Succulents and its difficulty to care for, seriously

So you were walking aimlessly in nearest plants nursery with the hope to find something interesting, because you told yourselves yesterday that your house corner looks boring, lifeless and drop-dead ugly.

Suddenly you walked pass a flat table and you eyes immediately mesmerised by oh-so-colourful-and-so-many-different-variety-of-these-little-cutsy succulents. Without much to think, you bought all your hands can carry and brought them home, thinking on how to decorate them while driving.

Two weeks later, you noticed they been dropping leaves, dried parts and some have died. You were perplexed. Where did you do wrong? You never forgot to water them everyday, you gave them ample sunlight, why did they die???

That's where you were wrong, I was wrong too. I learnt it the hard way. 

So here is the pro tip to care for succulents:

1. Understand the nature of succulent

Succulents hold water, they retain water in their leaves. They are native to places with low source of water. They thrive in dry condition. So from here, you may conclude that they dont need frequent water.

2. Never over water your succulents

At first glance they may seem like the type that like water but on the contrary they dont. They retain water. Too much water will risk root rot (kerosakan pada akar) and non-salvageable. So if you are living in Malaysia, tropical country that receives lotsa rain throughout the year, Once a week is enough. Always check the soil, if dry dry then you water. 

3. They like fast drainage soil

So because they dont like to sit in water for too long, the soil must be quick to dry. Nursery does sell specific soil called "Cacti & succulent soil". Very light and loose. 

4. THEY LOVE SUNLIGHT

Yes, they do. They will flourish under bright sunlight. So Malaysia's sunlight is love. So this might become a problem for people living in apartment like myself, where the balcony doesnt receive much light. Too bad. Memang too bad. 

However, there are types of succulents that can thrive indoor. Look for the ones with dark green / deep green leaves. The colourful ones will loose their colour and wont flourish much if they dont receive enough sunlight. Or you may want to invest in grow light. I haven’t had one so cant give much comment on that. 

Ok itu saja perkongsian setakat ini. Good luck in taking care of succulents!