Succulents are easy to maintain, easy to disperse, and, most of all, exclusive and stunning!
There are several different types of succulents, but their care needs are the same. Study what you need to know on how to take care of succulents indoors in this in-depth, succulent plant care guide.
If you have a large collection of indoor plants, and over the years, you will find yourself more and more succulent than houseplants. Succulents don’t mind if you ignore them for months at a time, which is great for anyone busy!
You may want to put your succulents out there during the season, where they can grow without any support from you. Then bring in the succulent plants during the winter, when very little maintenance is required.
In reality, succulents might be the most amazing houseplant ever!
Benefits Of Growing Succulents As Houseplants
What makes them such amazing houseplants, you ask for? Well, succulent leaves, but they can be much longer between waterings than most types of houseplants.
Plus, most succulents are more capable of overwatering than cactus plants. Maybe the best thing about them is that if you overwater them, many succulent plants can be rescued.
That’s right; if the succulent plant begins to rot at the root, you should break it off above the rot and scatter the succulents to save the plant.
Indoor Succulents Care Tips
Growing succulent plants indoors can be challenging if you’re not familiar with their needs. As I said earlier, indoor plants are easy to grow, but some people find it much more difficult to care for indoor succulent plants than other forms of indoor plants.
Succulent plant care is not complicated, but it’s different from caring for the average houseplant. Don’t worry; we’ve got your back.
Best Light For Succulents
In general, most indoor succulents can thrive best in the south-facing window during the fall and winter and filtered light during the summertime (if you don’t move them outside).
If you see succulents getting leggy and reaching out to the window, that means they need more sun. Shift the plant to the sunniest spot, or add a rising lamp. (See the pruning section below for information about what to do when succulents become leggy)
On the other side, if you grow a succulent plant in a sunny window and the leaves start to burn, switch it to a filtered light spot.
If you’re going to end up moving your succulents out during the summer, that’s fine! Only make sure you’re not bringing them in a full sun position right away.
Succulents grown indoors will take time to adjust to the sun again, so it’s best to switch them slowly to full sun in the spring. Moving succulent plants immediately from indoors all winter to full sun outdoors could burn the leaves, which could be deadly for small plants.
How To Water Succulents
When watering succulents indoors, it’s safer to err on the aquatic side. Consistently overwatering succulents in pots can cause them to rot and die, so it’s best to keep the soil dry.
Water your succulents, spill water over the top of the soil before it begins to leak out of the drainage holes in the bottom of the plant, and then wait till the soil is arid before watering again.
As far as succulent water is concerned, they prefer to be watered more in the summer than in the winter. They would be in a dormant state throughout the winter and therefore need less water. So indoor water succulents very sparingly during the winter months and a little more often during the summer.
If you are an individual who likes to overwater plants, we suggest growing them in a clay pot with drainage holes. Terracotta pots are good pots for succulents; dry clay helps wick moisture out of the soil more easily, ensuring that overwatering is less of a possibility.
Best Pots For Succulents
When it comes to growing succulent plants in pots, it’s essential to pick the right pot. The better succulent pots are those with drainage holes. Adequate drainage is a must for good succulent plant treatment, particularly if you’re planning to bring your succulents outdoors.
Succulents can not tolerate soggy soil for a very long time, and using a pot with insufficient drainage holes is a prescription for failure. Don’t believe the myth of adding rocks or other fillers to the bottom of succulent plant pots to add drainage; that doesn’t work at all.
Our opinion is that the best pots for succulents (especially for beginners) are terracotta pots, which are not only stunning, they are perfect for growing succulents!
Best Soil For Succulent
When it comes to indoor succulent plant treatment, one of the most common questions we get is what kind of soil to use for succulents. Since they don’t like wet feet, the best soil for succulents in pots is a fast-draining, sandy, succulent plant soil.
You can purchase commercial potting soil for succulents, or you can buy a dusty, succulent soil mix that makes it much easier to make sure you don’t overwater your succulents.
But it’s easier to make my own potting soil for succulent plants using a combination of perlite or pumice, coarse sand or poultry grit, and normal potting soil, which appears to be cheaper than shopping.
