Do You Water Succulents After Repotting or Before Planting?

Succulents, as we all know, are extremely low maintenance plants which makes them just perfect for indoors. However, they are extremely sensitive to watering, that also during the replanting process. So,

Do you water succulents after planting? Removing the succulent from its container puts the plant under stress and can damage the roots to some extent, no matter how careful you try to be. So for this reason, it is best if you give the succulents a few days to recover first & then water it.

Let’s take a deeper dive into this topic.

Table of Contents

How Long after Repotting can You Water & Why You Should Wait in the First Place?

Succulents have developed their root system over the period of months or even years in a particular container and removing it from the container is bound to infuse damage to the plant.

Roots absorb water and nutrients from the soil mainly through the help of root hairs which are extremely fragile. So suddenly plucking a succulent out of its soil, will affect the younger roots and the root’s hair as well. The plant will get into a period of sudden shock.

So it will require some time for the succulent to get over this damage before it can again start absorbing water and minerals from the soil properly.

So by waiting for a few days after repotting the succulents in their new home you will make sure the plant is getting sufficient time to heal and recover from the damage. A window of 4 to 7 days is sufficient enough for this cause.

You should keep the plant away from direct sunlight under some kind of shade from which it can get indirect sunlight. After the waiting period is over start watering the plant as you would normally water.

How Do You Water Repotted Succulents?

It is a great practice to water succulents deeply. They are xerophytes so they dont require to be watered regularly however whenever you water them, try watering them without holding back.

Deep watering ensures the water travels deeper into the potting soil. As a result, the roots grow deep in search of water.
So watering the succulent soil deeply will directly enhance the root development and as root health is directly proportional to the upper plant health, the succulent will grow up to be healthy and strong.

Misting or watering the soil lightly is a very bad practice. Wetting the topsoil lightly does not encourage the roots to grow deeper and hence they remain weak which can lead to weaker succulent growth.

After the waiting period is over, deep watering is an absolute must to let the roots grow stronger and this further helps in speeding up the recovery process of the younger roots.
So drench the pot in water and dont stop watering until the water oozes out of the drainage holes.

Having drainage holes in the pots can save you loads of trouble and keep the plants happy. In case you dont have pots with drainage holes refer to these articles:

How Often Should You Water Newly Planted Succulents?

As succulents have low watering needs, the watering frequency should not be enhanced just because they have been repotted. You should be wary not to overwater them as right after repotting, making the roots sit on damp soil will be a bad thing to do.

The watering frequency totally depends on your locational climate, the kind of soil mix you have in place, and the amount of sunlight the succulent gets.
As a rule of thumb, you should only water the succulents when the soil feels dry.

You can use a soil moisture meter for this purpose which is a small investment you can make for saving loads of headache down the line. Whenever you find yourself in doubt, give it a day or two more. Succulents can easily tackle underwatering but not overwatering.

Generally, when placed indoors succulents prefer to be watered once in 5 to 9 days in the hotter months and once in 12 to 20 days in the colder months of the year.

For more info on watering succulents read:

Do You Need to Water Succulents Before Repotting Them?

There is absolutely no need to water succulents right before repotting them. In fact, doing this will make it harder for you to check the root health( which you should always do during repotting) and for shaking off the wet soil from the roots.

You should always make sure before planting them in the new soil mix, that the roots do not contain any remains of the older soil mix especially if you are replanting it for overwatering or poor drainage related issues.

So,

Avoid watering the succulents on the repotting day & water it maybe 2 to 3 days before, as doing that will keep the root sufficiently wet enough to protect it from the damage imparted during replanting to some extent.

Conclusion

As the succulent roots can get in a state of shock during the replanting process it will be good if you give them a few days to recover before watering them again.

This will make sure the younger roots have some time to heal. And normal watering process then on will further facilitate their growth after the preliminary recovery process.

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