pot. Depending on which types of succulents you’re planting, some materials may work better than others. Generally, these are a few of the best types of materials for succulent containers:
- Terra Cotta & Ceramic. These types of containers are best for succulents that don’t get a lot of direct sunlight. This is because these materials heat up quickly, causing the soil to dry out even more often. However, this won’t be a problem if you’re able to stay on top of watering.
- Plastic. The great thing about plastic containers for succulents is that they are lightweight and easy to move around. Just make sure to use well-draining soil if you choose a plastic container.
- Wood. Wood planters are perfect for succulents that are in direct sunlight and a lot of heat. Be careful with using wood because if they don’t get enough heat, they can easily rot from retaining too much water.
Regularly Inspect Your Succulents To Destroy Pests Immediately
Generally speaking, you won’t run into a lot of bug problems with indoor succulents as long as you’re taking the proper care steps. However, sometimes you might buy a succulent that already has bugs on it or you might run into some pests if your soil remains too wet for too long. Luckily, as long you take the time to check your plants daily and stay on top of pest maintenance, you can fix the issues immediately.
Typically, if you see any bugs on your succulents, you can get rid of them with rubbing alcohol. Carefully spray the leaves and the soil with 70% rubbing alcohol to kill off most types of bug infestations. There are also some prevention steps you can take to assure a bug-free environment:
- Remove dead leaves. Dead leaves are the prefect breeding ground for bugs, so stay on top of removing them. Removing them will also help to reduce the odds of mold.
- As mentioned in a previous tip, make sure to only water your soil when it’s completely dry. Moist soil is likely to attract pests.
- Use a fertilizer in your soil to provide the ultimate care for your plant’s health.
- Never reuse the soil; always use fresh soil whenever you’re planting new succulents.
Best Succulents To Grow Indoors
Not all succulents are made equal. There are many types of succulents that will survive and thrive better when planted in an outdoor space. Once you’ve learned how to care for indoor succulents, make sure to research the type of succulents you want for your home.
There are an endless amount of succulent types and varieties that exist. Depending on the colors and styles you’re looking for, you can easily find some beautiful succulents to incorporate into your home. Here are some of the best types of indoor succulents to get you started:
- Aloe Vera
- Hens-and-Chick
- Zebra Cactus
- Burro’s Tail
- Snake Plant
- Ponytail Palm
- Panda Plant
- Jade Plant
- String of Pearls
Now that you’ve learned how to care for indoor succulents, check out our Garden Plants & Flowers! Find the perfect indoor succulents for your home, along with a large selection of beautiful live plants and flowers for your spring garden and more.