Best Fertilizer For Succulents
Succulent plants in pots can benefit from being fed during their successful growing season. To make this super simple, you can buy special succulent fertilizer made especially for the feeding of succulents and cactus plants.
If you want to use one that is more like a general-purpose houseplant fertilizer so that you can use it on your other plants as well, I suggest that you get organic liquid fertilizer, such as general-purpose indoor plant fertilizer or compost fertilizer tea. If you choose, you may also apply granular fertilizer to the soil.
Whatever you use, you can only fertilize succulents during the hot summer months. Start by feeding them a weak dose of liquid fertilizer in early spring, steadily growing it to maximum strength, and continuing to feed it until fall.
Do not fertilize succulent plants during the fall and winter months. Succulent plants are inactive during the winter, and the development is typically prolonged and leggy. So you don’t want to stimulate new development in the winter.
Pest Control Of Succulents
Good succulents may not have any problems with plant pests, although occasionally, aphids, mealy bugs, or houseplant scales may become an issue. Be mindful though what you use to treat insect pest infestations on your succulents.
Some succulent plants can be very susceptible to insect sprays, so be careful to use some form of pesticides, soaps, or oils to control succulent pests. Some of these items will do more harm to the plant than the bugs do!
Often test every form of pest control product you use by spraying one leaf, then wait a few days to ensure there is no harm until you spray the entire plant.
If your succulent plant is resistant, then we suggest that you use neem oil to combat houseplant pests, which is a natural pesticide and works well to get rid of houseplant pests.
Organic insecticidal soap is also excellent for destroying succulent plant bugs, or you can make your own with a combination of 1 tsp of mild liquid soap per 1 liter of water. Hot pepper wax or horticultural oil is sometimes used to help manage succulent pests.
You will also spot succulent plants by dipping a cotton swab into rubbing alcohol and using it to kill and remove pests.
Succulent Propagation
Succulents are very easy to disperse. Most may be propagated by leaf or stem cuttings, and some other forms may be propagated by division. The trick to successfully growing succulents from cuttings is to keep the soil dry but the air around the cutting moist.
Succulent cuttings can rot quickly, so make sure to use a grit of coarse sand or poultry grit and a combination of perlite or pumice to root the cuttings. To maximize your performance, dip the rooting hormone cutting before sticking it to the dirt. The rooting hormone makes the roots expand quicker.
Pruning Leggy Succulents
Many varieties of succulents grow leggy when kept indoors as houseplants because they don’t get enough light. You will prevent succulents from getting leggy by making sure they’re getting enough light. (See information on how to keep succulents from becoming leggy in the succulent light segment above)
But if you already have leggy succulents, you should prune or pinch them to help them keep their form compact. Prune the frail and leggy development by pinching it off with your fingertips or snipping it off with a sharp pair of prunes.
Common Indoor Succulents List
There are several types of healthy indoor succulents that can be cultivated as houseplants. We’re not going to try to mention all of them here, so these are our top options for some of the best succulents to grow indoors.
- Euphorbia
- Agave
- Aeonium
- Burro’s tail
- Panda plant
- Pencil cactus
- Echeveria
- Ghost plants (though they do tend to get pretty leggy indoors)
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Succulent Plants That Bloom Indoors
Many varieties of succulent plants can bloom daily when grown outdoors in their natural environment. But the succulents that flower indoors are an extra special treat, particularly when the winter plants are blooming!
Any of the succulents we’ve described above can flower outside, but it’s pretty uncommon for them to bloom while they’re grown as houseplants. Here is a list of some common succulent plants that bloom indoors regularly, and all of them are also super easy to grow indoor plants.
- Aloe plants
- Gasteria
- Gastrolia
- Haworthia
- Jade plants
- Starfish cactus (Carrion plant)
- Huernia (Dragon flower)
If you’re trying to buy succulents to add to your collection, you can find succulents for sale online or in your nearest garden center.
If you love to grow houseplants but don’t love to have tropical plants growing indoors, consider growing succulents inside! They’re fun to pick, and they can even be a little addictive. And if you follow the guidelines for succulent plant treatment, you can’t go wrong!
For more information about Succulents; Click Here.
