Debra's Succulent Q&A

Find Answers to Your Questions About Succulents

About This Q&A Page ...

Many readers have questions about growing and caring for succulents, and I often get asked similar questions many times. On this page, I've pulled together answers to many of the common questions. There are also answers to questions about interesting, unusual or good-to-know topics. I've sorted them by topic area for your convenience but I encourage you to browse through them all; you never know what you might learn!

The Basics
Common questions most beginners ask
Watering
How much is too much?
Propagation
Make new plants from old

Soil & Amendments
Happy roots = happy plants
Pests & Problems
Bugs, burns and bites
Floral Arrangements, Centerpieces & Crafts
DIY craft projects & floral designs

For detailed FAQs on all succulent topics, see the Succulent Care Basics page.

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Debra's 7 best succulents

In this free PDF exclusively for subscribers to my "Celebrating the Joy of Succulents" newsletter, you'll learn the 7 best easy-care succulents that thrive in pots and landscapes. Whether you're new to growing succulents or an experienced succulent "parent", you'll love these 7 beautiful plants.

Succulent Basics

Portulacaria afra 'Minima', Echeveria agavoides 'Lipstick' (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Where should a succulent newcomer start?

Do succulents even need their roots?

Which succulents contain harmful sap?

How can I handle or work around agaves with sharp points?

How do you remove tiny cactus spines from skin?

Are any succulents edible?

What do I do when a succulent's rosettes, over time, sit atop tall, thick stems?

I notice that most succulents shown on this website are out West in Arizona, California and other areas. I live in South Georgia where it’s hot and humid. Can I grow these in my area too?

Great question! It’s challenging for you to grow most of these plants in anything but a climate-controlled greenhouse. The problem is not the heat but humidity, dampness and summer rainfall. These are dry-climate plants adapted to living off the moisture in their leaves during periods of drought. They don’t know what to do with excess moisture. Pests and problems set in—like fungus, mildew and rot.

There are, however, tropical succulents that you might try—such as hoya—but even those won’t be able to handle your cold winters.

But I’m no expert in the horticulture of South Georgia. The best things to do is to talk to members of your closest Cactus & Succulent Society chapter, observe what’s growing in neighbor’s gardens, and see what’s available in local nurseries.

Watering Succulents

Floral style succulent arrangement in art pot (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

What's the best way to water succulents?

How much water should I give at each watering?

How often should I water succulents?

About once a week should do it.

Water more during hot, dry spells and less or not at all during periods of high humidity, cool temperatures, or rain.

Also, the fatter the succulent or the fleshier its leaves, the more water it stores in its tissues and the less often it needs to be watered (and the less water it will tolerate).

Cacti in general are less tolerant of overwatering than smooth-leaved succulents; water them less often.

What should I do if I've overwatered my succulent?

Do all containers need drainage? Can I grow succulents in a container without drainage?

Ideally, succulents should be grow in a container that has a drainage hole. However, that isn’t always possible, and using only pots that have holes in them limits your creative design options. If a container lacks drainage, succulent roots may rot from sitting in water. So give plants very little—barely enough to keep the roots hydrated. If they do go completely dry, they’re still better off than being overwatered.

The weather forecast is predicting a lot of rain. Should I be concerned? How do I protect tmy succulents from too much rain?

Visit the Watering page

Propagating Succulents

How do I take succulent cuttings and plant them?

How long should you wait before planting succulent cuttings?

Can you start succulents from leaves?

What's better, using cuttings from succulents or starting with rooted plants?

Does it hurt a succulent to take cuttings?

How soon do you water cuttings?

How do I take and plant cuttings from a succulent that has aerial roots?

So many stem succulents produce aerial roots, it’s difficult to generalize, but if you keep in mind that roots want to be in the ground, that’ll help.

Although the rule of thumb is to only cut as much stem as needed for the cutting to stand upright when planted, I sometimes will dig a shallow trench and lay a longer cutting that’s feathered with aerial roots into it, root side down, then bury it with the rosette at the tip above the soil.

As with most succulents, it's always a good idea to let it callous before planting (although not the end of the world if you forget)!

Visit the Propagation page

Soil & Planting Advice for Succulents

Pot-bound succulent (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

How do you neutralize salts that have built up in the soil?

You recommended Ironite for in-ground succulents. All my succulents are in pots. Do they need Ironite as well?

