What Are The Mistakes To Avoid When Caring For A Succulent?

1. Placing succulents in poorly lit areas

Yes, succulents are versatile and can grow in harsh conditions since they normally grow in deserts and other areas, but they cannot survive if they will be placed in dim or poorly lit areas of your home like in the basement.

2. Failure to use fertilizers

A lot of individuals assume that succulents do not need any fertilizer to grow properly. Although there are a lot of succulents that can live without having to use any fertilizer, you must take note that any plant needs nutrients to live. By providing fertilizer to your plans, they will be able to grow well and be healthy.

Succulent growers may commit another mistake when they overfeed them with fertilizers. Fertilizers are needed at least 3 to 4 times a year. You can provide fertilizers to your succulents during spring or summer when the plants are growing actively. Succulents are dormant during winter months so you must avoid feeding them during this time of the year.

3. Not watering your succulents enough

There are a lot of individuals that think that succulents can survive without any water, which is incorrect. Succulents are xerophytes; they are kind of plants that can survive with a little amount of water. Succulents are known to live in deserts and they require a certain amount of water to live.

When watering your succulents you must mimic desert conditions wherein there is a long drought spell but also experience rains. Make sure to water your succulents with enough water and wait until the soil is dry to water it again. Drain any excess water to avoid its stem to rot. You can use a pot like this; it will help drain any excess water after watering your succulents.

4. Using the wrong container

Succulents need a specific kind of container, which is one where it will be able to drain excess water. Some containers do not have any drainage holes and these types of containers can retain too much water and these are not advisable for succulents because they can cause the stems and roots to rot.

When you are taking care or growing succulents make sure to use a container that has holes in the bottom – You can use hypertufa containers because they will allow your plants to breathe properly and drain excess water.

5. Overwatering

Succulents must be watered properly, then you must allow the soil to dry out completely before watering it again. Water the plants and make sure to drain out any excess amount of water. Lessen the frequency of watering your succulents during wintertime. When watering a succulent, make sure to avoid watering the leaves and just water the lower part. Succulent leaves do not absorb water; this will only cause their stem to rot.

6. Using the wrong type of soil

Succulents can be a bit picky when it comes to choosing the soil where it grows. Succulents do not absorb water from the soil; instead, they absorb water molecules in the air.

Succulents shouldn’t stay in wet soil for a long time because it can cause root rot. If the succulents are exposed in too much amount of water, it can cause possible problems such as plant gnats and mold growth.

When growing succulents, make sure to avoid using typical garden soil, you must use well-draining soil. Garden centers usually sell succulent mix soil or “loose cactus soil” but you can always mix your own depending on your preference.

7. Crowding too many succulents in a small space

You may have seen a lot of succulents online in social media platforms, wherein they are arranged beautifully. Succulents look amazing and provide an aesthetic boost in your home, but make sure to avoid squeezing too many of them in a single container.

8. Planting succulents with other variety of plants

Combining different plants may look beautiful and quite tempting but make sure to avoid doing it for a long time. Succulents can only be paired with other plants temporarily, as different plant arrangements are amazing to look at.

Succulents are quite different than the common house plants. For example, a moss plant needs a moist environment, while plants like basil will need watering every 6 hours. Succulents will not be able to thrive in consistently wet soil since it can cause their roots and stem to rot. Some succulents can live without water for a long time while some need to be watered once a week.

9. Keeping the roots of the succulent bound for too long

Succulents fit in small containers or planters. However, the roots of the plant will require more room to grow properly. If the roots are already overgrown, there will be issues with water absorption. The nutrients and minerals needed by the succulent to grow properly will not be absorbed as well and this can cause your plant to become weak, wither, or die.

Succulents are slow growers and will need to be repotted as soon as their roots are starting to peep through the drainage hole.

10. Trying to grow unrealistic varieties of succulents

When you are an avid fan of growing and taking care of succulents, you can be tempted to grow other varieties that are not meant to be grown indoors. An example of this is saguaros. No matter how beautiful or gorgeous they may look, sometimes they are just meant to be left alone in the wild. Make sure to stick with succulents such as Crassula and Mammillaria cacti as they are good choices if you prefer to have your succulents indoors.

11. Placing the succulents inside an enclosed container

Succulents need air to grow and live well. You must avoid placing your succulent plants inside a terrarium with a lid.

12. Forgetting to repot your succulents

When you have succulents, make sure to repot them as they become bigger. Succulents may be small and cute when you first get them but they will grow bigger so you must make sure to repot them and this will make them live longer. You must also water the succulents before repotting them because the soil on the new pot will be dry and this will allow water to spread out evenly after repotting it.

13. Misting succulents

There is a common belief when taking care of succulents is that they need to be misted instead of being watered. Misting your succulents is not advisable as it can cause the leaves to rot; especially when some people do it daily. Leaf rot occurs when most of the water remains in the leaves of the succulent for a long time and this can cause problems for succulents like Kalanchoe tomentosa.
If you want more information about the common mistakes to avoid when growing and taking care of succulents you can watch the video below.