Identifying Watering Problems

Overwatering is much more common than not watering enough, but both can be problematic for your plants. Here’s what to look for if you suspect your succulent is getting too much water or not enough.

Blackened stems are a sign of overwatering.

Too Much Water

The early signs and symptoms of overwatering can be difficult to distinguish from under-watering. One of the first signs is soft, wrinkled leaves; they’ll feel similar to your fingers or toes after they’ve been in water too long. You’ll also notice that the leaves fall off easily. The leaves are too full of water to stay properly attached.

As the damage from overwatering progresses, the lower stem of the plant and even lower leaves will start to blacken from rot. This is the easiest way to tell whether you’ve been overwatering, but it’s hard to save your plant at this point.

To save a succulent that has been overwatered, cut off any part of the plant that hasn’t been affected by the rot. If there is any black inside the stem, keep cutting it off. You don’t want any black left on the cutting. Follow the directions for propagating cuttings (in the “Propagating Succulents” section) to plant the cutting.

signs of overwatering

• Soft, wrinkled leaves

• Black rot on lower stems

• Leaves fall off easily

When a succulent gets too dry, its leaves start to shrivel.

Not Enough Water

Under-watered leaves tend to feel dry and almost crispy. If it has been a few weeks since you watered and your succulent is starting to shrivel, it’s likely that your plant is under-watered.

When you check to see whether your plant needs water, feel the top leaves or new growth. These should feel plump and firm when properly watered. It is completely normal for lower leaves on succulents to shrivel and die after a time. This is one of the most common concerns people have with their succulents. Stores often keep their succulents cleaned up so you don’t see any dead leaves. After a few weeks, the lower leaves will start to die as part of the regular growth cycle. If the new growth is firm and not shriveled, the succulent is likely getting enough water.

If your succulent isn’t growing very quickly, it may need more water. Most succulents are fairly slow growing, but no new growth over a few weeks means you need to water more. If you’ve left your succulent for too long without water, the stem will also begin to constrict. It should plump out a little bit once it’s watered, but it will have some permanent scarring.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with your watering schedule. Each home or growing environment is unique. The selection of plants you own will also determine your watering frequency. Always err on the side of under-watering, but try different amounts of time between watering to see what works best for your plants.

signs of under-watering

• Dry, crispy leaves

• Not growing

• Stem is constricted