Succulent is always a great option for you who want to complete your interior area with some natural touch. They are great to give a chic earthy nuance that doesn’t only beautify the overall look around but also freshen the air inside.
There are a lot of different varieties, but succulents actually need similar maintenance to keep them survive for years. Water and sunlight are both the essential elements to nurture them, but this job can be a bit more difficult if you place them indoors.
In this article, we share with you a brief yet complete guide on How to Take Care of Succulents Indoor that you can refer to.
How to Take Care of Succulents Indoor
Proper watering for succulent
Just like the other plants, watering is definitely the most important part of indoor succulents care. However, unlike common plants, succulents require the proper amount of water since, in the wild, they grow in a dry and warm environment. You have to make sure that they don’t get watered too often.
If you put the succulents in the spots without direct sunlight, you don’t have to water them a lot since they can survive without water for weeks. They are good at storing water in their stems and leaves.
In the summer, when sunlight is more abundant, you can water your indoor succulents once every two weeks.
Choose pots with drainage holes
Another way to avoid overwatering your indoor succulents is to choose planters or pots with drainage holes. This type of pot is good for water which needs the proper amount of water. You can easily measure how much water you have poured into the soil of your indoor succulents.
When the water starts to drip out of the drainage holes, you need to stop pouring the water. Leave the water to drip for around 5 minutes so it can be completely drained from the planter.
If you don’t use a pot with drainage holes, you need to carefully water your indoor succulents so it doesn’t get collected at the bottom of the planter.
Proper sun exposure for succulents
The next essential thing to keep the succulents alive for a long time is sunlight. In fact, you can’t expect your succulents will thrive without any proper sunlight.
Therefore, the best spot to put your succulent is always the one that is close to your glass window where the sunlight can come through your house. You don’t really have to place them all day since you may want to bring them to your bedroom (which happens to be windowless).
Furthermore, not all types of succulents actually require abundant sunlight. You can actually do a little research to find whether the succulents that you bought love a lot of sunlight or not. Alternatively, you can also see the behavior of your succulents when you put them in an area with abundant direct sunlight.
Good soil for succulent
Without the proper type of soil, you can’t really expect your indoor succulents to grow properly. As mentioned before, succulents love a dry environment, so the well-draining soil mix is the ideal option. The quicker the soil can drain water, the more suitable it is for indoor succulents.
You can easily find packaged soul mix which is specifically processed for cactuses or succulents. If you choose to make the soil for your succulents all by yourself, you can mix the soil with sand, large grains, and perlite.
You have to ensure that the soil can drain water quickly to prevent water collection inside the planter. A well-draining soil is important to create a dry environment that the indoor succulents dearly love.
Proper fertilization for succulents
Fertilization should be included in your indoor succulents’ maintenance if you want them to grow quickly. This step is actually easier for succulents than the other common plants in which you only need to fertilize them at least once a year at the beginning of spring.
You can actually fertilize indoor succulents once a month but it’s not really necessary. As slowly-growing plants, fertilizer can help succulents to grow a bit faster, but you can’t really watch how they grow compared to other houseplants.
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And when the winter comes…
When the winter comes, there’s not really a huge difference in taking care of indoor succulents as it is during the summer. The proper amount of water and sunlight are two main required elements to help them survive all year long.
The main difference is that you need to reduce the amount of water that you give to your indoor succulents. It’s because when the temperature around is cold, the moisture doesn’t evaporate as quickly as in the summer. You can water your indoor succulents just once a month instead of once every two weeks.
Drainage becomes more important in the winter, using well-draining soil and pots will drainage holes will help to reduce excess water to get collected. Your plant will find it hard to absorb moisture quickly in the cold season.
Furthermore, as the sunlight doesn’t come so often, you might also need to put your indoor succulents close to the windowsill. Put the plants longer around that area, especially when the sun shines so bright that day.
An easy sign of improper maintenance
When you notice some wrinkles on your succulents’ leaves, it most likely can be caused by improper maintenance. It’s either you water them too much or they need more water.
You can refer to the last time when you water your indoor succulents. If it has been two weeks since the last watering, it means that your succulents are overwatered. If you haven’t watered the succulents for more than two weeks, you have to water them as soon as possible.
So those are some steps that you can refer to in taking care of the succulents that you place indoors. You can keep them alive for years without any hassles.
(Image source: depositphotos.com)
