Where do succulents come from?
Most succulents come from deserts where they survive by collecting water when it is available and storing it.
There are more than seven thousand different species and they can be found in the wild in all continents but they, like us humans, are believed to have originated in Africa.
A common misconception
Succulents and cacti are spoken of as if they were two different species of plants while actually: All cacti are succulents but not all succulents are cacti.
With succulents, as with many other plants, over-watering is much worse than under-watering.
Keep in mind that they evolved to survive long droughts and always wait until the soil is totally dry before watering.
If your succulent is planted in a plastic pot within another pot:
1) Remove from the outer pot.
2) Run water over soil avoiding the leaves.
3) Wait until water is fully drained to replace in outer pot.
4) Wait a few hours and remove any excess water that might have pooled in outer pot.
If your succulent is planted directly in a pot without drainage holes:
1) Make sure you use very little water.
2) Pour water evenly over soil avoiding the leaves.
3) Make sure that the soil is damp, not wet.
4) If you use too much water by mistake, try squeezing the soil to remove excess and leave the pot sideways so it can drain for a few hours. Succulents like open, draining soil so make sure it is not compressed after removing excess water.
We suggest adding some gravel or sand at the bottom of your pot to ensure that your succulent is never waterlogged.
While succulents prefer highly lit spaces - keep in mind that they come from deserts - most of them don’t require a lot of sunlight to do well. They won’t be happy in dark rooms.
A few succulents can resist snowfalls, however, all of them will do well during the winter if kept inside. They should be watered much less during colder months if kept in an unheated room. If kept in a heated room, they will need the same amount of watering throughout the year.
Are succulents seasonal?
From April to September, most succulents are in growing season. This means they will require some more water and a monthly feeding. We recommend using a liquid houseplant or cacti feed.
If your succulent starts to look too large for its little pot, you will have to repot it. Make sure you purchase cacti compost and a pot that is only slightly larger than the one your succulent is in.
From September to March, succulents enter a resting period in which they will require minimal watering.
Warning signs that your succlent is unwell
Blisters, rot, softness are signs of overwatering.
If your succulent seems to be shrivelling it means you are not watering it enough.
Patches on the surface will indicate that your succulent is getting lower temperatures than it can handle.
White patches on stems and leaves indicate pests, potential candidates are: mealybug,red spider mite and scale insects. Rubbing the leaves with alcohol will help get rid of insects while doing minimal damage to the succulent.
Pet and child safe
Succulents are safe around dogs, cats, children and anyone else that might nibble them, excluding spiky cacti of course.
You can shop our range of succulents and small houseplants here.