About

Succulent Care is a free informational resource about growing succulents. The guides are written for beginners: people with one or two potted plants on a windowsill who want to understand what the plant needs and why, in plain language.

What the site covers

• Basics: a starting guide, plants that are forgiving for beginners, common mistakes, fertilizing and keeping plants clean.
• Watering: how to decide when to water by checking the soil, and how to tell the signs of too much water from the signs of too little.
• Light: how much light succulents need, why they stretch, and how to move a plant into brighter light gradually.
• Soil and pots: gritty mixes, choosing a pot, drainage holes, repotting and checking roots.
• Problems: yellow leaves, leaf drop, root rot and pests, with the checks that help narrow down a cause.
• Indoor care: keeping succulents inside all year, and what to do before you go away.
• Plant guides: care notes for individual plants such as echeveria, jade plant and haworthia.
• Seasonal care: dormancy and looking after succulents in winter.

If you are new to succulents, begin with Succulent Care for Beginners. From there, the most useful next reads are How to Water Succulents, Succulent Light Requirements and Succulent Soil. If a plant already looks unwell, go to Common Succulent Problems. Every guide is listed on the Guides page.

How the guides are written

No universal watering schedules. You will not find “water every so many days” here. How often a succulent needs water depends on the species, the size and material of the pot, the soil, the light it gets, the season and the conditions in your home. The guides explain what to check, such as whether the soil has dried through, so you can decide for your own plant.

Problems are explained as possibilities. The same symptom can have several causes. A yellow leaf may point to too much water, too little light, or simply an old leaf being shed. The guides list the likely causes and the checks that help you tell them apart. They cannot diagnose a plant with certainty from a description, and they do not claim to.

The illustrations are original drawings. The pictures on this site are illustrations drawn for the guides. They are not photographs of real plants. They are there to show an idea, such as where water should drain or what a stretched stem looks like, and a real plant will look different in its details.

Tools, soils and other supplies are described by type and not by brand, so you can use what you already have or can find locally.

Plant safety and sources

• Pet toxicity statements name their source. When a guide says a plant is listed as toxic or non-toxic to pets, it names where that comes from and links to it, such as the ASPCA list of toxic and non-toxic plants. Check the list yourself for the exact plant you own, because common names are shared by different plants.
• “Listed as non-toxic” does not mean “edible”. A plant that is listed as non-toxic can still upset a stomach if it is eaten, and no guide on this site suggests eating any part of a plant.
• If a pet or a child eats part of a plant, contact a veterinarian, a doctor or a poison control service right away. Do not wait for symptoms, and do not rely on this site.
• Follow the product label. When a guide mentions a pesticide, a fertilizer or another product, the label on the product you bought is the instruction to follow, including its directions on dilution, protective gear, ventilation and keeping it away from children and pets.
• General information only. The guides are general information. They are not professional horticultural, veterinary or medical advice.

What you can rely on

• We do not publish invented reviews, ratings or testimonials.
• We do not claim credentials, awards or qualifications.
• We do not guarantee results. Plants are living things, and one can decline even when it is cared for well.
• Time estimates in the guides are approximate.

Corrections and suggestions

If something in a guide is unclear, looks wrong or links to a page that no longer works, please tell us through the Contact page. Mention the name of the guide and the section so the problem can be found quickly. Corrections are always welcome.