Succulents care
Echeveria, Haworthia, Crassula & friends
- Water
- Every 2–4 weeks (soak & dry)
- Light
- As much direct sun as you have
- Pet safe
- Varies — many are pet-safe, jade is not
Succulents store water in their plump leaves and evolved for deserts where rain arrives rarely but all at once. Indoors, the killer isn’t neglect — it’s attention: a splash of water every few days rots them where a monthly drench would make them thrive.
The whole art is one method: soak and dry.
How often to water a succulents
| Season | Frequency | Cue |
|---|---|---|
| Spring & summer | Every 2–3 weeks | Drench fully, then let the soil go bone dry |
| Fall & winter | Every 4–6 weeks | Many succulents semi-dormant; barely water |
“Soak and dry”: when the soil has been completely dry for a few days, water heavily until it pours from the drainage hole — imitating a desert downpour — then ignore the pot until it’s bone dry again. Never mist, never sip. Gritty cactus soil and a drainage hole are non-negotiable.
Light
Most succulents want the sunniest windowsill you own — 4–6 hours of direct sun keeps rosettes tight and colors vivid. South-facing is ideal.
Haworthia and gasteria are the shade-tolerant exceptions, happy in bright-indirect light. If a succulent stretches tall and pale with wide leaf gaps, it’s begging for more sun.
Common succulents problems
Mushy, translucent leaves
Why: Overwatering. Fix: Stop. Remove mushy leaves, let the pot dry completely; repot in gritty mix if soil stays damp.
Stretching tall with gaps between leaves
Why: Not enough light (etiolation). Fix: Move to direct sun. Stretched growth is permanent — behead and re-root the top for a fresh rosette.
Wrinkled, deflated leaves
Why: Underwatering — finally. Fix: A deep soak plumps them up within a week.
Lower leaves drying up
Why: Completely normal. Fix: Old leaves die from the bottom as new ones grow on top. Pull the dry ones away.