Succulent Secret … Healthy Succulents Need Water!

GREEN ROSETTE-OK, so a so-called expert says you can plant succulents and forget about them…no need to water…they will take care of themselves.  That might be true for cactus, long used to thriving on rare rains in dry deserts.  But it’s snake oil talk for most succulents.  Succulents on a water starvation diet will die dusty shriveled deaths, leaving you with wasted money, wasted labor and ugliness. 

To have good looking, healthy succulents, here are my professional – and easy -- tips for healthy plants. 

Water.  It comes down to this.  1.  All plants need water.  It’s just a question of how much.   2.  Not all succulents are alike.  Yes, most succulents go longer periods without water than most other plants. But if you want them to thrive, they need water.  How much?  A good rule of thumb is to water when the soil is dry.  You can buy water meters that will tell you when to water.  Or simply stick a wooden chopstick or your finger into the soil.  Go down about 2 inches. If the soil is dry, water.  Start by checking once a week until you learn your plants’ habits.  Keep in mind, you will need less in cooler weather and more during hot dry spells.  If you use mulch around your plants, they will need much less water than if you don’t. 

Checking the soil for moisture, you will notice some of your succulents need less water than others.  Important to know, so you can avoid killing plants with overwatering.  

You’ll also notice that plants in the ground almost always need less water than plants in containers.  That’s because water evaporates much faster in pots than in the ground.  Sometimes, I half bury my planted pots in the ground, where they are happier than when they sit above ground. 

Now is a great time to start checking, because you will need more water during the coming hot dry spells than in cooler weather. 

Soil.  Succulents do best in soil that drains well.  I like to use a cactus and succulent soil mix.  You can find it at any nursery.  It usually contains pumice granules, a volcanic rick.  The pumice loosens and lightens the soil and prevents it from compacting, so water drains properly.  That said, I confess I’ve had succulents thrive in regular potting soil, ground planting soil and even, of all things, heavy clay soil.  Best bet, though, especially for container plantings, is cactus and succulent soil.  An alternative, is to mix good potting soil with perlite or pumice you buy separately.    

Let there be light.  How much?  Most succulents prefer 4 to 6 hours of light a day. Bright light, or at least filtered light.  But no long periods of intense sun, which can burn leaves.  How can you tell which plant needs what?  If the tips of your leaves are burning to a crisp, move them to a more sheltered spot.  If your plants lean toward the sun, give them a bit more sun.  

If your plant is doing something else that seems odd, send me a pic or the name of the plant, and I’ll be glad to help.  E-mail me at [email protected]. And write “Succulent care question” in the subject line. 

So, my friends, follow these tips.  You will save money, save water and look great doing it!

 

(Rickie Avrutin is a sustainable garden consultant, a smart garden columnist and the Executive Director at Green Rosette.  She can be reached at [email protected])

-cw

 

 

 

CityWatch

Vol 13 Issue 62

Pub: Jul 29, 2015