Succulents are an ever-popular plant choice for outdoor gardens and indoor home decor alike. They have interesting and unique-shaped foliage in a variety of colors, many of them flower and most are left alone by the usual garden pests. As houseplants, they’re easy to grow and can withstand neglect. They’re also easy to propagate. So, indoors and outside in the garden,  they’re a great choice for beginners. 

If you like the idea of having greenery in your home but haven’t had great success with houseplants in the past, succulents may be the plants for you. They can add a touch of style to your decor without a lot of effort. There are varieties that stay small enough to keep on a desk , while others make a great show piece.

When it comes to gardening, there are two categories of succulents: The first includes succulents that can handle some frost and even temperatures well below freezing. These are the “cold-hardy” succulents that can be grown in the garden outdoors in regions where winter temperatures drop well below freezing.

The other category includes succulents that won’t survive temperatures near or below freezing. These are known as “frost-tender” succulents that can only be grown in the garden outdoors in regions where temperatures remain well above freezing all year.

Frost tender succulents are usually grown in containers as houseplants. The containers can be put outdoors during the summer then brought indoors in the fall before temperatures drop too far. 

In this article we’ll take a look at growing succulents indoors and tips on how to maintain them. We’ll also discuss some common mistakes and how to avoid them.

Succulent Growing Conditions

Succulents are known to be easy-care plants. But like any houseplants, they need just the right conditions to grow well and thrive.

Type of Container

Most succulents prefer their soil on the dry side, without retaining a lot of moisture. Succulents hate wet soil. So one of the most important considerations for growing succulents indoors is the choice of container. It MUST have drainage holes in the bottom to allow excess moisture to drain away. Adding a layer of gravel to a pot with no drain holes WON’T provide proper drainage.

Some of the best containers to use for succulents are terra cotta or natural clay. These materials are porous and dry well, so any excess moisture in the potting mix will readily evaporate.

Plastic pots can also be used for succulents, as long as they have drainage holes. Plastic isn’t porous like clay, so it will hold moisture for longer. On the upside, you’ll need to water your succulents less frequently.

Sometimes people grow succulents in a glass container filled with potting mix because they like the look. It may be attractive, but this is a tricky way to grow succulents. If too much water is added, the excess has nowhere to go and collects at the bottom of the container. This keeps the soil too moist for succulents. So instead, people compensate and add less water. The problem  is, when you water your succulents, it’s important to soak the whole soil column, not just the top few inches.

So, watering succulents growing in a glass container without drainage is a challenging balance between too much and too little. Too much water and there’s a risk of root rot. Too little, and you’ll need to be watering your succulents more frequently. Also, the roots might not grow as deeply into the soil as they should. So it’s best to avoid glass containers, at least until you’ve had a lot of experience and are familiar with succulents and their needs.

Best Potting Soil For Succulents

When growing succulents in containers, the key to success – after choosing the right container – is a well-draining potting mix. If it doesn’t drain well and retains too much moisture, your succulents will quickly succumb to root rot. 

Most house plants are tropicals that like a potting mix with plenty of organic matter (peat moss or coconut coir). Succulents, on the other hand, are native to regions with sandy or gravelly soil; they prefer a potting mix with less organic matter and plenty of gritty material such as coarse sand or perlite. These materials create lots of air pockets in the soil, so water drains away well. 

Avoid potting mixes that are mostly peat moss or coconut coir. While these are light and fluffy, they’ll retain too much moisture for succulents. Also, don’t use vermiculite; while it makes the soil lighter, the small bits act like sponges and its intended use is to retain moisture in the mix.

Commercial potting mixes labeled specifically for succulents or cacti are the best choice. They will have the right balance of gritty material and organic matter to keep succulents healthy. 

You can also make your own potting mix (see sidebar) by combining equal parts all-purpose houseplant potting mix and coarse sand or perlite. The exact blend will depend on what variety of succulent you’re growing, as their needs differ. 

Light Requirements For Succulents

How much light a succulent needs will depend on the variety. The desert and grassland varieties need bright indirect sun with a few hours of direct sun to grow well. Indoors, a south-facing or west-facing windowsill is ideal. Plant lights can also be used to simulate sunlight if you don’t have a window that can provide adequate natural light.

The tropical succulents, such as snake plant (Sansevieria trifaciata) or Thanksgiving Cactus (Zygocactus truncatus), can tolerate lower light levels. These can be placed on a north or east-facing windowsill, or a spot that gets bright indirect light.

