Hailing from a dry climate, succulents are often heralded as a great beginners' plant because they can survive without water for long periods of time. However, it's important to remember that all plants need watering regularly—even succulents. And while succulents can survive in a dry climate, they thrive even more when they get enough water.
But how much water is enough water? Unfortunately, there's no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. How often your own succulents need water will depend on their species, what time of year it is, how much natural and artificial light they get, the airflow and humidity in the air, and many more factors.
So how can you possibly know when to feed your succulents unless you're an expert? Thankfully, there are many ways to tell when your plants need water, regardless of how little you know about the care of each species. Here are two simple tests you can try.
The Poking Test
The poking test is one of the fastest ways to tell if your succulent needs watering, and it's also the most intuitive. In fact, you've probably already used it before if you've ever had house plants. As the name suggests, the poking test simply involves poking your finger into the plant pot to see if the soil is wet or not. If it's dry, it's time to water your plant. However, when conducting the poking test, it's important to make sure you poke your finger down a few inches into the soil. The top layer can dry very quickly, so it won't give you a good enough idea of how much moisture the succulent has retained. You can also poke a soil moisture metre into the pot to get an exact result, but your finger will usually do the trick.
The Wrinkle Test
Alongside using touch to determine your succulent watering schedule, you can also use sight. The wrinkle test involves looking out for wrinkled leaves. Many of the plumpest succulents, such as aloe, begin to wrinkle when they need more water. Note that you shouldn't worry about this wrinkling with succulents like aloe and sedum varieties—it won't harm your plant as long as you water it when you notice the wrinkling. Within a few hours or a day of watering, the leaves you should be re-inflated and fleshy again. However, wrinkling can be a worry for succulents like sanseveria, which doesn't begin wrinkling until it's on the brink of death. If in doubt, look up your succulent's species online.
