As far as houseplants go, succulents make great additions to any room. They’re cute, sturdy, and come in a variety of shapes and colors. Best of all, they’re relatively low maintenance (though not no maintenance), so even beginners or those who are green thumb-challenged can manage to keep them alive.

Here’s how to keep your succulents thriving for a long time.

Succulents like light, and a lot of it, around six hours a day. A sunny corner or windowsill is a great spot for a succulent to take in some sun, and you may need to rotate the plant every once in a while so it’s getting even light on all sides. If you notice the stems of your succulent or the leaves are getting stretched out, it’s likely leaning up to find more light and not getting enough of it. During hotter temperatures, you’ll want to move succulents into shadier areas to prevent them from getting sunburned. 

Succulents are generally drought resistant because they store water in their fleshy leaves or stems, which gives them their distinctive look (the word succulent is derived from the Latin word “sucus,” meaning juice or sap). Water your succulent whenever the soil dries out (generally every 1-2 weeks), but when in doubt, underwatering is better than overwatering. How often you water a succulent may also be seasonal; for example, the warmer summer months may call for more frequent waterings than the winter. You’ll want to water the soil directly and avoid spray bottles, because it's the roots that absorb the water. It’s also important to have drainage, either via a pot with a drainage hole or a pot that’s naturally porous like terra cotta, so the roots aren’t just sitting in a pool of water.

There are some tell-tale signs if your succulent is being under or overhydrated. If the leaves are looking a little dry, you’re probably underwatering the plant. More common though, is if the leaves become yellow, translucent, and fall off the plant easily — then you’ve overwatered.

Since succulents don’t like to be in excessive amounts of water, the soil they live in needs to be well-draining. You can look for a succulent/cactus potting mix, which drains better than regular soil, or add perlite or pumice, both of which absorb moisture, to the potting mix.

You don’t have to fertilize your succulents often, but they’ll benefit from some extra nutrients. Fertilize your succulents in the spring right before their growing season, but not during the winter, when most succulents are dormant. You can dilute regular fertilizers to prevent damaging the plant or use succulent-specific fertilizers.

Watch out for any unwanted house guests in the forms of gnats, aphids, or mealybugs, which are usually the result of overwatering a succulent. Quarantine any infected succulents, and you can spray the leaves with rubbing alcohol, or use a Q-tip to apply it onto the leaves, to zap away the bugs. 

Ready to succ less at growing succulents? Here are a few products to get you started.

Hedgehog Aloe is not only an easy-going succulent but also a useful one. The spiky leaves will make a statement in any room, and you can use the gel to soothe any minor cuts or burns.

With trailing vines and round leaves, String of Pearls look attractive on a table or hanging in a planter. It's a great choice for mixing up your succulent collection.

This is the classic rose-shaped succulent you see sitting in every trendy store and cafe. Choose betwen a 2" and 4" version shipped in a pot.

For those who like a little DIY, this kit comes with everything you need to pot and grow your own succulent. It comes with a 4" handpicked succulent, a pot, a watering bottle, garden tools, soil, a dust blower, and care instructions. To continue to grow your collection, you can also sign up for a monthly subscription and get 1-4 succulents delivered to your door.

This set of three terracotta pots are porous to make sure your succulents aren't sitting in too much water. The set comes with one 4.2", 5.3", and 6.5" planter pots with drainer holes and detachable saucers. 

Perfect Plants All Natural Succulent and Cactus Soil Mix

Looking to give your succulents a happy home to grow some roots? This soil mix is formulated for succulents and cactus to provide drainage and includes all-natural ingredients, including garden coir, composted pine bark, perlite, and sand.

Keep your succulents healthy with this dose of nutrients that you can apply directly to the soil.