There are many ways to beautify one’s home, but one of the most popular ways is to get a houseplant. When searching for a plant, many people choose to get a cactus or other type of succulent. Usually due to the fact that a succulent appears to be the easiest plant to take care of, because it only needs to be watered once a week, which is why so many people choose to get one for their house. I have thirty-one succulents right now, and most succulents require more care than a bit of water once a week.

The hardest part of caring for a succulent is keeping track of when you last watered it. Watering any succulent is a delicate process, which can either help the plant thrive, or kill it. Since succulents come from the desert, they are used to getting intense heat and no water for a week before a huge thunderstorm. After a long week of heat, it is good to drown your succulent in lots of water so it can store plenty of water for the next week. Another good watering technique is to stick your finger in the dirt; if the soil is really dry, then your succulent needs some water. However, if the soil is damp at all, put the watering can down and leave it alone.

Unfortunately, it is very easy to overwater succulents. A few different things can happen when a succulent is overwatered, but most likely, the roots will begin to rot. The most obvious way to tell when the roots are rotting is when the bottom of the plant turns brown. As soon as the succulent begins to brown it needs to be moved to a nursery. A nursery is best stationed in a big window facing the West or East on the South side of one’s home. Watering the succulent once a week with a small amount of hydrogen peroxide helps fight the rot. The plant also needs to be watered less, maybe move to watering once every other week. Another way to gently water your succulent is to leave an ice cube on the plant, as the ice cube melts the baby will be watered slowly.

Another important way to care for your succulent is to properly trim it. That means detaching the baby succulents from the parent and putting them into their own pot. Many succulents grow babies on them, instead of seeds. It is important for the baby to have a solid root before you detach it, so, as soon as you spot a baby on your succulent you should track it. It should grow for at least a month before you make any attempt to detach it. In order to remove the baby from the mother, you need to grab the base of the baby and gently twist and pull until it becomes loose. A common and effective way to encourage root growth and development in the baby is by putting it into a nursery. You can also take a plastic water bottle, and cut some small holes in the side. Gently tuck the root into the hole in the water bottle, and put a little water in the bottom of the bottle. The root should NOT sit in the water. After a few weeks, the root should be well developed, and your baby will be ready for a pot. 

One of the simplest, yet overlooked, ways to care for your succulent is to upgrade it’s living space. Succulents can grow to huge plants, I have one that started as a three-inch succulent that grew to almost five feet tall, and it is still growing! Repotting succulents frequently also keeps root rot away. Be sure when you repot your succulent, that the pot is adequate. It is important that the pot has good drainage, otherwise, algae may grow in the bottom of your pot. The best time to repot succulents is at the beginning of spring, and the end of summer. The beginning of spring is the best time, so the succulent can grow into the new pot during summer. Summer is when succulents grow the most because the sun is out for the longest periods of time. The end of summer is also a  good time to repot to make sure you did not overwater your succulents at all, and they still look good and healthy before they go into winter.

Winter is the hardest time to keep succulents alive, and many do not make it through the winter without special care. It is important to move the succulents inside during the winter, so they do not freeze. Also, since they see less sun, succulents only need to be watered once a month. Since succulents will be inside a window for the duration of winter, they will also need to be rotated. The succulents will grow towards the sun, and if they are not rotated enough they may tip over, or begin growing sideways.

To sum up, succulents are a popular plant that appear to be easy to care for. Unfortunately, they do require a little more care than water once a week, but, overall, they are a beautiful house plant and are delightful to have. I would definitely recommend getting one because they are worth the work.