Growing succulents: A step-by-step guide

Gardeners love succulents for two reasons: they're beautiful and practically indestructible.

A succulent is any plant with large, fleshy (succulent) organs for storing water. Succubuses store water in their leaves, stems, or roots. In addition to surviving in arid conditions, they are also adapted to survive intense heat and cold.

This adaptation has resulted in an incredible array of leaf forms and plant shapes, including paddle-shaped leaves, tight rosettes, and bushy or trailing columns of teardrop leaves. Besides a few well-known plants, such as the aloe plant and agave plant, succulents also include many kinds that exist only in their natural habitat. Furthermore,  how to kill mealybugs  are distinct from succulents and offer their own individual care and appearance.

Succulents are pretty similar among different species regardless of what species you are growing. These are the general rules for growing succulents of high quality.

Light
In order to thrive, succulents require plenty of bright light, whether kept inside or outside. They should be exposed to at least six hours of sunlight per day. As you watch their leaves for the right amount of light exposure, some species will scorch if suddenly exposed to an excessive amount of direct sunlight,  while others will turn brown or white as they scorch and bleach out, causing the soft tissues to die.

The opposite is true for a succulent under-exposed to the sun, which exhibits an elongated root system and widely spaced leaves in a condition called etiolation. Providing the plant with a better light source and pruning it back to its original shape will solve this problem.

Soil
It is recommended to pot succulents in a fast-draining mixture specifically designed for cacti and succulents. Instead of a specialized mix, consider using an inorganic agent such as perlite to increase aeration and drainage.

In addition to  succulent pots , terra cotta or clay planters can help drain the soil. Because the materials are porous, they will help to drain moisture from the soil and prevent root rot.

Water
Succulents should be well watered during the summer. Between waterings, the potting mix should be allowed to dry out, but not underwater. When the plants go to dormancy in the winter, reduce watering to every other month.

Overwatering (and the subsequent plant rot) is one of the main reasons succulent plants fail. Despite appearing plump and healthy, an overwatered succulent could already be dying underground due to rot that has begun in its root system.

Succulents that are overwatered are soft and discolored; their leaves may turn yellow or white and lose color. Although a plant in this condition might be unsalvageable, you could still remove it from its pot to inspect the roots. If the roots are brown and rotted, cut away the dead roots and repot them in a more drier medium, or take a healthy cutting from the parent and propagate it from it.

A plant that isn't watered will first stop growing and then shed its leaves. Additionally, the leaves could develop brown spots.

Temperature and Humidity
Many people don't realize how cold-tolerant succulents are. Often flourishing during the colder nights in the desert, where night and day can often be markedly different, succulents thrive in places with a marked difference in temperature. It is ideal for succulent plants to be exposed to temperatures between 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 85 degrees Fahrenheit in the daytime, and 50 degrees Fahrenheit to 55 degrees Fahrenheit at night.

Some succulents require different levels of humidity than others. Generally, they don't seem bothered with slightly higher or lower humidity levels than 80 percent, but some prefer more humidity than others.

Fertilizer
As you would with any other houseplant, fertilize your succulents throughout the summer. Don't fertilize during the winter.