Can an overwatered succulent be saved? How do you treat an overwatered succulent? Check this guide for the answers.
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If you’ve overwatered your succulent, it may be time to rescue the plant. But how do you know when a succulent is in trouble? Continue reading to find out the signs of an overwatered succulent, how to save it and how to prevent overwatering in the future.
Signs of an overwatered succulent
Watch for signs of overwatering:
- Leaves are yellow, brownish or white
- Succulent is droopy
- Plant is shrinking
- It has a white crusty texture
- Leaves have brown tips
- Succulent is soft and mushy
If your succulent is showing any of these signs, it is best to stop watering and wait a week or two and see if it bounces back.
If after a few weeks the succulent is still not displaying signs of improvement, it is best to start over with a new, clean pot and new soil.
In case you find that you are watering your succulents too often, then you can use this trick to extend the time between watering: when you water your succulents, put only a small amount of water into the pot. Allow the soil to dry out slightly and then water again.
The less water you put into the soil, the longer it will take for the soil to dry out and the longer you can go between watering.
How to Save an Overwatered Succulent Plant
For those who are wondering how to water an overwatered succulent, you have come to the right place.
If you have an over-watered succulent and want to save it, the first thing you need to do is to stop watering it. Water will continue to seep into its roots and the soil will continue to hold onto the water.
Here are the steps to save an overwatered succulent:
Step 1. Remove affected leaves and rotted parts
You should start by removing the affected leaves
First, remove all of the succulent leaves which are turning brown. This process should be done carefully to avoid accidentally damaging any healthy growth. If you are trying to save an over-watered succulent, this step is critical because it will stop the rot from spreading and help prevent future infections caused by mold or fungus.
Remove as much rotted material as possible until you get down to solid, firm tissue.
If your succulent is starting to lose its stems, you can remove the rotted parts by cutting off the outer layer of the stem. Then clean the affected area with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. This will help kill any existing mold or fungus and reduce the risk of future infections.
Step 2. Dry the succulent
Put the succulent in a dry, well-ventilated area to dry out completely.
Succulents can be dried by laying them on their side and exposing them to plenty of light and air flow. It is important that you do not put them in direct sunlight because this could damage or kill your plant.
This process will take anywhere from a couple of hours to several days depending on how much water is left in the leaves and whether the plant’s roots are still moist.
Step 3. Repot the succulent
Next, put your succulent into a clean pot that contains fresh soil. The best type of soil for over-watered succulents is a cactus mix which includes sand and perlite because it drains well and does not hold onto too much water. If you don’t have access to this type of soil, regular potting soil which has been amended with sand or perlite will work too.
How to Water Succulents
Watering succulents is very easy once you know how. If you remember only one thing about succulent plant care, remember this:
Succulents are drought tolerant, so only water them when the soil is dry.
That’s it! It’s that easy.
You never want to let succulent soil get bone-dry. Succulents prefer to be slightly moist at all times. If your succulent soil is bone-dry, then you can water them.
To water your succulents, simply pour water into the soil until it drains out the bottom.
You want to take care not to overwater succulents, though. When succulents are over-watered, their leaves will turn a grayish color, and they will begin to rot and fall off. Over-watering succulents can and will kill them. Succulent plants don’t like to be over-watered.
Read more about How often to water succulents: Care Guide.
Never Overwater a Succulent Again
Succulent plants are so easy to overwater! It happens to everyone… especially those new to succulents. It’s not easy to learn to stop overwatering succulents. The best way to avoid overwatering succulents is to remember this: Succulents are drought tolerant, so only water them when the soil is dry.
Once you’ve learned how to water your succulents properly, you will be able to keep them healthy for years! If you have any questions about overwatered succulents, let me know in the comments below.
Related posts:
- Cactus Cuttings: How Do You Take It?
- Succulents Resources
- How to Repot Succulents| Repotting Succulents Guide
How to avoid overwatering
No doubt it is best to avoid overwatering your succulent. To successfully care for succulents here are some watering and soil requirement to follow:
Water requirements
One of the most common questions succulent owners have is how often should they water their succulents. The good news is that succulents are resilient plants and can last a long time without being watered. However, this doesn’t mean you should neglect your plant! Succulents will take a while to dry out and if you only give them a few days between watering sessions, they can be in danger of rotting or becoming severely sunburned.
Watering frequency: for succulents that are actively growing, you should aim to water them once every 1-2 weeks. For succulents that are not growing, you should only water them about once every 2-4 weeks.
In general, you should only water your plants when the top two inches of soil feel dry to the touch. This is because succulents do not require frequent watering and can be damaged if they receive too much water.
Soil requirements
The soil should be well draining but retain some moisture so your plant does not dry out completely. To ensure that your succulent receives the correct level of moisture, you should create a potting mix consisting of cactus soil and sand. If you do not have easy access to this type of soil, regular potting soil works as well.
How to avoid under-watering
Yes, succulents can be under-watered. Here are some signs that the plant was under-watered:
Droopy leaves
If your succulent is showing signs of drooping or wilting it means that the plant needs to be watered more frequently. This also means that you need to water your plant with less water per session.
Old, shriveled up leaves
Both plump and healthy new leaves are an indicator that the succulent has been receiving proper moisture. If you notice that your succulent is losing leaves and not growing new ones, it means the soil needs to be watered more frequently.
Leaf discoloration
When the top layer of soil does not receive moisture, the roots of your succulent will eventually wither and die. This is because water can only travel so far without any access to light or oxygen. If you have a plant with leaves that are browning on the edges, it means the top layer of soil is excessively dry.
In order to avoid under watering of succulents follow the simple rule: wait until the soil is completely dry before watering and water the succulent.
Conclusion
Succulents are some of the most popular plants for indoor gardens. But, if you’re new to succulent care it can be hard to tell when they need more water or how often that should happen. This is why I created this guide on overwatered succulents and how to save them! I hope it has been helpful.