Visit the Soil & Amendments page

Succulent Pests & Problems

Dry lower leaves on succulent (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

I have squirrels chewing on my succulents. Any advice?

If you live in an area where predators like coyotes are kept out (like a gated community), bunnies and squirrels may be prolific. Some measures that can help include:

Installing an owl box;
dusting the plants with crushed red chilis or
spraying a squirrel repellent.

Also there are solar- and battery-powered electronic devices that emit a high-frequency sound that repels squirrels and the like. This one, for about $30 on Amazon, can be set for cats, dogs, skunks, squirrels and raccoons.

How do I stop those insidious weeds from growing underneath the spines and between the ridges of my golden barrel cactus?

Around the bases of barrels I spread “pre-emergent,” a granular herbicide that prevents weeds from germinating. (One brand is Preen.) You have to apply it before the rains, because once weeds sprout, it’s too late. I wouldn’t be without it.

As to its environmental impact, I checked with the director of horticulture at the San Diego Botanic Garden, and he’s fine with it, in fact, they use it too. But if you're concerned, try a natural alternative like corn gluten. It's not as effective and takes more applications, but it can help prevent many weeds from germinating.

If you already have weeds, extract them with long-handled tweezers, a hand weeder with a V-shaped metal tip, or—recommended by the Ruth Bancroft Garden for weeding around cactus—a Stainless Steel Fish Hook Remover Extractor, around $8 on Amazon.

Why are the tips on my aloes turning brown?

Leaf tip desiccation is usually an aftermath of frost or scorching sun. It can also be related to under-watering…the plant can’t manage to pump water all the way to the tips (not enough hydraulic pressure).

Succulent tip browning is not caused by overwatering…that’s when the core rots, not the tips.

Some species are prone to leaf-tip desiccation, especially spotted ones (A. maculata and hybrids) and IMHO the way the dry tips curl looks kind of cool.

If you don't like the look, you can cut off the dried up tips. When trimming any pointed succulent leaf (including agaves), make two cuts to create an outward-pointing “V,” so the cut isn’t as noticeable as straight across

Visit the Pests & Problems page

Floral Arrangements, Centerpieces & Succulent Crafts

Succulents in silver floral style combo (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

How do you care for a floral-style succulent arrangement?

I'm making a succulent centerpiece for an upcoming event. How much time before the event should I plant my succulents?

It depends on what you’re making and the time of year (succulents root faster in the spring), but you could pot them 2-3 weeks prior. This will give them sufficient time to recover and root so that they are thriving and looking gorgeous on the day of the event.

Just make sure they get adequate light so they keep their color and form. Without several hours of bright (not hot) sun daily, rosette succulents will flatten and those with stems will elongate, potentially spoiling the symmetry of the composition. However, cuttings are also more prone to sunburn, which could be disastrous.

If this is more of a floral arrangement than a potted one, I’d wait until immediately prior. Cuttings don’t need to root to look good, they’ll be at peak color and best form, and they'll have enough moisture in their tissues so they don’t wilt. They’re fine without soil so you don’t have to deal with wet dirt and saucers under pots at the event. Plus, they weigh less too.

Can You ID My Succulent?

The volume of email I receive makes this difficult. The good news is I'm working on website pages for each genus. Here are the types of succulents I've covered so far (with lots of photos and labels for each plant with full details):

Moreover, the hundreds of succulents shown in my books are ID'd in the captions.

There's a lot of inaccuracies about succulents online, but San Marcos Growers site is a reliable one for IDs and descriptions.

MORE INFORMATION...

Companion plants (those with similar cultivation requirements as succulents) have an entire chapter in Designing with Succulents.

Practical aspects of landscaping are covered in Designing with Succulents (except for complexities best left to architects and contractors: structures, grading, retaining walls, irrigation installation, water features, etc.)

Learn about exceptional public and private succulent gardens, what's trending in container garden design, my own gardening experiences, and interviews with succulent experts and designers in succulent articles here on my website.

Please subscribe to my newsletter (click "Sign me up!" below), "like" my Facebook pages (Debra Lee Baldwin author and Succulent Container Gardens), follow me on Instagram (@debralbaldwin) and enjoy the 100+ videos on my YouTube channel.

In San Diego or planning a visit? See my list of San Diego succulent destinations and nurseries.

For specific advice regarding succulents that thrive in your area and how to care for them, contact your local chapter of the Cactus & Succulent Society of America.

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