How to Water Succulents? A Guide for Beginners

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Watering succulents has always been a long-standing worldwide problem, and misleading labels such as "drought-tolerant plants", "desert plants" and "overwatering will surely kill them" make many people think that succulents hardly need any watering.

Watering is a very complex matter, and the many factors below all affect it: the size and species of the plant, the local climate and environment, which season it is (spring, summer, autumn or winter), the soil mix, the material and size of the pot, and the air circulation environment (indoor or outdoor). Setting these complex factors aside for now, just as with mixing soil, work out a few of the most basic points, water in a general way, and refine things once you know more about your plants.

1. The size of the succulent affects the watering method.

The size of a succulent plant changes both the watering method and the amount of water.

For small seedlings, generally use the "small amounts, frequent" watering method. (Water once a day, just a little each time, enough to moisten the surface of the soil, because seedlings have very few roots to begin with; too much water cannot be absorbed and instead easily breeds bacteria or soaks the roots and causes rot.)

For mature plants, use the method of "water thoroughly each time, lengthen the interval". (Water thoroughly in one go, or pour in water equal to 2/3 of the pot's volume, about once a week. Mature plants have strong roots, and growing new leaves or recovering their condition requires absorbing water, so the amount of water should be increased, but at the same time you must not water frequently, as this easily causes soaking and rot.

For old specimens, generally water thoroughly each time. (Water until water comes out of the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot, on average 1-2 times a month. Most old specimens are potted in a mix with more grit, so water drains away quickly, which is better for airflow. The plant itself has also become woody, so it absorbs less.

2. Learn to observe the succulent's condition to decide on watering

Whenever you find the leaves wrinkled or soft, it is undoubtedly a sign of lack of water, and you need to water immediately. Under normal conditions they can plump up again in 3-5 days (the 12-volume Haworthia cooperi types are slower, taking about 10 days or more). If the plant is still wrinkled and not plump after repeated watering, it means the roots must be poor, or the soil has caked so that water cannot penetrate into it; you need to dig the plant out, loosen the soil again and check the condition of the roots.

3. Watering differs from season to season.

Spring and autumn are the growing seasons for succulents. At this time keep watering normally; if the weather is good and ventilation is decent, water evaporates faster, so watering may be a little more frequent. A mature plant that originally needed watering once a week may need watering about every 3-4 days. And old specimens need a thorough watering once a week.

In summer and winter, during high and low temperatures, succulents enter dormancy, and the roots only take up a tiny amount of water or simply do not absorb any, so the watering interval needs to be lengthened. Especially at low temperatures in winter, watering that is normally once a week should become once every 15-20 days. In summer, water evaporates faster; although succulents also go dormant, the exact dormancy period varies, so you can adopt a frequent, small-amount watering method, changing the original once-a-week thorough watering into a small amount of water once a week, about 1/3 of the usual amount.

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