Everyone’s been there. You get a new plant, give it a name, water it, and watch it grow…only for it to die a couple weeks later. This can be especially frustrating with succulents, which have earned the reputation of being pretty hard to kill. If cactus after cactus has perished in your dorm, here’s your guide to making sure the next one thrives!
First of all, do some research if you need to! If you know exactly what kind of plant it is, that’s even better. However, if you don’t, there are lots of helpful guides online with pictures so you can identify your new friend. Since most succulents require a lot of sunlight, the only thing you need to figure out is when to water it.
A good rule of thumb for succulents is to start off watering every two weeks. When you’re watering, you should see the water quickly get absorbed into the soil through the plants roots; keep adding water until the plant stops absorbing it and you should be good for the next two weeks!
However, if you see your plant is getting stiff and its leaves are breaking off, that means you need more water, either more frequent watering or more water when you do water it. Keep experimenting to see what helps. If the leaves look like they’re drooping and withering, that means you’re using too much water.
Sunlight is key, especially for succulents. If you live somewhere that rarely gets sun, you may be out of luck unless you want to invest in lamps specifically made for plants that need more sunlight.
Another important thing to keep an eye on is whether or not your plants need a bigger pot. Succulents that outgrow their pots will eventually die. Repotting isn’t too difficult—just make sure you’re checking on your plants every few weeks to ensure they don’t look like they’re outgrowing their pots.
Last but not least, don’t be afraid to get into propagation! Succulents are one of the easier types of plants to propagate. If you happen to break a leaf off, treat it the same way you would a full plant. Give it some water every once in a while, and set it out in the sun. Provided it broke off at the stem, you’ll start to see a new plant grow out of the leaf, which you can now plant!
With your newly propagated plants, you can quickly grow your collection and you’ll have a plethora of healthy succulents in no time!