Succulents are one of the cutest plants that you can grow indoors which demands low maintenance.
But there are a few things you should know about taking care of Succulents in India so that you don’t end up killing them.
Succulent Care In India?
Quick answer on taking care of succulents in India: keep it in a location which receives a good amount of bright indirect sunlight, water only when the upper layer of soil dries out that too directly over the soil & not on the plant, and use a potting mix that is fast draining.
This was a quick & brief explanation of how you can keep your succulents alive and thriving in India.
Now, let’s jump right into a more detailed one.
How To Take Care Of Succulents In India – Succulent Care In India
Providing the Right Amount Of Sunlight
Sunlight plays a major role in caring for succulents, as most succulent requires light morning sunlight for at least 3-4 hours daily.
But it is a bit tricky at times.
Keep reading further, to understand what I am trying to say.
Too Much Sunlight: How to take care of succulents in Indian summer
How to take care of succulents in Indian summer?
To take care of succulents in Indian summers keep them away from direct sunlight (especially afternoon) and increase the frequency of watering.
If you keep your succulent under direct sunlight in the summer season, your plant will start to give you signs that it is not doing well.
One of the obvious signs is leaves turning pale.
This happened with my Aloe Vera plant and at first, I thought that I was overwatering it so I stopped watering it and kept an eye on it.
But there was no improvement,
Later, I find out that my succulent was sunburnt.
So, I kept it in such a way that it only got the light morning sunlight and was under shade for the rest of the time.
And it regained its colour within 3-4 days.
Make sure that your succulent is kept in indirect sunlight because too much harsh sunlight can cause damage to it, and your succulent may die.
Get a good quality UV Protected Green Net like this one, so that the sunlight gets filtered by 50%.
Too Little Sunlight
Don’t keep your succulent deprived of sunlight.
If you keep your succulent in a location which doesn’t receive any amount of sunlight then it will not grow at all and start to rot.
Succulents cannot grow without sunlight, so make sure yours is getting 4-5 hours of indirect sunlight at least.
Best Fertilizer For Succulents In India
Succulents can thrive without fertilizer, but leaving your plants hungry isn’t a great idea as they will stop growing.
A handful of compost added to the soil can go for a month or two then you can add it again If you see that they have stopped growing any further.
One of the best fertilizers for succulents in India is this one.
Don’t give fertilizers to succulents in winter, as they go through a dormancy period.
Adding a lot of compost can kill your plant or maybe burn them.
If you do so its leaves will start to turn brownish in colour and its tip will start to feel like it got burnt.
So, just make sure you are not overfeeding them.
Right Potting Soil – Succulent Care in India
Succulents can’t sit in standing water.
This is the reason why you should never use the same potting soil that you use for other plants.
The potting soil/ mix for succulents needs to be fast draining, so that excess water drains out of it quickly and avoids rotting of roots.
If you are looking for the best potting mix for succulents in India, you should consider this one.
Watering Succulent Just Enough – Take Care of Succulents in India
Learning how much to water succulents is the most important thing for succulent care in India.
The general rule behind watering succulents is to check the soil before watering it.
Basically what you have to do is:
Before watering your succulents, insert your finger 1-2 inches inside the potting soil to check if the soil is moist or not. If it feels dry then give your succulent a good watering, but if it is moist then skip watering.
If you follow this rule, your succulent will never have any watering issues.
But if not then there can be two cases:
Giving Way To Much Water
Overwatering is one of the main reasons, that ends up killing most of the succulents.
You have to understand the fact that succulents hold water in their leaves and can go without water for a few days without a problem, but giving them more water will cause root rot and your plant will ultimately suffer.
I had to save one of my aloe vera plants from root rot.
Signs of Overwatering:
Leaves will start to turn soft and yellowish and transparent in some cases.
Yellow leaves will leave start to turn brownish if you keep overwatering.
Underwatering
Just like overwatering, underwatering can also cause serious problems to your succulents.
Signs of keeping succulent thirsty:
Leaves start to shrivel and become flat
Leaves Will Start To Bend
Aloe Vera Plant Leaves Bending (Main Reasons)
How to Water Succulents In India?
Knowing how to water succulents properly is equally important as knowing how much water it needs.
What people generally do is water succulents just like other plants and end up watering over the leaves of succulents.
Which ends up in the rotting up of that specific part.
Succulents can’t handle water on their leaves.
Because of their complex shape water droplets stays there only.
You should always water directly over the roots of the plant and not over it.
For this always use pointed water can, like this one.
This will make it easier to water directly over the roots and not spill it over its leaves.
Provide Drainage – Take Care of Succulents in India
The potting soil that you use for growing succulent need to be fast draining which means that the water should flush out of the soil swiftly and should not stay for a long time.
For this to happen, you need to make sure that, you make enough drainage holes in the container that you are using.
I usually make, 4-5 holes at the bottom of pots for proper drainage.
This also allows proper circulation of air, which keeps the root happy and free of troubles.
Also read:
Keep Rotating Your Succulents
I always make sure to rotate my succulents on daily basis.
But why do I do so?
Because, this helps in getting sunlight on all the part of the plant and not just one side.
I started doing this after I saw that one particular part of my succulent started to rot, although I kept it in sunlight.
The reason was simple, that part never got an ample amount of sunlight.
And, then onwards I made this my habit of rotating it on daily basis to keep it healthy on all sides.
Conclusion:
I hope this article will help you take care of succulents. After following all these steps, I am confident enough that your succulent will thrive.
If you didn’t understand any part of it or need more clarification.
Do let me know in the comment section.