Temperature

Succulents grow best in temperatures from 55 to 75 F (13-24 C). Many can tolerate slightly cooler temperatures in the winter when they go dormant. Keep their temperature needs in mind when you decide where you’d like to put your succulents indoors. Avoid locations exposed to cool drafts or hot dry air from heating vents.

Air Circulation

Succulents need good air circulation to help the soil dry out and to reduce risk of insect pests and disease. If you have a collection of succulents placed together in a grouping, it is beneficial to set up a small fan on the floor or a table a few feet away to keep the air gently moving across the pots.

Succulent Maintenance

Watering Succulents In Containers

The most common mistake of succulent care is over-watering. Most succulents are drought tolerant and need infrequent watering. Too much moisture will quickly lead to root rot.

While they may be drought tolerant, succulents still need regular – if infrequent – watering during their active growing season (spring and summer). In winter, indoor plants go through a resting period and need far less-frequent watering.

Succulents grown in containers should be watered when the soil is completely dry. Then the container should be given a thorough deep watering. Add room-temperature – not cold – water to the soil surface a little at a time, until it starts to flow out the pot’s drainage holes. This way you know the soil through the whole pot is well-soaked.

Be sure to apply the water to the soil around the plant, and not onto the foliage. Water left sitting on the leaves for too long can cause them to rot. For this reason it’s also not a good idea to use a spray bottle to mist your succulents.

How To Know When To Water

Succulents are known for needing infrequent watering. This is because they store water in their fleshy leaves and stems. Many varieties won’t need watering until you see their outer leaves going a little wrinkly. But it will vary depending on the variety. Tropical succulents, for example, like their soil a bit moister than their desert cousins.

As a general rule of thumb, you should allow the potting mix to dry out completely between waterings (not just the top inch or two). Feel the weight of the container after you’ve given your succulent a good soaking. When the soil has dried out completely, the container will feel much lighter.

Watering your succulents won’t necessarily be done on a regular schedule, (like every other Saturday). The frequency will depend on a lot of factors:

Succulent variety: Succulents native to arid desert and alpine regions grow in gritty soils that drain well. These varieties like their soil to dry well between waterings. The tropical succulents, on the other hand, prefer a little more moisture and may need more frequent watering than the other varieties.

Indoor air temperature: How warm you keep your home in the winter will influence how quickly the soil in your succulent pots dries out. Your succulents will also dry out more quickly if they are too close to a heat source or in the path of a warm draft from a heat vent.

Humidity levels: The more humid the indoor air, the more slowly your succulents will dry out. Most succulents are native to hot arid regions and prefer low humidity levels.

Air Flow: If you set up a fan near your succulents to provide a gentle air flow, they will dry out more quickly than without a fan.

Light Conditions: The amount of light a succulent receives will affect how quickly it uses up soil moisture. The more light, the more actively your succulent will grow and the water will be used. So, you’ll need to water your succulents more frequently during the active summer growing months, and less frequently in the winter, when growth slows down and the plants go dormant.

Size and Type of Container: The container you choose for your succulents will affect how frequently you’ll need to water them. Terra cotta pots will dry out more quickly than plastic pots. Smaller pots will need more frequent watering than larger containers.

Potting Mix: The amount of organic matter in the potting mix will affect how often you need to water your succulents. Organic matter retains moisture, so the more organic matter in the mix, the less frequently you’ll need to water.

Fertilizing Succulents In Containers

In their native habitat, most succulents grow in gritty soil low in nutrients. So, as houseplants, they rarely need fertilizing. If and when you do feed them will depend on the specific succulent variety. None of them should be fertilized during their dormant period (when they aren’t actively growing), which for most is during the winter.

If you do choose to add fertilizer, you can use a water-soluble balanced houseplant fertilizer and dilute it to half the recommended strength. Be sure not to make it too strong; succulent roots are sensitive and will suffer fertilizer burn. When it comes to fertilizing succulents, more is not necessarily better. Less is best.

Repotting

Most succulents are slow-growing, and many prefer to have their roots slightly pot-bound, so they don’t need frequent repotting. That said, there are always exceptions to the rules. Their growth rate will depend on the variety. Regardless of the variety, eventually all succulents will need to be repotted.

