Helpful Tips and Knowledge

On this page, you will find some helpful tips and common knowledge about caring for succulents. I do hope these articles will help you to bring out the best of your succulents.

Soil Mix

Succulents need loose soil mix so the water can pass through quickly, avoiding overwatering and stagnant water. Depending on the type of succulents, usually add 20% – 40% perlite or other kind of small granules to the soil. For simplicity, 30% should be good, then adjust watering level and watering cycle.

Soil Cover

To help keep clean, you can cover the soil surface with highly breathable small rocks, such as lava rocks. Things not to use: moss, pebbles, sharp edge rocks, mulch, basically anything that doesn’t allow breathability, anything that helps retain water, anything that can damage leaves.

Pot

It is best to use clay terracotta pots for breathability. Strongly advise against glazed pots that doesn’t allow air flow for the soil and roots.

Water Cycle

The general rule is to water when the soil is dry, make sure the bottom layer soil is also dry. You need to test how long the soil becomes dry in your own local environment. A rule of thumb is to water every two weeks.

When watering, make sure the soil is completely watered, and make sure the water drains quickly.

In most cases, avoid to water from top, best to water around the plant, or soak.

For plants such as greenovia that hibernate, do not water during hibernation season.

How to plant

When you first receive your plants, prepare some damp soil mix in the pot, leave 10% room from the edge, bury the roots into the soil mix up to the bottom layer of the leaves, then add in more soil mix around the plant, and gently push in the soil to the center, fill up to 95% deep. Let the plant to settle down for a week or two, do not give full sun exposure, let the plant grow some new roots. Then start regular watering cycle.

How to sun stress

To make succulents more colorful, you need to sun stress the plants.