Succulents are one of the simplest plants to take care of, so you’ll want to learn the fundamentals before you get started. Read on the following succulents care guide for beginners for watering, potting, decoration, and seasonal care tips, as well as the most popular concerns you’ll want to avoid.
They’re one of the easiest plants to grow.
Admit it: the succulents have a moment. And if you’re a gardening beginner who wants to conquer your plant-killing habits, or whether you’re well-known among your neighbors for your green thumb, you can rely on succulents to be a versatile, low-maintenance herb. But a fast search on the Internet shows that there are a lot more succulents than you would expect. What sort of thing do you get? Will you grow it yourself? How little treatment do they need?
Consider this to be your guide to all things succulent for those about to take the plunge. Here’s what you need to know about raising these cutie-pie seeds.
Succulent Growing Details
Succulent plants are also well suited to indoor life in pots, meaning you don’t really need a greenhouse to enjoy a complete Succulent growing experience. In other words, if you’re going to dip your toe in the gardens, succulents are the way to go.
Best Verities For Beginners
No matter what kind of climate you live in, it’s easy to get succulents to rise and flourish within your home. Although you want to stop keeping them close to vents, electronics, and dark corners, it’s pretty easy to keep them alive just about everywhere else as long as they have sunlight and decent soil.
Beginners should start with easy-to-care plants: Haworthia varieties such as Zebra plants (Haworthia Fasciata); Jades such as Elephant Bush (Portulacaria Afra) or Gollum Jades (Crassula Ovata); Gasteras such as Gasteraloes or Vicks (Plectranthus Tomentosa). They’re all gorgeous selections, flexible, drought-resistant, and flourishing indoors.
Make sure that your succulents have enough light
Succulents enjoy the light and require about six hours of sunlight a day, depending on the succulent kind. Newly planted succulents can scorch under intense sunlight, so you may need to eventually introduce them to full sun exposure or provide shade to a sheer curtain.
Rearrange Succulent Regularly
Succulents enjoy direct sunshine, so if you’re sitting in the same spot day after day, only one hand may be receiving enough light. Langton and Ray also recommend rotating the vine. Succulents lean toward the light, so turning them allows them to stay up straight. (Leaning can also be an indication that they need to be in a more sunshine spot.)
Water Depending on the Season
Just like us, succulents need more energy while they are in a cycle of growth. During spring and summer, plants flourish and drink a lot of water than when they rest in the autumn and winter. Langton and Ray propose that you measure the soil with a finger—when the top 1.25 inches is dry, get your watering can. Overwatering will ruin your succulent, so make sure you let the soil dry through the waterings.
Directly water the soil
If you water the succulents, soak the soil until the water drains out of the drainage holes. (If your jar has no drainage gaps, use less water.) Don’t use a spray bottle to water your succulents—misting can cause brittle roots and moldy leaves. You may also position pots in a water pan and absorb the water through the drainage opening. When the surface of the soil is saturated, extract it from the pan.
Keep the Succulents Clean
” Inevitably, your indoor plants may eventually pick up dust on their surface, which will inhibit their growth, ” -Langton, and Ray writes. Gently brush the leaves and spines with a wet rag;Â use a soft paintbrush to get at hard-to-reach spots.
Choose a pot with drainage
Succulents do not like to sit in waterlogged soils, so drainage is essential to prevent rot. Your container is expected to have a drainage hole in it to allow excess water to escape. Terra-cot pots are suitable for beginners.
Use Right Soil for Planting Succulents
Succulents like soil that drains, so regular potting soil—or dirt from your yard—will not happen. Choose cactus soil or blend soil with sand, pumice, or perlite. Succulent roots are very delicate, so be gentle on repotting.
Get Rid Of The Bugs
Pests aren’t meant to be a problem for indoor succulents, but sometimes you can have to deal with bugs. Gnats are drawn to succulents rooted in soil that is too damp and has no adequate drainage. Spray the soil with 70% isopropyl alcohol to get rid of eggs and larvae. Mealybugs are another succulent insect owner to contend with. Overwatering and overfertilization are common causes of mealy bugs. Shift poisonous plants away from other succulents and spray with 70% isopropyl alcohol.
In the summer, Fertilize Succulents
Succulents don’t need a lot of fertilizer so that you can provide them light food during the spring and summer growing seasons. Be careful not to overfertilize—this will make your succulent grow too fast and become small.
