Succulents, that is, cacti and succulents, are plants that fear waterlogging. Excess water is a very serious problem for themAs it is enough to add more than necessary once for their roots to rot quickly. For this reason, keeping them in pots without holes in their base is a challenge.
It is not easy at all to get them to last more than a year in these containers, because like all living beings they need water, but since it cannot get out, it accumulates inside, in contact with the root ball. Is there any way to get them to survive? Well, there are tricks you can put into practice. So let's see how to water succulents in pots without drainage.
Choose a tall, large non-hole planter
If we want our succulents to survive in this type of container, we have to ensure that said pot is large. Ideally, it should measure twice as high and as deep as the pot you currently have.This way we can have its roots at a safe distance from the water that is going to accumulate inside the container.
And also, we will ensure that they can grow a little more, something that will come in handy since it will strengthen them. Not to mention that the bigger they are, the more likely it is that they will bloom as soon as possible, and / or that they will produce many more flowers.
Fill it with water to know how much water it can hold
Before doing anything else, we have to fill the pot with water. This will give us an idea of how much water to put on the plants once they are planted.. Thus, we will minimize the risk of rotting a little, a problem that occurs frequently when grown in this type of pots.
Then, we will point it somewhere so that we do not forget, and we will empty the container to move on to the next step.
Place a piece of cork inside the pot without draining
Cork is an almost waterproof material, which does not retain water. These characteristics make it perfect to put inside the pot. Yes indeed, the piece that we put has to be thick. For example, if the pot is about 15 centimeters high by 7 centimeters in diameter, it should be about 3 centimeters thick by 4-5 centimeters in diameter.
What will we achieve with this? Very easy: have the roots separated from the water that is going to accumulate and thus prevent the plants from rotting.
Note: If you can't find cork anywhere, a stone will also do.
Put a sandy and light substrate
Choosing a good substrate is of vital importance for the succulents that we will have in pots without drainage. For this reason, I recommend the use of the cheek (on sale here), since it is a type of volcanic sand that, on the one hand, takes a bit of hydration, and on the other, it remains unchanged for a long time (years).
It does not have nutrients, but that does not matter since we can always fertilize the plants with specific liquid fertilizers. In this way, they will be able to be fine.
Water very few times a month
Irrigation has to be occasional, so that the succulents receive the water they need, no more and no less. This means that, in general, it must be done once a week during the summer, and every 20 days (or more) the rest of the year. Likewise, it is very important that we add the amount of water that fits in the container, or even a little less. Thus, we will not take risks that could cause serious damage to plants.
And by the way, when it comes to watering, only the substrate must be wet, never the succulent, otherwise it could be weakened and the fungi would damage it.
That they do not lack light or fertilizer
Although technically the light and the subscriber have nothing to do with the irrigation, they are things that we must take into account so that the irrigation is adequate. Why? Because succulents need a lot, a lot of light, there are even some like the vast majority of cacti that want direct sun.
As we know, the more exposed the pot is to sunlight, the faster the soil will dry out. But of course, the succulents that we have in pots without drainage are usually indoors, so the soil remains moist for a longer time; hence we have to water very few times a month.
On the other hand, we cannot forget to pay them. This will be done in spring and summer, using fertilizers or liquid fertilizers such as this, following the directions on the package. I do not advise using powdered or granulated fertilizers, as they would worsen the drainage of the substrate, causing damage to the roots.
One last tip
This last tip you may not like, but this article would not be complete if it did not say it. Undrained pots are a hazard to many plants. In reality, they would only have to be used to plant small aquatic plants in them. And it is that succulents do not want to have permanent contact with water. It's not that they don't like it, it's that they haven't evolved to support it.
They are terrestrial plants, which live in areas where it rains little and where the sun is strong. If they are planted in a container without holes in the end it is to shorten their life. That they can be kept for a few years, yes, but only if irrigation is controlled a lot and very well.
Likewise, I hope that what we have told you here has been useful to you. They certainly look beautiful in those pots, but you have to learn to water them well.