Succulents are favored by home gardeners for two simple reasons: They look beautiful and are nearly indestructible.

An actual succulent is any plant with fleshy, thick water storage organs. The leaves, stems, and roots of succulents store water. From Africa (where many are native to) to North America's desert, they're adapted to survive arid conditions throughout the world.

This adaptive mechanism has led to an incredible variety of interesting plant forms, such as paddle leaves, rosettes, and bushy or trailing columns of leaves. Succulents are composed of some of the best-known plants, including aloe and agave, as well as many nearly unknown varieties. Furthermore, cacti are distinct from succulents and offer their own individual care and appearance.

No matter what kind of succulent you grow, the rules are basically the same. Here are some general guidelines for growing top-quality succulents.

Light
When kept inside or outside, succulents prefer bright light, and should receive six hours of sunlight per day. To verify whether they are getting enough sunlight, you can check their leaves. Some species will scorch if exposed to too much sunlight, while others will have leaves that turn brown or white as they bleach out and their soft tissues are destroyed.

Alternatively, under-exposed succulents will begin to stretch, resulting in an elongated stem and widely spaced leaves in a condition known as etiolation. Plants with this problem will benefit from getting more light and being pruned to their original size.

Soil
Succulents need to be planted in a fast-draining mixture that is designed specifically for succulents. To increase aeration and drainage, modify a regular potting mix with an inorganic agent, such as perlite, if you do not have access to a specialized mix.

Alternatively, you can choose to pot your succulents in terracotta or clay pots to assist with drainage. This allows the materials to wick away moisture from the soil so your succulents will not develop root rot.

what is my cactus is the best time to water succulents. It is best to let the potting mix dry between waterings, but do not submerge them. As the plants go dormant during the winter, water only every two months.

The most common cause of succulent failure is overwatering (and the rot that results). Even though overwatered succulents may at first appear very healthy, the causes of death may have already occurred underground, with rot advancing upward from their roots.

During overwatering, succulent leaves turn yellow or white, losing their color, and become soft. Even if the plant is beyond repair, you can still remove it from its pot and examine its roots. You can cut off the brown and rotted roots and repot them in drier potting soil, or you can take a healthy cutting and propagate it.

A plant that isn't watered will first stop growing and then shed its leaves. Alternatively, the leaves may develop brown spots.

Temperature and Humidity
It is not widely known that succulents are quite cold-tolerant. In the desert, where day and night often contrast sharply, succulents thrive in cooler nights when temperatures easily reach 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. The ideal temperature range for succulents is between 70 degrees Fahrenheit and approximately 85 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as between 50 degrees Fahrenheit and 55 degrees Fahrenheit at night.

There are different types of succulents when it comes to humidity. Generally, people don't mind humidity levels slightly above or below 80 percent as long as they're not too humid.

Fertilizer
Your succulents need fertilizer during the summer just as you would for other houseplants. Don't fertilize during the winter.