Taking care of indoor plants can prove to be a lot of work, especially if you are working and don’t have enough time to take care of them. Watching them die every other month is not a pleasing sight. Deciding not to keep them anymore is not a solution, switching to a different kind of indoor plant is! Succulents come to the rescue!
These drought-resistant and hardy plants have a special property of storing nutrients and water in their stems which allows them to go on for long periods of time without water. However, succulents don’t behave the same way your regular plants do. They don’t need a lot of care, but they have a few needs you have to cater to in order to keep them healthy and strong.
5 Important Tips To Take Care Of Your Succulents
1. Start with choosing the right succulent
For houses that have tons of windows and a lot of places where sunlight comes indirectly, any kind of succulent would be fine. Indoor succulents are the most preferred ones as they are easy to maintain. Most of them can tolerate low lights but need their intake of sunlight as well.
Take care that you choose a place for your succulent accordingly.
2. Sunlight and lots of sunlight
Sure, they are indoor plants, but they must get as much sunlight as they can. Choose the brightest window of your house, usually south-facing, where you get 8-10 hours of sunlight.
If you see that your succulents have started to stretch out, they probably are in need of more sunlight. Their minimum need is up to 4 hours, but it varies from plant to plant.
If your place is hot for the majority part of the year and the average temperature is between 25-35, then keeping it near a window that is facing south is not a good option. A lot of sun time can take up extra moisture and can end up burning the leaves.
3. Choosing the correct soil type
Succulents are not very big fans of water. Being desert plants, they cannot survive in moist soil for a long time. Their soil needs to be dry, i.e., the water should drain quickly from the soil.
There are certain gritty mixes that are perfect for succulents. they have equal parts of sand, pebbles and soil. Two parts of inorganic material and one part of organic material ensures that the succulent gets all the nutrients needed for the growth. If you cannot find this special mix, then mix perlite with the regular soil for best results as an alternative.
4. Kind of pot that should be used
As stated earlier, succulents can’t sit in moist soils. They need a pot that allows the water to easily flow out in less time. In that case, pots with a hole at the bottom rightly fit the frame as they give space to the water to drain out.
If you come across wilted leaves at the bottom of your succulent, which happens due to more water, then it is probably time to change the pot!
5. Less water or more water?
You need to water your succulents deeply but not frequently. By limiting their water intake, you limit their growth. Deep watering can make their roots stronger, thicker and longer. Thicker roots hold more water, and therefore can survive without water for longer.
Coming down to methods of watering, spraying isn’t a very good option. Plant keepers have discovered that spraying leads to the development of fungus on the leaves. Restrain from pouring water every day. Thrice in a week is good enough for the plant to strive.
Follow these tips and you will never have to see your succulents suffer! Succulents are the best option to consider if you are looking for a low maintenance indoor plant. They come in varieties of colours. Cacti is quite common among them. Zebra plant, snake plant and jaded are also some of the good options that do not demand much of your attention and happily adorn your windows and desks.