Hot take: I spent years overwatering my succulents and killing them slowly

I had three jade plants die on me in a row over about 2 years. Then last spring I noticed my newest one's leaves were turning yellow and mushy again. A guy at the local nursery in Austin pointed out the soil was staying wet for a full week after I watered. He told me to wait until the leaves look a little wrinkly before giving it a drink. Has anyone else had to unlearn their watering habits from what they thought was right?

2 comments

2 Comments

dakota_rivera10d ago

Wait, a full week of wet soil? That's insane. I had no idea soil could stay wet that long. I killed two peace lilies before I realized I was basically drowning them. My neighbor in Dallas told me to stick my finger in the soil up to the second knuckle and only water if it feels dry. That trick finally saved my plants. What kind of soil mix do you use now?

ivan21110d ago

Man, a full week of wet soil? That's wild, @dakota_rivera. I didn't realize it could stay that damp either until I actually timed it myself. Now I mix in a ton of perlite and some coarse sand with my potting soil so it drains way faster. Your neighbor's finger trick is solid, I do the same but I just wait until the leaves themselves start looking puckered and soft. Watering on a schedule was the thing that killed my plants every time, now it's all about looking at the plant instead of the calendar.