Should I Water?
Do I water #Succulents when the leaves start showing signs of thirst even though Greg says to water every so and so days? @Artistic_Stoner @FairyFly @itsjordan @Camron @Propa @stephonicle @AnthuriumQueen My #GoldenSedum has wrinkly leaves, but I’m not sure when to water it. Soil is completely dry, and it’s only been a week since I watered it last. Aren’t succulents supposed to go for weeks or even months without water? First time caring for succulents, so I’m very clueless 😅 #NewPlantMom #SucculentSquad #SucculentLove #SuccerForSucculents
3” pot with drainage
Last watered 1 year ago
23
@itsjordan I bottom water. It’s in a 2 inch terracotta pot with succulent soil and perlite. I thought it was strange too that it already feels light and is having wrinkly leaves 👀
@BrawnyMachofern But I’m afraid of accidentally overwatering. I was under the impression that succulents can go for quite a long time without water. Mine was watered a week ago
Ahh a common misconception 😁 some succ’s require a lot more water that you’d think! I’ll water some of mine and a few days later they’re screaming at me for more 🤣 during summer I throw them all outside and the rain waters them, even if it rains everyday for a week they stay, or not for a few weeks they stay. Even the lithops thrive out there. It depends on your soil mix, humidity, lighting, etc. I like to think of it as a square you have to balance the light, with the watering, fertilizing & humidity and all plants are generally happy. Since yours is in a smaller pot it’ll require more frequent watering💚
Yes @OrangeGrass, you should take all of this into account. They've pretty much said it all. Follow your gut and if you're still apprehensive, like @itsjordan said, it won't hurt to wait a little longer. My first thought is chunky soil + small pot + smaller roots = less water more frequently if that makes sense. That's how I treat my props and pups.
And @OrangeGrass you can't always go by Greg reminders, it learns from you. Go with your gut, you got this. 😊
Your succulents need water when they start to wrinkle no matter what Greg says. Greg is merely a recommendation for us. We should always be looking and feeling our plants to know their watering needs. You can always hit the water button if you water early or the snooze button if they arent ready. I’m a little suspicious of those spots though. They lead me to think over watering…Good luck 💚🌱
@Azplantchic I got it from the store two weeks ago. The spots were on it when I bought it 🤷♀️ I know Greg is a reminder/suggestion, but my concern is that I’m very inexperienced with succulents. These are my very first succulents, so I don’t know when to water them like I do with my tropical plants.
@FairyFly it definitely has very small roots, and not a lot of roots. It was in a similar sized pot, but I repotted it to a terracotta pot and amended the soil with perlite. I’m just kind of confused by it showing signs of thirst only after one week. But then again, it’s very dry where it’s sitting—30~45% and it’s on a south west window right on the window sil. I also has a grow light when the sun goes down. So when I water, I shouldn’t soak? Instead give it some water?
@Propa it’s a golden sedum. Does it require more water than other succulents? It’s quite dry where it lives—30~45ish humidity. There’s also a fan (not on or pointed at it) in the room. It’s on a south west window sil, and has a grow light for when the sun sets early. The soil is succulent soil plus perlite. I haven’t fertilized. I can wait a few days and water? I’m scared of underwatering 😵💫
@OrangeGrass alot of great advice has been given here💚 have you picked the pot up when it was watered and felt how heavy it was, and then picked it up when it was totally dry and felt how light it was? That’s another good indicator of when to water a lot of the time. Wrinkled leaves are another good indicator of needing some water too. When amending the soil with perlite it dries out faster and will need more water. I like to get squeeze bottles and just top them off if I notice they are a little bit thirsty🥰 I just had a seller send me some succ’s that didn’t even have stems and I’m working on rooting those at the moment, and they’re requiring a lot of moisture to get the roots going. So those guys and my pots of babies are getting water every few days right now as the heaters are also sucking all the moisture out of the soil. My mature succ’s that are overwintering in the office with no fans, humidifiers, and just a few grow lights can go several weeks before I have to water them right now. It really depends on the environment they’re in. Winter can be tough, heaters are hard on the plants and cause us to have to water a lot more often than normal 🤦♀️ and if I remember right the more often you tell Greg that you have watered, I think the more it learns your habits and schedule💚
@Propa Gotcha! I have picked it up when it was watered (it had weight to it) vs now where it topples over if the ground shakes or if it’s pushed ever so slightly, lol. I think it needs water regardless of what the usual needs are for most succulents. You are right in that my environment is going to affect what my plant needs vs what I’ve read and heard what they need in general. The leaves are quite pliable and feel thin.
You're doing good @OrangeGrass. I think of the watering for small root systems a bit like snacking vs a big meal. When they're small give them lots of small "snacks" but as the root system gets bigger you can space it out more and give "meals". As I type it out it sounds stupid lol. Always check the soil first though. I say, if the soil in the middle is dry, leaves are pliable and wrinkly, and it otherwise looks good, water it and mark it. You got this friend!
And @OrangeGrass don't worry so much about underwatering. They're meant for that. I'm scared of over watering so I err on the side of under.
@OrangeGrass you’re doing great 😊 I can see you’re paying close attention and your plant baby is in great hands! If it was my succ id give a little water and see how it responds. Then in about 5 days check it again and see how it feels. 💚
I keep a thorough watering journal for all my succulents, & I have some that want water every 5-7 days, usually smaller ones & a couple certain species.. Humidity, sunlight, indoor/outdoor, zones are going to be different for all of us but you’re asking all the right questions! What the plant is showing you is definitely signs of thirst, succulents are resilient, so, even if you do wait a couple more days to water, it will bounce back ☺️ when in absolute doubt, wait to water!
@FairyFly Your explanation makes ALL the sense! Thank you so much! The smaller ones definitely do need snacks and not meals—I’ve killed a bunch giving them meals instead of snacks (lesson learned). Yeah, I gotta stop worrying about underwatering succulents 😂 it’s just such a new experience to me 🙈
@Propa I did give it a little bit of water. Tysm 💗 What should I be looking out for? Leaves not being wrinkly?
@Artistic_Stoner I started a watering log—thank you for the idea! It’s definitely going to help me be at ease. I had one prop dry out on me, so I’m being paranoid. I didn’t even understand what I did wrong. I also touched one of mine that has fat leaves, and it would not bend. This one has thin leaves. I gave it a little bit of water. I didn’t soak it. Idk if that’s the right thing to do, but hey this is my first time caring for succs!
@OrangeGrass absolutely no problem, I have over 70 succulents so it’s really hard to remember how long between waterings it’s been cause I don’t have mine on a schedule. I water when I see signs & I make sure the top soil never stays wet for more then 3 days max to prevent rot. You got this though, I know you do! 🤍
@OrangeGrass Wrinkly leaves like this are a sign she’s thirsty. Give her a sip. This Sedum should have firm foliage. Give her a sip from the bottom and wait four days. If she’s not plump enough, give her another sip to get her back to normal. She’s showing a color change which is either a water stress or light stress - maybe both . Go ahead and give her a butt chug and see how she looks in a few days. Greg recommends but it’s all based on your exact location’s clinate and the one in your home that you’ve created for your plants. Good luck! 🌿
I always check the plants and the soil before watering regardless of what the app suggests. Sometimes I’ll skip a cycle and edit the last watered date and vice versa. If the soil is dry I’ll water sooner than recommended and change the date. Greg will adjust the watering schedule based on the input provided