Signs your succulent may need repotting:

• Newly-purchased plants are in small 2-inch containers. Repot into a 4-inch container
• Offsets are crowding the container and no more bare soil can be seen.
• Roots start to grow out of the drainage holes in the bottom of the container
• Succulent has grown a tall bare stem that begins to lean or appear unstable in the soil, or topples its existing container.

The best time of year to repot succulents is at the end of their dormant period. This would be in early spring for those varieties that are dormant in winter. For varieties that are dormant in summer, repot them in early fall. 

Don’t repot a succulent when it’s flowering or just about to flower. It needs its energy to produce flowers. Repotting will make the plant redirect all its energy to developing a new root system instead, and you’ll probably lose the flowers.

Be sure to water your succulent the day before you plan to repot it. Moist soil and roots will make the process less stressful for the plant.

For individual slow-growing succulent plants, choose a container that’s about an inch (2.5 cm) wider than the old one. You want to give the plant enough room to grow but not have too much extra soil that will hold moisture. For faster-growing varieties, choose a container that’s about 2 inches (5 cm) wider than the old one.

Moving Indoor Succulents Outdoors For Summer

Succulents grown indoors as house plants benefit from being moved outdoors for the summer. However, they need to be transitioned gradually to the outdoor environment to adjust to the new conditions.

The first condition to consider is temperature. Indoor succulents shouldn’t be moved outdoors until air temperatures are reliably and consistently above 50 F (10 C) at night.

The next consideration is light level. Outdoor sunlight is stronger than the sunlight shining indoors through a window. If indoor succulents suddenly get six hours of direct outdoor sun, they will likely suffer irreversible sunburn. 

Your indoor succulents will need time to adjust to the outdoor sunlight. Start them off in a spot with bright indirect light (i.e. bright shade). Leave them outside only for an hour on the first day, then bring them back indoors. Increase their exposure outdoors by an hour each day for a week and then they can be left outdoors in bright indirect sun.

Once your indoor succulents have been outside in the bright shade for a few days, you’ll gradually increase the amount of direct sun they get each day for a week to ten days. Move the pots to a spot that gets morning sun, leave them there for an hour then return them to the bright shade. Repeat this process for about a week, gradually increasing the time in direct sun by an hour a day. Always protect your indoor succulents from direct mid-day or late-afternoon sun.

How long it takes to transition an indoor succulent to outdoor light levels will depend on where you live. The further south you are, the stronger the sunlight. You’ll need to take more days to increase the sun exposure, increasing the level by less than an hour each day. 

Once your container-grown succulents have transitioned to outdoor conditions, check the moisture level of the soil more frequently than you did when the plants were inside. You’ll probably need to water them more often when they’re growing outdoors.

Succulent Propagation

Succulents are some of the easiest plants to propagate. While they can be grown from seed, it’s a challenging process. Instead, they’re most often propagated from pieces of existing plants, a process known as “vegetative propagation.”

Vegetative propagation of succulents can be done using different parts of a mature plant. These methods include:

• Leaf cuttings
• Stem cuttings
• Offsets
• Plantlets 

Which method you choose to use will depend on the variety of succulent. Leaf cuttings, for example, work best for varieties with distinct fleshy leaves while stem cuttings are better for upright or spreading varieties.

Leaf Cuttings

Leaf cuttings are complete leaves that have been removed from the parent plant. To remove a leaf, hold it between your thumb and forefinger and gently twist it until it snaps off. Be sure you remove the whole leaf right down to where it attaches to the main stem. You don’t want to have any tears in the leaf or pieces left behind on the stem. 

After a leaf is removed, it is left to callus off (form a dry skin over the cut) for 3 to 5 days. Then the cutting is placed on damp soil to develop roots. This stage can take anywhere from several days to several weeks, depending on the succulent variety.

The leaf cutting method is good for plants that have distinct individual leaves such as Jade plant, aloes or echeveria.

Stem Cuttings

Stem cuttings can be taken by cutting off several inches of the growing tip of a stem or removing a whole stem or side shoot. A whole stem is sometimes cut into smaller 2-3 inch (5-7.5 cm) pieces to propagate several new plants. Each of these pieces should have at least two or three leaves attached at the top tip of the cutting. The rest of the leaves are removed from the base.

The stem cutting method is good for succulents that have a sturdy branching growth habit such as Jade plant, some Aeoniums or upright sedums. It’s also a good method for plants that have grown tall and “leggy” with a cluster of leaves at the top of a long bare stem, having lost all the lower leaves.

