How to Grow Succulents Indoors
Succulents are beautiful and tough plants that thrive in almost any condition. They make great houseplants and are fairly easy to care for.This guide will teach you all you need to know to successfully grow and propagate your indoor succulents.
Looking for a low-effort plant that looks beautiful indoors? It’s hard to beat the succulent. Equally at home in the arid outdoors as on your bedroom shelf, succulents require little care and are content in most environments. Once you get one established, you’ll enjoy gorgeous natural décor for years to come.
Here’s what you need to know about keeping a succulent healthy indoors.
Succulents are a family of plants with thick, fleshy tissue. Cacti may be the most well-known type, but succulents vary considerably in size, coloring, leaf style, and growth habits. Some are known for their whimsical frills and coils, while others produce gorgeous flowers.
What all succulents have in common is that they tend to retain water, meaning they are well-suited to survive drought, low light conditions, and other environmental challenges. In fact, you can often find them growing in harsh environments outdoors, from freezing mountains to scorching deserts and even cliffs overlooking the ocean.
The drive to survive in any condition makes succulents hard to kill off at home. Though growing succulents in your home is fairly easy, here are ten steps to ensure success.
The right growing space is essential for success with succulents. They withstand crowding well, so you can pack multiple varieties within one pot without a problem.
However, these plants don’t do well in waterlogged soil. Ensure the pot has drainage holes in the bottom to prevent excess moisture that will rot the roots.
Planting succulents in a standard potting mix is a mistake because the soil will hold onto too much water. It’s better to choose a cactus mix or blend potting soil with coarse materials like sand, pumice, or perlite.
Take good care of the roots as you repot your succulents, as they tend to be fragile.
Succulents need at least six hours of light each day. Keep them out of direct sunlight, though, as it can scorch their leaves and may cause your succulents to grow lopsided. Some growers place them near a window protected with a sheer curtain to reduce the light’s intensity.
As with many plants, succulents tend to grow towards the sun. Fail to rotate them often, and you’ll be left with scraggly, uneven plants. Give your succulent pots a quarter turn every few weeks to promote even growth.
While succulents need consistent watering, they don’t do well when the leaves get soaked. Too much moisture around the stem and leaves will quickly lead to mold.
A better watering option is to soak the soil directly by placing the pot in a pan with an inch or two of water. Leave it in place for at least ten minutes and remove it once the top of the soil feels wet. This means the water has soaked to the surface.
Keeping succulent roots overly wet will cause them to rot. The best approach is to allow the soil to completely dry out between watering sessions. It should feel dry to the touch throughout the whole pot.
While the best watering frequency will vary based on your indoor conditions, most succulent growers only need to do so once every two to three weeks. Use this time frame as a guideline and adjust as necessary.
Succulents need minimal water during their dormant season, so plan to water less frequently during the coldest months of the year. Likewise, you may need to water more often during periods of heavy growth.
While succulents don’t need much fertilizer, they appreciate a light feeding in the spring at the start of their growing season. Remember that less is more—adding too much fertilizer will make the plants grow tall and spindly.
The fleshy leaves of succulents are known to collect dirt and debris within their crevasses. This is especially an issue when you avoid watering the leaves. Keep things clean by gently wiping down dirty leaves with a damp cloth or soft paintbrush. You should also snip off any dying stems and wilted leaves as soon as you see them.
Even indoors, insects are likely to find your succulents. Gnats, in particular, love to call them home, especially when the soil stays wet. You can avoid most pest problems by placing your plant in a place with good airflow and letting the soil dry out occasionally.
If you see signs of an infestation, remove any eggs you find on leaves and spray the soil with diluted isopropyl alcohol.
One of the perks of growing succulents indoors is how easy it is to turn a single plant into dozens. Learning how to propagate succulents is a simple process. The process varies slightly depending on the type, but tender varieties like Sedums and Echeverias will regrow from a single leaf.
Start by gently twisting a leaf off the main stem so it breaks off cleanly, ideally pulling a bit of the stem off with it. Let the leaf dry out for one to three days so that it starts to shrivel and scab over. Skip this step, and the leaf will absorb too much water and rot.
Place the prepared leaves on top of the soil, making sure the twisted end isn’t touching it. Water the soil every time it feels dry, and the leaf will soon develop roots. While timelines will vary based on your indoor growing conditions, you should see signs of new growth within two to three weeks.
It’s possible to pull multiple leaves off your succulent at once to propagate numerous plants. With a little care and attention at the beginning stages, you will soon enjoy a house filled with hardy succulents.