Succulents are a group of plants that store water in their stems, roots and thick, fleshy leaves. They come in a dazzling array of shapes, sizes, and colours and need little care, which is probably the reason they are so popular.

While they do need water to survive, they can endure extended periods of drought by relying on the stored water and nutrients in their leaves. If their roots are sitting in water for too long they will start to rot and die.

Most succulents prefer warm temperatures and are not able to cope with freezing. Due to the water stored in their leaves, freezing will often result in the plant dying or getting mushy leaves. Some species of sedums and sempervivums are able to withstand temperatures below freezing, although they are still better off in warmer temperatures.

While cactus are by definition succulents, they are often referred to separately from other succulents.  In order for a succulent plant to be considered a cactus, the plant must have areoles. Areoles are small, round, cushion-like mounds of flesh where spines, hair, leaves, flowers, and more grow from the cactus. Areoles are only present on cacti, not all succulents.

Succulents prefer to be watered from the base, avoiding contact with the leaves. Misting or getting the leaves wet can cause rot and can discolour the leaves. Generally as a rule, try to let the soil dry out a bit between watering. Once every two weeks or so during the summer is plenty. Reduce this to every few weeks over the winter. Be careful not to let the roots sit in a pool of water as the plants will rot. This is quite easy to do especially with the smaller planters and ones without drainage holes.

There is no exact science to it but you will quickly learn how much each plant requires with a bit of practice and experimentation.

Succulents need bright sunlight (up to 6 hours a day) so make sure you put them on a sunny windowsill or greenhouse. Indirect lighting will require a lot less water. Although they do need a lot of sunlight they can burn if moved too quickly into full sunlight. Our succulents are green house grown so it’s best to increase the light levels slowly to avoid any sun damage to the plant.

Succulents need a free draining soil. We create our own mix of peat free potting soil, grit and pearlite which we send with all our succulents.

Although some succulents and cacti are hardy, most will need to be brought in for the winter months. Reduce watering to once every few weeks when growth slows in the autumn. Hardier plants left in the green house will tolerate the cold much more than having wet roots. Often they need little to no water all winter.

See our how to article on pests and diseases