How to care for Succulents

Care Essentials

Choose high porous soil (not rich compost)

Succulents love good sun and great drainage

Make sure the pot has a hole at the bottom to drain water

The pot should be fairly small, as succulents do not develop large roots

Make sure they get good air circulation, either from wind, or by setting up a fan in your greenhouse

Only water when soil is fully dry

Protect from frost and freezing temperatures

They are not meant to be indoor plants

Avoid touching or watering the leaves (only water the soil)

Planting your succulent

While meticulously packaged, succulents might still be unhappy from their travels, but they will recover rapidly. Once you have received your succulent, immediately plant your succulent in a coarse potting mix, such as cactus mix, with perlite or pumice to aid with drainage and aeration and a pot with adequate drainage holes.

Newly potted succulents can easily get sunburned, especially pale and variegated varieties, so introduce them gradually to sunlight over the course of a few days.

Planting a succulent with no roots or sparse roots

Simply sit the plant down in semi-moistened potting mix and allow the soil to dry out for a few days, up to a week, before you mist the soil again. Don't give it a real watering until you are sure that it has a healthy root system (this can take many weeks). Once you are sure that it has rooted, only water the soil again after it has fully dried out.

Watering

I won't be able to tell you exactly how often to water your succulent because it depends on so many factors: heat and humidity, type of pot (clay or plastic), season of year, etc. The rule of thumb is to only water your succulent when the soil is fully dry. Just like their native desert or arid habitats, succulents prefer infrequent, though thurough waterings.

In the summer, you should make sure to only water the succulent in the evening, when the temperatures are cooling off. This is because moisture combined with high temperatures can make the succulent more prone to rot.

The "Rosette" (Rose)

In botany, a rosette is an object or arrangement resembling a single rose, that is, a circular arrangement of leaves arising from the center or base of a plant.

Most succulents form rosettes and will maintain this form forever. The rosette shape allows for maximum exposure to the sun while directing moisture toward the roots.

Other information

Sometimes the bottom leaves of succulents may dry out during shipping. This is fairly common, not a worry, and the succulent will regrow and repair itself promptly.
Sometimes the succulent might be a slightly greener or redder shade than what is pictured in my shop. Colors change depending on the season, amount of sunlight, temperature, etc.

Buy our succulents here.

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