How to Water Cactus and Succulent Gardens

Whether indoors or out, more cactus and succulent plants are killed with kindness than with neglect. Overwatering is the number-one cause of death for these hardy plants. It can easily be avoided by following a few important steps.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Garden Hoses
• Potting Soil
• Water Meter
• Watering Cans

1. Use a fast-draining potting soil, such as a cactus mix, when planting succulents and cactus plants. Fast-draining soil mix usually contains sand, crushed brick or volcanic rock.

2. Use your finger or a water meter to check if the soil is completely dry. Water only when the top inch of the soil feels dry to the touch.

3. Water thoroughly when you do water. It is important that the water reaches all the way down to the root zone. Infrequent deep watering is preferred over frequent shallow watering.

4. Give a desert-dwelling cactus a rest period, usually during the winter months. Move the plant to a cool location (40 degrees F) and water bimonthly. The plant will let you know when the rest period is over by improved appearance and a spurt of new growth. (If the plant is forest-dwelling, such as a Christmas cactus, continue watering throughout the year.)

5. Resume normal watering once the rest period is over.

Tips & Warnings

• Find out if your plant is native to the desert or forest, so you'll know how to water it correctly.
• These techniques apply to potted plants as well as to those that grow outdoors.

[danipakistani]

on 4/18/2009 it should be watered only once of twice in the winter time

[debraleebaldwin]

on 1/27/2009 A rule of thumb: The thicker a succulent's leaves, the more moisture it stores, and the more susceptible it will be to rot if overwatered.---Debra Lee Baldwin, author, "Designing with Succulents" (Timber Press, 2007) and "Succulent Container Gardens" (2010)