"Stressing" a succulent doesn't harm it, but rather enables the plant to show the colors it's capable of. When a succulent is "well stressed," it has turned from green, blue-green or blue-gray to shades of red, orange, yellow, rose or purple. Stressing happens naturally yet is also an art form.
Overwatered succulents will often end up with large, swollen, translucent leaves. They can have a yellow or light brown tinge, but look like you can see through them. A translucent leaf is a dead leaf which will eventually fall off the stem and rot.
So if your succulent looks like it's mushy, moldy, rotting, and has lack of firmness then your succulent is unhealthy/unhappy. You must do something asap, so your succulent can live and grow healthy again.
The best way to tell whether your succulent is being over or underwatered is by the appearance of the leaves. An underwatered plant will have wrinkly, shriveled up leaves whereas an overwatered plant will have soft, mushy, almost translucent leaves.
Wrinkled, shriveled leaves are a clear indication that your Succulent needs more water. As the cells release their stored moisture to the rest of the plant, they try to bring in more water to replace what they have lost.
When succulents aren't getting enough water, they often develop dry, brown spots on their leaves. Fleshier leaves will also look and feel much more brittle and dry than usual, as the plants begin to shrivel up. Try touching the leaves if they're looking wrinkly.
The most important rule for watering succulents is this: Only water when the soil in the succulents' growing container is bone dry. We repeat, let the soil dry out completely between waterings. If the soil isn't crumbly, dry dirt, don't water it. See, most houseplants want their soil moist at all times.
Succulents growing in less than optimal light lose color from their leaves. They'll turn from red, yellow or orange to faded shades of blue or green, and may flatten or stretch (etiolate). On the opposite extreme, when given too much sun, succulents may show beige patches on their leaves or close their rosettes.
They can go up to 1-3 months of no watering. Indoor succulents will have less exposure to the elements outdoors - wind and sunlight outdoors tend to dry out the soil faster than it does indoors. In cooler climates, generally fall and winter, the soil stays moist for longer periods of time.
A rotting succulent will appear to have black leaves starting from the bottom of the succulents plant and stems that will either look brown or black and mushy.
When you're propagating succulent leaves indoors or outdoors, you can water them every day. You want to keep the soil damp (though not sopping wet) so the leaves have plenty of access to water.
"Stressing" a succulent doesn't harm it, but rather enables the plant to show the colors it's capable of. When a succulent is "well stressed," it has turned from green, blue-green or blue-gray to shades of red, orange, yellow, rose or purple. Stressing happens naturally yet is also an art form.
Wait 4 days and water again. Usually after this period of time an under watered succulent will start to look more plump. It can take a couple days for the improvement to show in the leaves. The cutting will generally root during this time as well.
Succulents love sun exposure, and most varieties need at least 4-6 hours of daily indirect sunlight to thrive.
Do: Water from above, until it comes out of the pot's drainage hole: This is the standard watering technique for most houseplants, and it works well for succulents too. Fill a watering can or cup and run a slow and steady stream of room temperature water all over the top layer of your succulent's soil.
Outdoor Succulent Light and Temperature Needs
Succulents grow well in full sun conditions. Sunlight makes for happy succulents that exude health through their plump and colorful leaves. Too little sunlight will cause succulents to reach awkwardly for sunlight, resulting in spindly, blanched, and unbalanced plants.
Full grown succulents don't actually like to be misted. They thrive in arid climates, so when you mist them, you are changing the humidity around the plant. This can lead to rot as well. Use misting for propagation babes to lightly provide water to their delicate little roots.
While some succulents can be planted in bright sunlight, not all can handle full sun (defined as 6+ hours of direct sunlight per day) or can suffer in too much sunlight. Leaves that are sunburned will appear brown or black, and may begin to shrivel or callus.
If a plant is overwatered, it will likely develop yellow or brown limp, droopy leaves as opposed to dry, crispy leaves (which are a sign of too little water). Wilting leaves combined with wet soil usually mean that root rot has set in and the roots can no longer absorb water.
What Does an Underwatered Plant Look Like? Underwatered plants exhibit more distressing and pronounced symptoms than overwatering plants, such as drooping, yellow leaves, and dry foliage.