Succulents grow rapidly in spring, so watering must be flexible and done with good technique

Succulents becoming plump is actually just storing water in preparation for drought. When caring for them, we have to make these plants feel as if they are in an environment that may become dry, and give them just enough water to store. If the living environment were abundant in water, who would bother taking the time to store water? They would all be busy growing. If there really were a foolish one focused solely on storing water, growing short, round leaves, how would it compete for sunlight with those with thin, large leaves? Plants are actually quite shrewd.

Some flower enthusiasts wonder, why is it that even after controlling water, succulents still do not show their best condition? Because water control does not play a decisive role in the condition of succulents; it only adds icing on the cake or provides timely help. What truly brings out the condition of succulents is low temperature (temperature difference), and also light.

When your care environment is good enough (good light, not hot), water control can make your succulents grow smaller and smaller (growth cannot keep up with consumption), and they may even become wrinkled from lack of water. At this time, the color is often more beautiful than usual, but that beauty comes at the cost of suppressed growth. This counts as icing on the cake. A succulent Echeveria glauca that has undergone water control will indeed grow smaller and smaller, and pinker and more tender, but light and temperature are still indispensable.

The key here is controlling the amount of water given. This amount must be explored and grasped by yourself according to the specific care environment, and the principle is to create a low-water environment; it cannot be too wet, nor can it be dry for too long. The size of the succulent root system relative to the aboveground part can be roughly understood as the size of the two canopies, and can also be converted into the strength of water absorption capacity. For example, when repotting, some roots may be injured and their water absorption weakened, which is equivalent to the root system becoming smaller, but its recovery speed is faster than that of a truly small root system. So, to make succulents plump, you first need a healthy large root system.

Granular soil is the best medium for growing plump succulents, because water control with granular soil is relatively much easier. But this does not mean that peat cannot grow plump, solid succulents; it is just that moisture is relatively harder to control. If controlled well, plump succulents can still be grown. Although roots grown in granular soil are thick and drought-tolerant, during the early stage when roots are just beginning to form, because granular soil dries easily, it is hard to maintain the humidity needed for rooting for a long time. Therefore, plants with no roots or few roots placed directly in granular soil to root often face slow root growth or even no growth.

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