Succulents are not like most other plants. So naturally, if you try to water them like other plants, especially other house plants, they aren’t going to survive! Thats why is important to know how to water succulent plants.

However, this doesn’t mean you can neglect them completely.

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These two extremes are what make it seem like succulents are hard to grow. But with this simple watering method, about how to water the succulent plants you’ll be able to give you succulents enough water to thrive.

Keep a record

One of the best pieces of advice I can give you to help your succulents succeed and to help you get your watering schedule “just right” is to record when you’ve watered.

Knowing when you’ve watered last will help answer a lot of questions about whether or not it’s time to water again.

There’s a lot of great ways to keep track of this — pen and paper, excel spreadsheet, notes on your phone — but my favorite way is to use the Succulent Tracker app (Apple | Android). It allows you to easily record each time you water, shows your watering history for each plant, reminds you when it’s time to water, and allows you to keep a photo history of the plant too.

The best way to water succulents is with the “soak and dry” method. Soak the soil completely then let the soil dry out completely before watering again. And make sure the succulents are in a well draining soil in a pot with a drainage hole (more on that in a minute).

Pretty simple, right? See this method in action:

For indoor succulents, it is generally best if water doesn’t get on top of the leaves. If it sits on a leaf for too long it can cause rot.

Use a small spout watering can (this one is fantastic) or a squeeze bottle (like the one in this super handy tool kit).

This isn’t as much of an issue for outdoor succulents because there is more airflow and the water will dry out quicker.

If possible, just pour water onto the soil around your succulents until it is completely soaked. DO NOT water your succulents again until the soil has dried out — from the top of the pot to the bottom.

Succulents do not like to sit in wet soil for more than 2-3 days.