How to Grow Healthy Succulents: 5 Tips You can find them in home design magazines, as elaborate wedding centerpieces, and even on Instagram. Presently, sansevieria trifasciata varieties seem to be all the rage. There is no truth to the proclamation that succulents are easy to grow. There are times when it makes sense, but it takes a little mental adjustment. Consider the constant sun, monsoon-like downpours, and the boomerang temperature changes that are characteristic of desert days if you wish to have more success.

You can use these tips to figure out why the jade is dropping leaves or how to keep the sedum from becoming wrinklier, even with regular waterings. We have listed five of the most common mistakes succulent newcomers make, along with tips for success.

Giving Them Not Enough Light
Indoors, natural light is the most challenging environmental variable to mimic. In the case of common houseplants, we have it easier. They are native to tropical jungles and are accustomed to the shifting periods of shading and sunlight in your home. Essentially, that's what happens when the sun moves over a forest canopy.

But if a plant used to spending twelve hours in the sun is placed on a south-facing sill, it is destined to die. If you have no south-facing windows, choose a more forgiving succulent like aloe. Otherwise, go with a pothos that can withstand neglect.

Not Understanding Their Watering Needs
It rains little in the Chihuahuan Desert, just a drop in the bucket compared to the lush green landscapes we all know. Despite this, when it rains in the desert, it pours. Try to imitate the rain patterns native to the desert-dweller's habitat if you wish to make it happy. Don't just trickle water down your cacti; let it run.

It is very important to soak succulents (and, indeed, all plants for that matter) until the water runs out of the bottom of the pot. Let the soil dry completely before watering succulents.

Choosing a Standard Potting Soil
Most potted plants come in a standard soil mix that can be used for plants of all types, from ferns to fiddle-leaf figs. Succulents can withstand one of the most extreme environments on Earth, which means the soil recommended for potting plants won't work for them.

Change the soil in your succulent baby once it is home to a desert-dweller mix, combining half potting soil with inorganics like perlite. If your succulents are accustomed to flourishing on high and dry Andean slopes, or on top of the broiling Death Valley bottomlands, this super-draining, low-nutrient soil can work wonders for them.

Overcrowding Them
These cute little dishes tend to be placed cheek by jowl with succulents. Including succulents, few plants thrive in such an arrangement. Overcrowding is one of the best ways to promote mold and insect infestations.

Second, succulents do very well on very little, but they still require food and water. A lot of competition will probably result in them losing out. Whenever you grow succulents in a group arrangement, carefully pluck each succulent out so they have their own mini desert dune.

Growing Impractical Types
Please do not grow saguaros indoors, even though it's so hard to resist. Despite their pretty flowers and beguiling forms, some things are just not meant to be controlled. Stick to those tough little cookies that will accept the windowsill as home.

You might also want to look into the genus Crossula if you are working with indoor conditions, and Sansevieria (AKA) if that is what you have in mind. snake plant). Another excellent choice if you're looking for a prickly plant companion is the Mammillaria cactus (named for their woolly hairs, see above).