This succulent care guide will help to ensure your succulents thrive in your home. There are so many succulents to choose from that every home should have at least one! Mostly easy to grow and very drought-tolerant, here's a few essential tips to help your succulents thrive for years. .
Planting needs are top of our succulent care guide
Choose a pot that has about a 1.5cm distance around the edge of the plant and make sure you use a special succulent mix - which can be a ‘cacti and succulent compost’ or a gritty blend of compost, so the succulent is planted in well-drained soil. It’s crucial for succulents not to sit on wet ground. Just as with any plant, leave some room at the top of the pot. Create added interest by covering the compost with attractive stones or coloured sand.
Succulent care guide sunlight requirements
Succulents need sunlight and that’s key to them thriving - just consider their natural habitat and do what you can to replicate it.
- Most succulents will need an average minimum of 6 hours of sunshine per day but this can vary depending on the variety so make sure you read the label that comes with your plant.
- Think of their natural habitat - did they grow in full, dappled or indirect sunlight? Most succulents are amazingly tolerant of a wide range of conditions, but remember that strong, direct sunlight magnifies through glass and can cause damage to the foliage. If you can't provide the exact conditions they prefer, acclimatise them gradually to avoid 'shock'.
- Remember to turn your succulents from time to time; if they receive sun on one side all of the time, they will become lop-sided as they grow towards the sun.
Watering and care is important in a succulent care guide
The biggest tip about watering is never to overwater. Succulents can easily be killed with kindness.
Make sure the soil has dried out about 1cm from the top before watering, then allow the water to drain out of the pot. Misting can be helpful, but check that it doesn't cause mould. Other ways of watering are to place the pot with a drainage hole into a tray of pebbles and water so the roots can absorb what they need from beneath. Never water over the succulents. Constantly water into the soil.
