How To Keep Indoor Succulents Alive -

Do you struggle to keep your succulents alive? Last Spring I posted Succulents for Beginners, a general beginners guide to planting and caring for your succulents. It was a big hit and I’m so glad it’s been useful to tens of thousands of people. During the Summer I followed up with another post on how to propagate your plants. But I have left you hanging, succulovers and for that I apologize. You’ve now purchased your succulents, chosen a whimsical planter and even learned how to propagate the clippings but what about the middle part? How do you keep your succulents alive in the first place?!

After a disastrous first round (RIP) I have managed to keep my second lot of succulents alive. That’s a year now despite quite frankly, sometimes forgetting they exist. Considering I kill every other other plant (that isn’t a cactus/succulent), I call that a victory. One of them even survived a near fatal Labradoodle munching attack. Did I mention they’re hardy little guys?

8 Key Steps To Keeping Indoor Succulents Alive

Space. Avoid overcrowding. I’m guilty of this, especially if I buy a pre-arranged dish garden. I later re-pot them if they begin to suffer. Your succulents need space to breathe and grow. There’s nothing stopping you planting multiple succs in one terrarium/container just make sure they aren’t on top of one another. Even succulents like personal space.
Light. Give them enough of it. Because succulents are hardy and need less watering than normal plants, people tend to think they don’t need to be cared for in other areas either. Don’t neglect your babies! Succulents love light just not direct sunlight. Make sure they are positioned to get a few hours of light a day. If your plants don’t get enough light they’ll stretch toward the light and get ‘leggy’. This is a good time to propagate.
Temperature. Make sure they’re warm enough…and cool enough! Succulents like to be warm in the Summer and cooler in the Winter months.
Ventilation. If you can, have some air flow around your plants. An open window or where all else fails, an air vent. This helps with the draining/drying of the soil and you can keep track of their watering needs.
Watering. Don’t over-water. Succulents only need to be watered when their soil is completely dry so check if the soil is still soggy before their next drink!
Drainage. They love well draining, gritty soil. Ideally your container of choice needs to have a drainage hole so that the soil doesn’t remain soggy and drown your succulents.
Food. Give them a treat! Get a plant food made specifically for cacti & succulents and feed them once in a while.
Species. Knowing which varieties you have and their specific needs is a good start to knowing how to keep them alive.