How to Stop Killing Your Succulents
Unlike many other vegetation areas, succulents are relatively low-maintenance plants that do well where less time and water are required. In fact, many gardeners are taking too much care of them.” Some people tell me that they find succulents tricky to take care of, ” Melanie Harrington, a farmer behind Dahlia May Flower Farm, wrote to Instagram. “The truth is, a lot of people kill them with kindness. These plants like to be left alone and watered only once every few weeks. They thrive on neglect.” – Oscar Wilde.
If you have problems or notice that the plant’s health is declining, see this list of trouble spots and red flags.
The Most Common Problems
Overwatering:
 less usually is better when it comes to watering. If you overwater them, the plants are going to die. “Succulents don’t like to be in the water for too long—one that’s why you can kill them,” says Hong. Only water the plants after their soil has been arid for a couple of days.
Bad Soil:
“Soil is the number one killer of succulents,” Tuttle says. “Most Soil that succulents come in is too dense. It makes it, so they don’t dry out very quickly, and then the succulents rot.” The right soil for these plants is composed of quarter-inch particles and drains quickly.
Weak drainage:
Succulents do their best if their roots will dry out easily. If you transfer your succulents into containers without a drainage hole, they can stay in the water for too long and then rot or die.
Lack of lighting:
if succulents do not get adequate sunshine, they will undergo etiolation, which leads to long and thin leaves, holes between the petals, lack of color, and a leggy appearance. Place them near a window that receives direct sunshine for at least six hours a day, or invest in the indoor rising light.
Sunburning:
 Although many succulents grow well under the bright sun, some species favor partial shade or sunlight from the less extreme morning sun. If you find black spots on the leaves or a white-ish tint all over your succulent, your plant could be exposed to too much sunshine. If you wish to grow them outside in the bright sun, acclimate them early in the season or around the spring. Once the plant has undergone some form of damage—sunburning, scraping—the scar may not go away, but the plant will continue to grow and flourish despite the injury.
Red Flags
Fungus leaves:
 If you notice mushy, spongy, or bloated leaves, then you overwater your succulents, or there is no good drainage in your pot.
Rotating succulents:
 If you find that your succulent starts to rot and decay, then your soil is possibly too thick and will not dry fast enough. Save and scatter nutritious leaves.
Shriveled leaves:
 Whether you see wrinkled or contracted leaves, this is a symptom of drought, and you don’t water enough of your plants. However, whether you see leaves falling off or just dying, this is perfectly natural.
Color loss:
 If your succulent tends to turn light green or losing color, your plant will not get enough light. Shift it to a sunny window that provides at least six hours of sunshine per day.
Mold:
 This is caused by overwatering, watering buildup on the stems, or by spray bottles. Succulents do not grow in wet environments, and their wellbeing can decrease when they remain in water puddles or when the water stays on their leaves for too long. Be sure the soil is arid until you water the plant again, skip spray bottles, and use a pitcher with a beam to water the soil directly.
Etiolation:
 If you find that your plant is beginning to stretch, appears leggy, or shows wide gaps between the petals, then your succulent is not getting enough sunlight.
Sunburning:
 Whether you see white spots or black masses on your vine, this is a warning that your succulent is receiving too much direct sun. Shift these plants to a more shady location, or eventually acclimate them to direct sunlight. Sunburnt leaves and stems cannot be repaired and, despite the damage, succulents can continue to grow.
Conclusions
Succulents are a very diverse collection of plants with a timeless charm to every gardener, no matter how green their thumb might be. With an almost unlimited number of varieties, succulent growth will keep even the most ardent grower and collector involved. And with their low-maintenance needs and ability to scatter, it’s easy to care for and forgive the first-time gardeners who must get the hang of things.
Don’t underestimate the strength of the succulent in your living room. “We assume that much of the enjoyment of living with indoor plants is due to their modest needs, and as much joy can be found in a humble potted cactus as in a conservatory full of demanding tropical plants.” wrote Caro Langton and Rose Ray in their latest novel, House of Plants: Living with Succulents, Air Plants, and Cacti (Frances Lincoln, $30).
At the end of the day, theirs is a reference for those who have never dreamed of growing a green thumb before this very moment. – ‘Your indoor garden is likely to hit you as you’re least prepared: presented as gifts, or maybe capturing your eye when you stroll through the local store,’- they write. If you’ve been blessed with a jade plant or picked an echeveria on the market, it’s essential to learn how to take care of the succulents. Read on to learn how to keep your plants safe and happy.
