Succulents are unique plants with thick leaves that store water. While succulents often grow well in desert-like conditions, they are equally at home in indoor settings.

After being advertised as "low maintenance" plants, succulents require specific care in order to remain alive and flourishing. Follow these tips in order to help your succulents live long and flourish! The first step should be ensuring that their pot has drainage holes for proper water drainage.

Watering

Succulents may appear carefree, but they still require attention to thrive. Bright light, fast-draining soil and regular checks for pests and disease should all be provided if possible - otherwise overwatering or underwatering your succulents might prove fatal to their survival.

Overwatering destroys succulent leaves irreparably and kills their root systems, so it is a sure sign if your succulents have been overwatered as their leaves will show signs of wrinkled and dry leaves, with signs such as lower leaf margins showing moisture loss from being stored up by tissues and roots in response to an environment which cannot supply additional water sources. These symptoms indicate the need to store up water internally as no additional rainfall or precipitation is available to replenish them from outside sources.

As a rule of thumb, water your succulent when the top inch of soil feels completely dry before watering it. Watering frequency depends on season; in spring and summer when plants are actively growing they require more frequent irrigation; but this also depends on climate control measures like humidity levels as well as container size.

Watering succulents with distilled or rainwater will help minimize salt buildup in the soil, while using a spray bottle to mist them can cause their leaves to shrivel, leaving water stains behind on both leaves and pot. Furthermore, it's wise to rinse out inside containers frequently in order to rid yourself of excess soaps and fertilizers that prevent water absorption by the plant.

To prevent overwatering, it's a smart move to place a layer of coarse gravel or pebbles at the bottom of your planting container. This will reduce how much excess water ends up sitting at the bottom and can be hard to drain away.

As part of their care routine, succulents should also occasionally go without watering - particularly young plants - to promote strong root systems that can better tolerate drought conditions.

Fertilizing

Succulents store water and nutrients in their thick, plump leaves and stems to make them drought tolerant in areas with low rainfall. But it also means they need to be mindful not to overwater, since too much soil moisture could quickly lead to root rot. How often you need to water will depend on seasonal and weekly weather conditions: more often after heavy summer showers or less often on cloudy days.

As with other houseplants, succulents can benefit from fertilizer use; however, care must be taken when selecting an appropriate formula to avoid overuse that causes their leaves to become waterlogged or develop red coloring. It's best to fertilize succulents during spring when their growth period begins.

Liquid fertilizer designed specifically for succulents is an effective way to maximize plant health. Succulents require a balanced, slow-release formula of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Nitrogen helps your succulent create chlorophyll while transferring energy throughout its system; Phosphorus promotes root and flower development while potassium enhances overall plant wellness.

Avoid feeding succulents organic or inorganic compost as this could clog their roots, instead using a special plant food with 10-10-10 or 20-20-20 ratio of nutrients - make sure you follow any specific instructions on its packaging for use!

Assuming you keep your succulents in the same pot or one similar, it's best to leave them alone in their original container or one similar. Most succulents don't like being moved around or transferred into new growing medium, as this could damage their roots. When watering, remove from its container and place in a saucer before running tepid water over it to catch any excess that might pool at the bottom. A saucer also helps prevent pooled moisture from pooling at its base which could rot root systems by collecting it within its confines - perfect!

Succulents are easy to propagate by cuttings or division. For cuttings, carefully use a sharp knife to cut a 4-inch section from your plant. After allowing it to callous over for four to seven days, stick it into a pot containing slightly damp succulent soil mix containing rooting hormone for maximum transplant success.

Light

Your succulents have no doubt made an appearance at weddings, office desks and Instagram feeds alike - yet these low maintenance plants do present their own challenges. While exact watering and lighting requirements differ by species, experts agree that succulents need bright lighting in order to thrive.

Indoor succulent cultivation should occur in spaces receiving 10 or more hours of direct sunlight daily, such as windowsills facing south or west or supplemented by grow lamps. When watering, wait until soil dries out before rehydrating as excessive water may result in wrinkled leaves or brown stems as an indicator.

Ideal conditions require watering your succulents at least every two or three weeks, checking the soil first if needed. If it feels dry several inches down, wait a few days before watering again. Moisture meters may help, but to assess your plant visually is also effective.

If a succulent isn't getting enough light, it will begin to look leggy and stretched towards the sun. Furthermore, its firmness may dwindle as its leaves yellow or brown over time. Furthermore, mealybugs - an insect pest known for producing cottony masses along leaf veins and stem junctions - should also be on your watch list as this may compromise plant health.

If cottony masses appear, use a spray bottle with rubbing alcohol or cotton swabs dipped in it to wash their leaves and stems of succulents, killing any insects found therein. Commercial insecticidal soap will also work. In order to ensure equal light distribution throughout their growth cycle and to prevent them from stretching toward light sources too much, rotating succulents frequently is also recommended in order to provide them with equal exposure from all angles and ensure even exposure of light from all directions. This will also help them avoid becoming leggy over time as well.

Temperature

Although succulents are commonly advertised as low maintenance plants, they still require some TLC. Succulents need bright lighting and good drainage, so planting in fast-draining soil would be ideal. Succulents also prefer being watered when needed rather than becoming overwatered - watering only when their soil becomes dry will prevent any unnecessary sogginess as well as root rot from developing in your succulent.

As soon as temperatures warm up, succulents begin to flourish rapidly and require more water. Make sure that they receive adequate amounts of rainfall throughout summer; water them more frequently during this season than they did during the winter. You can use a soil testing kit or just stick your finger into the soil to ascertain moisture levels; just remember not to overwater!

Your succulents may need protection from sunburn this summer. Place them in an area with partial shade, such as an arboretum, or cover them with floating row cover or old sheets to shield from direct sunlight.

As winter sets in, succulents must be brought indoors in order to protect them from freezing temperatures. Though this may be difficult for some, this move is essential for their wellbeing. When moving succulents indoors keep in mind they are used to outdoor conditions and will likely react negatively with any sudden change; additionally, pots may need upgrading to larger sizes as a result.

Make sure that succulents have enough lighting indoors; ideally near a window with direct sunlight is best, however artificial lighting may work just as effectively. When placing succulents outdoors during the winter, make sure they are covered by something like a frost blanket to protect them from frost damage; this is particularly important when caring for soft succulents that could otherwise die of frost damage.