I know this topic has probably been covered before, but how should I water my potted succulents? I seem to either let them dry up and shrivel or else I water too much and they rot. Help!
They should be watered on an 'as needed' basis. When you water, you should fully saturate the soil. At least 10-15% of the water you apply should exit the drain hole. If you cannot water in this manner w/o risking root rot, your soil is too water-retentive and you should consider changing to something more appropriate. Succulents are one of the easiest groups of plants to maintain, in an appropriate soil, but a poor soil makes husbandry a lot more work than it needs to be or just plain frustrating.
If you're having trouble determining when they need watering, push a rayon wick up through the drain hole. If it is damp where it exits the pot, don't water. If it's dry - water.
Your plants may be 'shriveling' because of something unrelated to soil moisture levels, and that is the concentration of soluble salts accumulating in the soil. Let me know if you want the conversation to head in that direction.
Thanks Al. I like the wick idea. I think that may solve my problem. But also what sort of soil should I use when I pot my succulents? What they are in now is a light weight potting soil - don't remember the brand. I water with our well water which is medium hard, or rain water when I have it.
If you get the science under your belt, everything will become much clearer as it pertains to all container culture, not just houseplants or veggies or ......
I grow all my houseplants, including succulents & cacti, in the soil pictured below. It's a remarkably productive soil if you follow a few simple guiding principles. The thread this link takes you to gives a good overview of what constitutes a good soil and how to recognize a poor soil: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/796311/
Al, you have really pretty dirt. I keep looking at your pic everytime you post it :)... I found out that I can get the MVP at Caudills (thank you for that)... I just haven't been to town during seed store operating hours.
Lol - pretty dirt, hmm? It's only when we fully embrace our dirt nerdity that we can appreciate the beauty ..... don't fight it - if you like growing plants, it's bigger than the both of us.
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