How to water cacti and succulents without killing them

This video is a comprehensive guide to everything you need to know about watering cacti and succulent plants. It covers every aspect of watering, answering questions about when to water, how often and how much.
Many species are represented, but examples include Lithops, Pseudolithos, Cyphostemma, Conophytum, and cactus species such as Stenocereus, Yungasocereus.
The impact of climate, soil mix and pot type is touched upon.

Creative Commons information:
Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus (Lem.) K.Schum.
observed in Mexico

Brachycereus nesioticus (K.Schum. ex B.L.Rob.) Backeb.
observed in Ecuador

Lithops gracilidelineata subsp. gracilidelineata
observed in Namibia

Stenocereus eruca (Brandegee) A.C.Gibson & K.E.Horak
observed in Mexico

Cyphostemma juttae
observed in South Africa

[rusalkacrnkovic]

Yet another great video. Finally a person who acknowledges how specific plants and conditions work when it comes to watering. I hate it so much when I buy a new cactus or succulent and owner starts "educating" me how I should just water every two weeks, like I know nothing about plants. Sometimes they even mislabel plants. I am always on brink on correcting them, but they think they know better, so I steer away from "argument". I know I already said it, but you are probably only plant-youtuber from whome I've learned new things from each and every vid you make. Thank you for that! 😊

[Malprincess]

When I was a child I had bought a cactus from a big box store, that I now believe was some sort of euphorbia. It was a beautiful deep green with these vibrant thick red spines. We had to go on an extended trip and I was worried about my favorite cactus and I watered the hell out of it, per my mom's instructions. I was horrified to come home to a dying and pretty much mush cactus. Core memory right there. And I've NEVER seen a cactus like this ever again. Some come close, but are not quite there. I miss that thing and I wish that child me had better knowledge.

[benjaminmaier]

I really love the way how you pass on information, and of course your empathy for cacti! Awesome content!

[DarkHelixia]

They really can stand the most inhospitable places - my mother-in-law has received many such gifts for Christmas and they are still hanging on!

[miltonx]

Great videos man, keep up the good work

[ngoolark]

Anything approaching the change that came over his features I have never seen before, and hope never to see again. He cried in a whisper at some image, at some vision—he cried out twice, a cry that was no more than a breath: The rootrot! The rootrot!

[carriebeth]

As a new collector, I find your videos very interesting and educational. You explain things in such a way that is easy to understand, and don’t baffle me with science. Thank you.

[SuperManning]

Thanks for the night temperature advice. I live in the Mojave Desert in SoCal in what‘s considered the ‘low desert’. It is common in summer for nighttime temps to remain well above 30º and there are always a growing handful of days each summer where temps reach a blistering 50º during the day, and thus remain at 35º or higher at night. During the hottest part of the summer I tend to water more, thinking that the plants need the water to be able to cool off. Yet every summer I loose a bunch of succulents and every time I notice the same thing—that they have stopped absorbing water and ultimately it is root rot what kills the plant. Now I know! Also, fyi, the Crassula ovata is one succulent that has an upper limit of the heat it can take. I’ve found that anything over about 40º is lethal to them and they will literally turn to mush from the inside out, leaving little more than a puddle on the soil.

[TSER]

A 'Trooper' of a vid mate. Tips to give growers, 'A Peace (Piece) of Mind'

[JadriGroenewald]

Such wholesome vibes no BS. IMO best water for plants is fishtank water from a cycled planted freshwater aquarium.

[valikpetrov]

I learned not little but a lot, thanks for the tutorial 😊

[chompers]

Your content is so legit man. Love to just relax and put this on while making food. Thanks!

[KnightBlooming]

Excellent information! I had to convert your Celsius to our Fahrenheit for our nighttime this summer has stayed in the 80s several nights. That is top notch info to know!
I also finally tracked down a Euphorbia Abdelkuri too, it should arrive by next week!
Thanks again!

[edithsmith]

Thank you so very much! that explains things very well.

[Malprincess]

How do you know if the cactus needs a deeper skinny pot? Most of what we have sold in my area of the US (seedlings in general cacti included) will come in those little 2 inch pots. How big do cactus roots grow? Can they fill a large pot completely like a typical houseplant?

[GnomeInvasion]

got any tips for growing lithops indoors? should one try to emulate the changing seasons or just let the eternal spring ride haha. thanks for the vid, it was great.

[neonice]

The thing is that just because a plant has adapted to withstand harsh conditions it doesn't mean those are the best conditions for the plant. Most times it is simply not competitive enough to grow in more ideal places so when plants go into cultivation they might grow better in slightly different conditions than their natural habitat.

[dkstott]

Interesting.. None of my crassula seem to have a dormant period here in northeastern US.

[sampetrie]

Another great video thanks!! I had a follow up question on the video about fertilising, was wondering if you've come up with any clever methods to mix it in with water? Hose watering takes me about an hour usually, but if I have to mix in fertilizer it takes much longer - mixing up 1 tsp searles flourish cacti and succulent with 9L water, then transferring to a watering can to dispense. I find the containers you can pressurize with a nozzle are too high powered and knock around potting materials or the plants themselves.

[RobCherwink]

Good stuff! Thanks for another great video. I have been wondering about when cacti do their water uptake. Considering CAM, do you think it might be just at night? or just in the day? or both? 🌵