Caring For Your Hard To Kill Succulent
Your Hard to Kill succulent is one of our most resilient varieties, perfect if you are new to plants or tend to forget about them. Here is how to pot it up and keep it going.
- Light Bright, 4 to 6 hours a day
- Water Every 2 to 4 weeks, or less
- Soil The hand-mixed bag in your box
- Care level Very forgiving
Potting Your Bare Root Succulent
Your succulent arrives bare root, without soil, so it travels safely. Potting it up takes about five minutes.
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Unwrap it
Take your succulent out of its wrap. A little soil left on the roots is fine. If any roots look dried up or broken, snip them off with clean scissors.
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Pot it up
Fill your pot about two-thirds full with the hand-mixed soil from your box. Sit the plant in the middle, spread its roots out, then add soil until it is level with the base of the leaves. Press gently so it stands up on its own.
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Wait a few days
Leave it dry for 3 to 5 days so any little bumps to the roots can heal. Keep it somewhere bright but out of harsh midday sun while it settles in.
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Give it a first drink
Water slowly until the soil is evenly damp, then let it dry out completely before watering again. From now on, follow the watering tips below.
Watering
Use the soak and dry method: only water when the soil is bone-dry all the way through, not just on the surface. For most succulents that is every 2 to 4 weeks, and less in winter when they grow slowly.
If your pot has no drainage hole, use just enough water to dampen the soil so the roots never sit in water.
Light
Give it bright, indirect light for about 4 to 6 hours a day. A windowsill or a spot near a bright window is perfect.
If you move it somewhere sunnier, do it gradually over a week or two so the leaves do not scorch.
Forgetful? Good.
Succulents store water in their leaves, so missing a watering is far safer than giving too much. When in doubt, wait another week.
What's Wrong With My Plant?
- Soft, mushy or see-through leaves
- Too much water. Let the soil dry out completely and water less often.
- Wrinkly, shrivelled leaves
- It is thirsty. Give it a good drink, then go back to soak and dry.
- Growing tall with gaps between the leaves
- It needs more light. Move it somewhere brighter.
- Brown, crispy patches
- Sunburn from sudden strong sun. Move it out of harsh midday light; new growth will be fine.
- Bottom leaves drying up
- Normal. Older leaves at the base dry up as the plant grows. Gently pull them off.
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