General Care of Cacti & Succulents
5. Succulents resent stagnant air. Wherever your plants are, they will be happiest if they have a good deal of air circulation. Be careful of cold draughts running through indoor areas, but be sure fresh air is available routinely. If it is too cold for open windows, try at least running a fan around the plants every so often to move the air around. Fans are also helpful if it is very hot. Unfortunately, I know from experience that it is possible to bake a succulent in its pot! 6. When in doubt, trust your instincts. I have rarely gone wrong when I've given a plant what it appeared to need, no matter how ridiculously illogical it might seem. If you know your plants, and respond to their individual signals, you will have happy succulents. (Please note that I did not say you would have no problems or challenges!)
LIGHT
As much bright, indirect light as possible is the rule-of-thumb. There are succulents that can tolerate less light, and those which absolutely insist on very bright light for much of the day. Problems can occur very quickly if conditions aren't right for a particular plant. Etoliation, where a plant exhibits abnormally thin, long growth, occurs when a plant is not receiving enough light. Sunburn, on the other hand, can be immediate if a plant is placed too quickly in light that is too bright. Always remember to ease plants into very different light conditions. Acclimate them by gradually increasing or decreasing exposure to light.
WATER
This is probably the most frequent area of concern. Most growers will tell you to keep succulents very, if not completely, dry when they are dormant (mostly, but not always, in winter.) Many growers-depending on the species-will completely ignore their plants in winter. Some will mist them every so often, or maybe water them once every couple of months. Most succulents can withstand being dry for some time, but be careful. Allowing a plant to go totally dry for a long time, then giving it a good soaking, can also cause rot to set in. The best advice in this area is "If in doubt, don't water."
During active growth, more frequent watering is necessary, but you should still wait until the plants are dry to water. Especially with new plants, I have found it handy to use bamboo skewers to measure dryness. I leave them in the soil for about twenty
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