That time I watered my succulents every day for 6 months before realizing

I got really into succulents last spring. Bought like 15 of them from a nursery in Denver and set up a whole shelf in my apartment. I watered them every single morning because I thought they needed constant moisture like my other houseplants. After 4 months they all got mushy and brown and I couldn't figure out why. My roommate finally asked why I had a watering schedule for desert plants. I felt so dumb. Has anyone else killed a bunch of plants before learning their basic care?

3 comments

3 Comments

nancy8172d ago

I mean I gotta say I see it a little differently than most people here. Your succulents got mushy because you drowned them, sure, but honestly a lot of people underwater their succulents too and they get all shriveled and sad. I killed a whole batch of echeveria last year because I was so scared of overwatering that I only gave them a tiny sip once a month and they basically dried up from the roots up. The real trick is to just stick your finger in the soil and feel if it's bone dry an inch down, then give them a good soak until water runs out the bottom. I think we all learn the hard way with plants, nobody reads the tag or looks up the care until half the collection is dead.

lindal132d ago

oh man, i did the exact same thing with my haworthia last winter. i was so paranoid about root rot i barely gave them any water for like 4 months and they just turned into crispy little husks. now i just water everything once a week during growing season but i always check the soil first. if my finger comes out dry and dusty i soak them good, if it's still damp i wait. honestly the finger test is the only way to go, those moisture meters are garbage in my experience. succulents are tougher than people think, they can handle a good drink as long as the soil drains fast and you don't let them sit in water.

logan_ellis1d ago

I had the exact same problem with my jade plant a couple years back. I was so scared of overwatering after reading all those horror stories online that I went the other way and barely gave it a tablespoon of water every two weeks. The leaves started dropping off and getting these weird brown spots, and I thought it was some disease. Turned out the roots were just bone dry and the plant was basically starving. Now I use a wooden chopstick instead of my finger since my pots are deep and my fingers are short, but same idea. I stick it all the way down, and if it comes out clean and dry I give it a full soak. I think people get too caught up in strict schedules or rules and forget that plants are living things that need different things at different times.