Care tips, Succulents
Pots Without Drainage- How To Water Succulents In Them?
May
Pots can be amazing for creating breathtaking succulent arrangments. Usually, you’ll go with ones with holes, but there are so many great ideas that include pots and containers without drainage. Knowing about succulent care would probably make you think this kind of containers is the best way to kill a succulent but it doesn’t have to be a case.
Pros and Cons
Succulents need their roots to be as dry as it is possible. They don’t like to sit in the water for more than a day or two. If there isn’t good drainage in the soil, the roots of your succulent will start to rot very quickly. These are the reasons why is best to plant your succulents in pots with a drainage hole for starters. Later on, when you get some experience with these plants, you can opt for those fancy containers you see everywhere.
Besides having an eye-catching succulent arrangement, one more reason for you to want a pot without a hole can be growing your plants indoors. In that case, you probably want to place your succulent by the window or on the counter, so you don’t want to worry about water coming out the bottom of the pot.
Make Sure You’re Using The Right Soil
If you choose to plant your succulent in a pot without a hole, using a well-draining soil is extremely important to keep your succulent healthy. Since the water has nowhere to go, you’ll need to make sure it has enough room to evaporate. The best way to do this is to use soil with large particles (ideally 6mm or 1/4″). Another good solution is to use a pumice. If you put it in a glass container, you’ll get a good and clean looking arrangement. Whatever is your choice, make sure the soil allows good airflow.
Some people tend to add larger materials to the bottom of the pot in order to add drainage. This way you can actually harm your succulent. The water will pool at the bottom of the pot and the soil at the top will trap it there. This way water cant evaporate and the roots of your succulent will rot.
Measure The Water
One of the biggest problems you’ll face with non-draining pots is knowing how much water you’ve poured in. Once again, a glass container can be a good solution, because you can see the exact level of water in it. In any other case, it’s easy to overwater your plant in a pot without a drainage hole.
The best way to make sure you’re not giving your succulent more water than it needs is to measure the amount of water your pouring in the pot. You can do that with a measuring cup you probably already have at home. Another great option is a squeeze bottle you can find in garden tool sets. These bottles usually have measurements on them, so you can control the amount of water in the bottle. You can also use any type of pipette you already have, as long as you keep it clean and dry between watering.
Keep An Eye On The Amount Of Water
Even with some specialized tools, it can be tricky to find the right amount of water for a succulent in a non-draining pot. You can’t be wrong if you make sure the soil is wet after watering, but without any water pools at the bottom of the pot. If you poured too much water, you can always use a rag or paper towels to absorb some of it. Also, is a pot is small enough, you’ll be able to pour the excess water off.
When you keep your plants in non-drainage pots, you need to keep an eye out for symptoms of watering problems even more. If you’re not sure how much water you need to give your succulent, a good proportion is a half amount of soil your succulent is planted in. For example, if a pot contains a cup of soil, you should pour a 1/2 cup of water in it. From there you can track your succulent needs and adjust your watering schedule.
How Often You Should Water Your Succulent?
One thing to keep in mind when it comes to how often you should water your succulent is to do that only when soil is completely dry. If a succulent is in a pot without a hole, you should know it will have access to water much longer. The soil won’t dry that quickly and a plant won’t need as frequent watering as a succulent in a draining pot. You shouldn’t hold to the weekly or bi-weekly schedule. Check the soil instead and only water when you notice its dried out.