Pots without drainage holes are a pain. If you watering them too much there’s nowhere for the excess water to go but if you water them too little then the plant won’t grow strong roots and layers of salts can build up in the soil. Some plants can manage with less than ideal watering but succulents are pretty sensitive.

If you’re dead set on keeping your succulent in a pot without drainage holes then here’s how to figure out how much water your little squishy friend needs.

Grab a measuring jug and pop 100ml (or however much is reasonable for the size of plant you’re watering) of water in there.

Water your succulent until the pot is totally full and you can see the water pooling on top of the soil.

Hold the soil and plant in place and pour the excess water back into the jug. Try and let it drain out as much as possible.

Subtract the remaining amount of water from the amount you started, then subtract a little extra to account for the water that would usually drain out of the drainage holes over time.

Whatever your final number is, that’s how much water your succulent needs once you’ve let the soil completely dry out.

Make sure you keep an eye on your succulents for signs of under or overwatering problems so that you can adjust your watering if you need to. Some succulents don’t do well in pots without drainage holes. Slow growers have a tough time because they’re in the same soil for so long that the salts can build up in the soil and start to upset the roots. If your succulent seems to deteriorate over time then try moving it to a pot with drainage holes and fresh soil and see if that perks it back up again.