Overwatering Succulents - A Watering Guide For Beginners

Are you asking the question, how do I avoid overeating my succulent? At Succulents Club we want to guide you through succulent watering care. We know that when it comes to watering your succulent, overwatering is a common problem for many new succulent owners. Overwatering is the easiest way to kill your succulent. We have put together this watering care guide to help you. 

The most impressive feature about succulents is that rather than having a complicated root system that absorbs water, they store all the water efficiently in leaves and fleshy stems. This outstanding feature permits them to thrive even in water-scarce habitants. Interesting, isn't it?

Succulents are sensitive to both underwatering and overwatering. In most cases, underwatering does not seem like a big deal because they are drought-tolerant plants and can survive very efficiently in prolonged drought circumstances. 

Just imagine you do everything to care for the lovely little succulents. You water them well and give them a lot of attention. But after some time, you realize that you have a plant with leaves falling off! Its leaves start to feel squishy and look translucent. 

Well, that should raise a red flag.

Your Succulent plants are deteriorating! After hustling off to carry out extensive research, you confirm the worst fears, something is wrong! Have you overwatered or underwatered your succulent? After a little investigation, many realize the actual cause of the rotting succulents is overwatering and nothing else. 

Overwatered & Underwatered Succulent Signs 

Your succulent leaves will disclose whether they are getting too much or too little water. Overwatered succulent plants will have mushy, nearly transparent leaves, while underwatered succulent plants will have shriveled-up and wrinkled leaves.

If you see any of these symptoms, you're likely overwatering or underwatering your succulent. Nevertheless, it is not always obvious what the signals mean. Sometimes the symptoms of overwatering in a succulent might be mistaken for those of underwatering.

Understanding what your succulent leaves are telling you is where many people get confused. Well, there are many other things to look for to know whether you're actually under or overwatering the plants.

Here's what overwatered succulents look like:

Overwatered succulents will have translucent, mushy, soft leaves.

The overwatered succulent plant will contain mushy and soft leaves that can also appear to be wilted. At this point, many succulent owners start worrying as they do not even know whether it's being under or overwatered. You can tell when the succulent has been overwatered because the leaves of the plants have absorbed so much water & can't take it anymore. And you will also notice that the plant appears sick and doesn't look well.

Another sign over overwatered succulents: Leaves start to fall off 

Whenever the succulent plant starts to drop the leaves, remember that it is due to overwatering. In this case, the leaves become highly saturated with water & they eventually swell up. The succulent leaves get too heavy and fall off. An underwatered succulent can have leaves fall off, but they will drop them at the bottom and will be withered, brown, and dried. The good news is if you see either of these signs, you can take action immediately and often bring your succulent back to health.

Overwatering Succulents Sign #3: Leaves turn black or yellow

Well, if the overwatering continues, succulent leaves will begin to rot & you'll see succulent leaves turning yellow or black. Often this has happened because of rotting that has started from being overwatered. Your little succulent may now have a fungal disease caused by too much water. Usually, it happens from the plant center & will work its way up. 

Suppose you notice a fungal issue in your succulent after overwatering it. You can try using a plant fungicide or a simple DIY solution made up of baking soda and water, with the ratio of one gallon of water to 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. 

Risks of Overwatering Succulent Plants

Overwatering is the most typical mistake that many succulent growers and owners make. Both underwatered and overwatered can be indications of poor succulent care. An overwatered succulent is usually due to watering succulents in excess or the damp soil staying for a long time.

It can cause succulent's root rot and many other fungal diseases and eventually kill the plant if not corrected immediately. The overwatered succulent isn't just unsightly, but this can also lead to severe issues for your succulent's health.

The overwatered succulents are under so much stress. Overwatered succulents can't take nutrients or properly absorb water through their roots. This will cause nutrient deficiencies that are pretty difficult to cure, if not impossible. 

Therefore, you always need to care for them a little more in such circumstances to avoid pest infestations and nutrient deficiencies. Still, if you feel that the issue has worsened, you can take advice from a gardener or an expert succulent owner to recover from these situations quickly. Our goal is to provide you with enough information to help you with all your succulent care needs. 


Tips & Tricks To Save Overwatered Succulent

Drooping leaves might be an early overwatering warning sign of problems for succulents. When succulent leaves droop, they risk falling off with the slightest touch of a finger or a bump on the plant. 

You can check for root rot by digging up the succulent plant and checking the root color. You will know that your succulent is healthy if the roots are white or yellow. However, if you notice either dark brown roots on your succulent or black slimy roots, you know you have overwatered and now have root rot. This is a significant symptom of overwatering succulents. 

As is well known, succulents have a higher tolerance for drought and other stresses than most other plant species. If the soil is muddy and you suspect or find root rot, you should rinse the roots and drain the extra water. Clean the pot well and throw away the soil that has been utilized.

Our Overwatering Succulent Takeaway

This article contains all about measures you should take if you face the issue of overwatering succulents. If you find some dead leaves even on a growing succulent, this is a sign of danger. Most succulents can survive for three to seven days without water easily. You can avoid overwatering by ensuring it is completely dried before re-watering it. This way, you can prevent succulents from dying from such harsh conditions. 

At Succulents Club, we want to give you all you need to have a healthy, happy succulent. Watching succulents grow as they decorate our homes and gardens can be a rewarding experience. If you have not gotten a chance to join the Succulent Club, we recommend you look into it today! But remember this crucial succulent care tip. When in doubt, don't overwater them, and wait!!


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In recent years, succulents have gained enormous popularity for a good cause. At Succulents Club, we love succulents and work to ensure that each succulent is well cared for. Many types of succulents range in size, shape, and color. Succulent plants continuously create oxygen, enhancing the air quality and preventing carbon dioxide from being released at night.