One of the unique characteristics of succulent plants is that they retain water in their leaves, stems, and roots. This makes them resilient to drought and neglect, and it is no doubt one of the reasons why succulents are popular all over the world.
However, their strength can sometimes turn into their weakness. Because they already have water in their “body”, they do not need as much of it as most other plants do. Logically, they are more prone to overwatering than other plants, especially for people who do not have much experience with growing them. The problem only escalates with baby succulents. In my experience, young succulents easily get affected by over-watering, and they may die as a result.
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A simple answer to watering schedule for baby succulents does not exist
Optimal watering frequency of baby succulents depends on the moisture in the soil. If it takes two weeks for the soil to dry, then water the succulents after two weeks. If it takes two days for the soil to dry, give your plants some water to drink after two days.
What I try to say here is that if you want to make sure your baby succulents do not die before they have a chance to grow into beauty, you should always check the soil before watering them. And water them only if the soil is completely dry.
My tips on watering baby succulents
For years, I tried different watering strategies. Unfortunately, I made a lot of mistakes and many of my succulents died as a result. But now I know what to do, and I have discovered the best watering technique for baby succulents–the soak and dry method. When watering, make sure to soak the soil not the leaves and stems of the plant.
Most succulent varieties do not like to be watered from the top. If you want to give them a quick bath, make sure that your succulent plants love it. Also, when watering, make sure to soak the soil and drain the excess water. When the excess water sticks at the bottom of the pot, roots will start to rot and you are just a step away from seeing your beloved succulent dying.
I suggest you to always use a pot with a drainage hole, a fast-draining soil designed specifically for succulents (such as this one). A soil mix like this does not retain too much water, and that’s the key for successful growth of a baby succulent. At the end of the day, you should also use your intuition. If the soil is wet, or if it is rainy outside, if there is a lot of moisture in the air, more likely than not the baby succulents do not need water…
Signs of overwatering in succulents
Knowing the basic symptoms of excessive water in succulents will help you make sure you do not kill your small plants. Here are the signs you should watch for, especially with baby succulents:
- Soft and mushy leaves. In most cases, the leaves become mushy and shriveled, because they absorbed too much water. Although succulents already have water stored in their leaves, stems, and roots, they tend to absorb more water when given more to drink. Unfortunately, it will only cause harm to the plants. If you are a total beginner, you’ll have no idea what this means. When I just started with succulents I had no clue what was going on, and killed some of my baby succulents. I hope you will avoid the same mistake!
- Blackening of leaves. Another sign of over-watering in baby succulents is the blackening of theit leaves. This essentially means that too much water already affecting the system of the plant. Blackening usually starts at the center of the plant and then moves to the tips of the leaves. It is actually cause by fungal infection, but if you did not over-watered the plants, fungus would have no chance of threatening them.
- Leaves start dropping. Leaves of the baby succulent will drop when overwatering has already taken its toll. In such a case it is enough to touch the leaves for them to drop. Underwatering also causes leaves to drop. The only difference is that in underwatering, the bottom leaves will fall first. Also, the leaves are dried brown and shriveled, which isn’t the case with over-waterting.
Signs of under-watering in baby succulents
When we grow, we need food and water. Plants are no different to humans here, and especially when they are young, and just trying to grow their roots and establish themselves in a way in the pot. The situation gets more tricky with succulents, however, since finding the good balance with water is not easy. Anyway, if you spot two of the symptoms below, and the soil is dry, chances are high your baby succulents need more water:
- Shriveled leaves. When baby succulents are under-watered their leaves start to shrivel and become wrinkled. Then they start to look wilted and droopy as the lack of water supply continues.
- Drying of leaves. The drying of leaves is a common indicator of under-watering in plants in general. The drying of leaves starts at the bottom part of the plant. This is because the bottom leaves are the first to detect the shortage of the water supply.
- Deflated leaves. The leaves feel soft and flat. You’ll also notice that they lose firmness.
As a grower, you need to find a balance and give just enough water to your baby succulents. Too much or too little of it is always dangerous. Just like baby animals or human babies are more prone to all sorts of things, it is easier to lose a baby succulent to bad watering than to lose an adult plant. Keep it on your mind and proceed carefully.
Final thoughts
Baby succulents have certain needs. Giving them too little or too much water can have an impact on their health. The best watering strategy is to follow the moisture of the soil, and not some calendar or strict schedule. Once the soil dries completely, it is a right time to water the succulents. In an ideal case you should monitor the moisture daily, because each plant is unique and while some of your baby succulents may still have wet soil, others may be completely dry and need water… I hope this helps you to figure out how to water your baby succulents, and thank you for reading :).
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