How to water succulents
Main content introduction: The experience of growing succulents, how to water succulents, let's take a look together with the editor!
The question beginners love to ask is how to water succulents, when to water them, and when to expose them to sunlight. It is said that watering is a skill that takes three years to master, requiring familiarity and understanding of the flowers. Today, let's talk about it. There is a saying online that you should water when the soil is completely dry, but what does "completely dry" mean? Some people say the potting soil is very dry and light.
Is that the case? Let's look at the example below, the first one is cherry crystal.
This cherry crystal plant looks quite green and the leaves are not sunken, so it seems that the plant itself does not need watering. However, the soil in the pot looks very dry, and it feels light in hand, leading many people to think it's time to water.
Let's verify it by taking the plant out of the pot.
Can you see it in the photo? In the middle of the photo, there are two vertical thin roots. The soil on the left side is indeed dry, while the soil on the right side is still moist (appearing dark in the photo). So, if we water blindly at this time, it may lead to overwatering. Therefore, based on comprehensive judgment, this plant does not lack water and does not need watering.
Actually, there is a better way to grow flowers, which is to record the watering time. For example, this cherry crystal was watered just on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and it has been nearly ten days now. For plants like cherry crystal, watering once every 15-20 days is sufficient. Therefore, based on comprehensive judgment, the next time it needs watering will be during the National Day holiday, so watering at that time will not cause the cherry crystal to be too dry nor will it lead to root rot due to too much water. The conclusion is, don't just look at whether the soil is dry or not; the plant is still fresh. What does it matter if the soil is dry? If the plant can't drink, and you force it, your succulent will vomit all over the place, and even throw itself up. Control your hands, and your succulent will be grateful.
Let's take an example of a Sedum, this is a piece of Ru's stone lotus.
Looking at the plant, the leaves are a bit wrinkled, which is a signal of water deficiency.
Looking at the potting soil, it is also completely dry, so it's safe to water now. If you have collected rainwater or if it's going to rain soon, you can put it outside to get rained on. After the rain stops, you will find that it grows happily and its condition becomes more beautiful.
In fact, the principles of watering are quite simple: newly planted ones should not be watered or exposed to the sun, wait for 10 days to 2 weeks before watering. The principle is also simple: watering is to replenish the water consumed by the plant. Newly planted succulents, due to damaged roots, almost stop growing, so during this time, except for the water evaporated from the leaves, there is little loss. The roots absorb water limitedly, and if you water too early, the supply will exceed the demand, naturally leading to root rot. Therefore, it's the best strategy to start watering when the roots have recovered and started growing again.
When to water mature plants depends on your understanding of them. For most mature plants (not the very small ones), watering once every 20 days is sufficient. If kept outdoors, they can even be watered by rain alone.
This article shares all the content about how to water succulents, for your comprehensive understanding and reference!