Succulent Maintenance

The Essentials

Succulents, in a general sense, include cacti, aloes, agaves, haworthias, etc. In attempts to narrow the scope on maintenance, this guideline will focus on softer succulents such as aeoniums, echeverias, crassulas, hoyas, kalanchoes, etc. and aloes, agaves and haworthias. It is important to note that cacti and succulents share similarities in their maintenance and just as many exceptions.

Soil Mixture

Much like cacti, succulents require well-draining soil. The soil mixture provided is half potting soil and half perlite. If mixing your own, pumice may be used in lieu of perlite. This prevents their fibrous roots from sitting in wet soil for long.

Succulents grow faster in comparison to cacti. Adding fresh soil into the mix or swapping it out completely once a year can restore the nutrients provided by the soil. For larger plants, this can be done twice a year. Plant fertilizer is optional for plants in small pots or for plants grown indoors. The soil mixture is more than adequate to provide a healthy and stable foundation.

The Right Pot

Succulents may be planted in any well-draining pot made of plastic, earthenware, wood, etc. There are some important things to note about each. Due to their porosity, clay pots can lose water quickly in warm, dry temperatures. This can be solved with an extra day of watering for the duration of the season. Overtime, plastic pots can become thin and brittle from long sun exposure. This is less of an issue for plants grown indoors or kept under diffused or indirect lighting. Wooden planters, in time, can easily rot. This can be remedied by choosing the right type of wood, like cedar, which is less disposed to rotting, or lining the interior of the planter with a wood protectant.

They can grow perfectly well in planters without drainage as long as careful measures are taken. In such planters soil may take longer to dry, so checking moisture levels before watering is very important.

Lighting

Succulents love sun. It keeps them healthy and helps maintain their vibrant colors. Morning and afternoon direct sunlight provided by west and east-facing windows are perfect places to keep them. North and south-facing windows provide more indirect and diffused lighting throughout the day for steady plant growth.

Plants kept in lower light tend to lose their color and turn green (which is fine for those that are naturally green), but this does not mean they are unhealthy. If a space gets less natural light, moving the plant around to brighter, well-lit areas throughout the day is a great way to provide more direct sunlight.

Aloe, agaves, haworthias and gasterias love heat in summer but prefer partial shade. They can withstand direct sunlight, and that is how some get their pink and red colors that make them look as if from under the sea, but for the most part they do best in areas with diffused or indirect lighting.

In dry environments that reach triple-digit heat, keep all succulents in partial-shade and provide more water.

Watering

Succulents, like cacti, are drought-tolerant, low-water plants. This means they can go long periods of time without water because their leaves and stalk store water for such occasions.

In warm, dry environments, and if they are kept outdoors, water once a week in spring and twice a week in summer. In warm, humid environments, water once a week in spring and summer. Aloes, agaves and haworthias can be watered once a week in spring and summer. Keep plants dry throughout the winter unless they are kept indoors and a heating system is used. In such cases, water sparingly once a month or every 2 weeks. Never leave a plant in wet soil outside through the night during low-temperatures as it can lead to root rot.

They prefer to dry out their soil in-between waterings so be sure to check the moisture levels. An over-watered plant will begin to turn soft and yellow. If it is being over-watered, dry out the plant and soil completely. A succulent that is being over-watered can be damaged by soil that is too wet. For instance, the lower leaves of an echeveria can wither and mold. This can be fixed by removing the affected leaves and drying out the soil. Haworthias and gasterias can sometimes dry at the tips, though this does not mean they are getting too much sun or need more water. As the plant grows, new leaves form from the center and those below dry out.

In environments where very low-temperatures or snow is common, keep plants inside and away from windows to prevent frost.

Small Pests and Insects

The 2 pests to be wary of are scale and mealy bugs. Scale are tiny, flaky pests that latch onto the body of a plant and gradually expand to deplete the life of the plant, turning the affected areas from green to white. Mealy bugs do the same from the roots or very top of the plant. It is less likely for plants grown indoors to attract scale and mealy bugs unless they have been exposed to beforehand. They are more common for plants kept outdoors in humid or damp environments.

Should a plant get scale or mealy bugs, isolate it and treat it with a simple mixture of dish soap and water. Dip a small brush into the mixture and apply directly to the affected areas.

A common though mostly harmless issue with aloes are fungal spots on their leaves. This issue can arise from over-watering or not letting the soil dry out in-between waterings. Clipping off the affected leaves and letting the soil dry out completely should help.