How to take care of the gardener's best friend - Succulents

What are the common mistakes you need to avoid while growing succulents?

1. First clip and then cure:

• Succulents can grow from a tiny leaf. Though they can propagate from an offshoot of the parent plant, you should always opt to grow them from a clean leaf clipping. Always clip a branch with multiple leaves.
• After you take the clipping, let them cure. Do not waterlog them at this stage - it might cause rotting.
• Remember that Succulents are drought tolerant plants, and they hate being oversaturated with water.
• Let your succulent sit in indirect sunlight for 2-3 days and dry up.
• This step will allow the clipping time to callous over, so that it does not rot once planted.
• Once the clippings have cured, get - set - pot!

2. The secret sauce of proper potting:

• Choose the soil that is meant for Cacti and Succulents only. Traditional or regular soil will retain water, and your succulents might end up rotting.
• You can also make you succulent-friendly potting soil at home. This can be done by mixing 1- part Perlite + 2-parts coarse sand, and 3-parts peat moss. Easy peasy!
• Use coarse sand only so that it mixes well with rest of the soil.
• Once you have prepared your soil, and are sure that the cuttings have cured, give your plants time to form roots. Note that this will take about 3-4 weeks.
• You can stimulate root development by placing your clippings in a dry and dark area. Avoid bringing them in contact with harsh and direct sunlight.
• Let the succulent clippings sit out for 3-4 weeks until you see small roots showing at the base of the clippings.
• If your clippings do not show in this period, do not fret. Let them be in contact with the soil as it may help trigger the rooting process.
• Post this process you can pot your succulents into the soil.
• Select a pot or container with drainage holes. Pour succulent-approved soil. Place your clippings into the soil deep enough, and let it sit upright. Read about how to grow succulents successfully.

3. When and how much to water the Succulents:

• Succulents are robust plants, and the trick to growing them properly is to not over-water them.
• Even if you don't water them for weeks, these plants will sustain and hence are famed as hard-to-kill plants.
• There is no specific answer to - When and how much to water the Succulents? But, the trick is - check your soil once a week and if it appears completely dry, then water it with a watering can. Moist the plant evenly and avoid drenching the plant in water. Read about how to water succulents.

4. The final element for growing succulents successfully:

• The success of your succulent plant depends on the amount of sunlight it receives.
• People often ask - “do succulents need sun?” The answer to this is that not all succulents need direct sunlight. They do best in a combination of direct and indirect sunlight, while some of the varieties can thrive indoors without even seeing the sun at all.
• To avoid baking your Succulents, you need to monitor their sun exposure.
• Just like humans, the color of succulents depicts whether the sunlight is harming them or not.