Offsets 

Many varieties of succulents naturally multiply themselves by growing new plants called “offsets” (or pups) around the base of a mature plant or on shallow horizontal roots extending from a mature plant.

Offsets grow on many succulent varieties and eventually develop their own root system independent of the original plant. These rooted offsets can be divided from the parent plant and planted directly into fresh soil.

Plantlets

Some varieties of succulents grow tiny new plants called “plantlets” on the tips or along the edges of leaves on a mature plant.

In nature, plantlets drop off the parent plant and onto the soil below, where they root and grow into new plants.

Plantlets may also develop aerial roots while still attached to the mature plant’s leaves. These plantlets can be gently separated from the mature leaf and planted with their aerial roots in soil. 

Common Mistakes When Growing Succulents Indoors

Succulents are known as easy-to-grow low-maintenance houseplants. They pretty much thrive on neglect. That said, there are a few common mistakes to watch out for to ensure your success.

Choosing the Wrong Succulent Variety

When choosing which succulent varieties to buy, you need to match their growing requirements to the space you intend to put them in your home. The first consideration is the amount of light they’ll need. Most succulents need bright – or even direct – light; only a small few can tolerate low light conditions.

If you only have a limited amount of spots you can put succulents in your home, then get to know how much sunlight each location receives in a day. Then you’ll know which succulents will grow well in each space. If the only space you have for plants in your home is low-light, then consider investing in proper plant lights to support your succulents. 

The other important thing to consider when purchasing succulents is their mature size. They might be in a cute little 4-inch pot when you bring them home, but some can eventually grow to as much as 3 feet (90 cm) or more in height. Be sure you have the space to accommodate them as they grow. 

Wrong Container

Succulents need to be grown in containers that provide proper drainage. That means the container has holes in the bottom for excess water to drain away.  Otherwise, water will collect in the bottom of the container and the soil will stay too moist. This results in your succulent’s slow death by root rot.

If you have a favorite decorative container without drain holes that you want to use for a succulent plant, you can use it if you plant your succulent into a standard plastic flower pot first. Then sit this pot in the decorative container. When you water the succulent, excess water will drain out of the plastic pot and into the bottom of the decorative container. You’ll need to remove the plastic pot from the decorative container and pour off the excess water.  The plastic pot shouldn’t sit in water.

Using the Wrong Potting Mix

As we’ve discussed, succulents need very well-draining soil; one with a lot of gritty material, so it doesn’t retain too much moisture. Succulents grown in soil with too much organic matter (e.g peat moss or compost) will stay too moist for too long, eventually leading to deadly root rot.

Incorrect Watering

When it comes to succulents, watering mistakes are about both when and how they’re watered.

When

Succulents are considered low-maintenance because they don’t need frequent watering like most tropical houseplants. When succulents are given too much water too frequently, the soil stays moist for too long. This eventually causes the roots to rot, which leads to death of the plant. With a few exceptions, succulents in containers should only be watered when the soil in the container has dried out completely.

Even though succulents can go long periods without watering, that doesn’t mean you can ignore them completely. If your succulent’s foliage starts looking wrinkled, that probably means it’s gone too long without water. However, wrinkled leaves could also mean the plant is getting too much water; the soil is too wet and the roots can’t take up water to the plant. Bottom line: Always check the soil before watering.

How

Succulents grown in containers indoors are more sensitive to their growing conditions than they’d be growing outdoors in their natural habitat. Outdoors, the limited precipitation in arid environments quickly evaporates off the succulents’ foliage.

As a houseplant, however, moisture doesn’t evaporate as quickly. Water that lands on succulent foliage will sit there for much longer. Water that sits on succulents for too long can cause leaf rot. So, when you water your succulents, try not to get water on the leaves, especially on the rosette centre where all the leaves emerge. Apply water to the soil around the plants instead. Think “Water the soil, not the leaves.”

Common Problems When Growing Succulents and Possible Causes/Solutions

Succulents are easy-care houseplants, but houseplants in containers aren’t growing in their natural environment. As a result, they can be easily stressed if all their needs aren’t perfectly met. Like us, a stressed plant is more prone to suffer from disease or pests.

Here are a few things to look out for when growing succulents, and how you can address or prevent them.

• Insect pests (Mealybugs, spider mites)
• Brown spots on leaves
• Wilted/wrinkled leaves
• Leaves dropping
• Stem rot at base 
• Long stretched out (“leggy”) stems