Getting Started with Succulents

Succulents are some of the easiest plants to grow. These drought resistant plants can be effortlessly grown both indoor and outdoors and they thrive with limited care and attention. Succulents or "Trouble Free" plants as I call them are from dry and arid environment, Hence they have adapted to store water in their fleshy leaves and stems. If you just got a succulent and not sure how to take care of it, you are at the right place.

Best Succulents for Indoors 

• Aloe's
• Hens & Chicks
• Snake Plant
• Zebra Plant
• Kalanchoes 
• Jade Plant
• Burro's Tail
• Sedum

Choosing the right Succulent

Signs of a Good Succulent

• Leaves that are in good shape with healthy vibrant colors.
• No Sunburnt/Dead or Soggy Leaves(Translucent with mushy skin) 
• No Insects
• Absence of Etiolation:- Plants without tall stretched stems and distant nodes. Leaves that are clustered and close to each other. 
• Leaves that are not drooping and bent over.

Best Pots for Succulents 

The best pots for Succulents are the ones made with breathable material like Clay or Ceramic with a good drainage hole. Plastic, Glass are other options but they will end up retaining water for a longer duration compared to clay pots. As you are just starting with Succulents its good to start with regular pots, once you become adept in growing Succulents and Cacti you can start exploring DIY pots made out of broken household decor and re-purposing glass bottles 

The size of the pot for your succulents matters. Large pots tend to hold a lot of moisture and may cause significant root damage and rot. Its good to investigate once in a while by picking up the pot to ensure that the base is not sitting in a puddle of water. For good growth, choose a pot slightly larger than the plant that way the roots and the plant grow in balance. 

What kind of potting mix is good for Succulent

 Any regular Cactus and Succulent potting mix can be used  but they tend to hold moisture for a longer duration. You can increase drainage by adding some extra perlite/Lava rock/Pumice or Aquarium stones. Along with this add some gravel or pebbles at the bottom of the container to further increase aeration and drainage.

How frequently to water Succulent.

Do not follow schedule when watering Succulents, Let the plant tell you when it needs water. If the bottom leaves are firm you can postpone watering by a couple of days. If they are soft and supple go ahead and water your plant. The general rule of thumb is to let the potting mix go complete dry between watering or once about every 2 to 3 weeks. You will do more harm to your succulent by over-watering rather under-watering.

What kind of light is good for Succulents 

As I mentioned earlier in the post, Succulents are from dry and arid climates so they prefer warm temperature and good amount of light. Continue caring for your plants indoor near a window facing bright natural light or display the play under strong artificial light. Plants growing under artificial right, need to be rotated once every few days to ensure proper growth and to avoid imbalances. Plants growing outside should not be exposed to more than 6 hours of direct Sunlight.

How to Stress Succulents 

Succulents come from deserts and dry areas, where they are exposed to harsh sunlight and high temperature for many long hours with no access to water for most of the time of the year. The soil that they normally grow in, also lacks a lot of necessary nutrients for the plant.

So just like humans, succulents do well under stressful conditions and they do it beautifully. Mimic the natural conditions that they are evolved to thrive by reducing the water significantly and increasing the exposure to direct sunlight and you can get your succulents to pop bright hues of Red, Yellow & Bright Orange. To avoid sun burn, gradually increase the sunlight exposure on a weekly basis for a plant which has mostly spent indoors. Its not inhumane to stress a succulent, its natural.

Aloe's, Kalanchoe's & Jade plants are some of the easiest succulents to stress compared to others.

How to Propagate Succulents 

Succulents can be easily propagated by leaf or stem cuttings.

Leaf Cuttings: Look for healthy leaves that have naturally dropped off from the mother plant. Once the broken edge callouses, put them on a sheet of paper outside in indirect sunlight. After a few days you will see a tiny plant with or without roots. You don't need to water or mist the tiny plant as the leaf will continue to provide the necessary nutrition for the growing baby plant. Once the leaf has fully wilted and there are adequate roots on the plant it can be planted in a proper planter and the regular care and watering can start.

Stem Cuttings:  For stem cuttings, ensure the cut completely dries out for a few days in indirect light. Cutting in an angle reduces water retention from rain or regular watering compared to a flat cut, thus reducing the healing time for the cut. Just like the leaf cutting, roots and tiny plants sprout from fallen leaf nodes. Pot the plant once the roots are formed.

Other common ways of propagating are division of cluster and from seeds.

What are the common problems with Succulents

Here are some of the most common problems and a quick fix solution for them. 

• Root  & Crown Rot : Caused by Over-watering, reduce the frequency of watering
• Wilted Leaves : Caused by less watering, Increase watering. 
• Scaring on Leaves : Excessive Sun light, probably because the plant was suddenly exposed to more sunlight. Put the plant in shade and gradually increase sun light. 
• Etiolated & Stretched plant : Less light, Put the plants where it will get more light than what its getting now.