Recently, I’ve received several inquiries from folks wondering how much room should exist between the succulents in their arrangement. The reply is, “It depends.” Succulents are perfectly capable of being planted quite near to one another.
Succulents grow more slowly when planted closely together, helping the arrangement to better maintain its original layout. When they are close together, watering them can be more difficult. But this is a really fantastic approach to plant your succulents, particularly if you’re creating the arrangement as a present or for an event.
A nice illustration of succulents that are firmly packed together is this clam shell planter at Waterwise Botanicals.
Succulents are generally slow growers, but if you give them a bit extra room to spread out, they’ll grow a little faster and eventually fill the space. If you want your plants to grow larger or reproduce more readily on their own, this is a fantastic alternative. I suggest using this slightly dispersed strategy if you are just getting started with succulents.
It is simpler to water the succulents correctly when there is room between the plants. The soil will dry up more quickly due to the improved air flow. We are aware that succulents thrive in rapidly draining soil!
Remember that you don’t want the succulents to be too close together or in a pot that is much bigger than they are.
Succulents will prioritize generating roots over growing larger if they are given too much room. A good distance between plants, in my opinion, is between 1/2 and 1.
Growth needs
There are so many different kinds of succulents. A general rule of thumb is to select succulents with comparable requirements if you want to arrange them. They will coexist peacefully and preserve the ensemble’s aesthetic for a very long time.
For instance, Graptosedum California Sunset grows best in the summer, whilst Crassula (Jades) prefers the winter. So planting them together wouldn’t be a good idea. You should take into account the growing season, hydration requirements, lighting requirements, and soil requirements while choosing succulent combos.
Agave, Echeveria, and Sempervivum are several succulents that go dormant in the winter and look fantastic together. Aeonium, Aloe, Graptopetalum, and Kalanchoe may come to mind if you want to group the summer-dormant succulents.
Height
In addition to the succulents’ characteristics, height and color must also be taken into account in order to arrange them harmoniously. You should have a thriller, filler, and spiller in your layout.
Use tall succulents to provide height to the thriller and enhance the overall design. As filler around them, use shorter succulents. To finish the arrangement, add a few “spiller trailing succulents.” The recipe is straightforward, and you can always add your own spin to make it appear appealing to you.
Color
Choosing a theme for your succulent arrangement is simple. There are a variety of succulents that may make your succulent arrangements appear fantastic, whether you want them to be colorful or monochromatic.
Monochromatic, similar, and complementary color combinations are the three most common types.
You must group succulents with the same colors but various shades together for a monochromatic arrangement.
When using similar settings, you will group colors that are adjacent to one another on the color wheel (orange, yellow, and green).
Contrasting colors on the color wheel are required for complementary color schemes (red and green).
Can succulent plants coexist with other plants?
There are several traits shared by succulents, such as the ability to store water in their leaves or stems for when it’s not so rainy out.
Even though you can mix almost any succulent, some will be more simpler to keep in the same arrangement than others.
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I’ll list a few qualities to consider when pairing succulents below. Numerous of these traits are described on our individual succulent pages, and our Succulent Identification and Care cards also make it easy to see them.
You may also view my video in which I discuss three distinct succulent arrangements and their effectiveness:
Cover the Drainage Holes
To cover the container drainage holes, cut a piece of plastic window screening to the appropriate size. This will prevent your soil from leaking while allowing extra water to drain. To fill the gaps, you can either use a piece of landscape fabric or a commercial pot screen.
Add the Potting Mix
Fill the bottom of the container with enough potting soil to keep the soil line 1/2 inch or so below the rim of the container once the plants are in place. By doing this, it will be simpler to water the plants without filling the container to the brim.
Test Fit the Plants
To get a general notion of spacing, place your plants into the container while they are still in their nursery pots. Until you are happy with the arrangement, move the plants around.
Plant the Container
Remove the succulents from their nursery pots and add them one at a time to your container. After that, carefully compact more potting dirt around each plant. Maintain the soil’s moisture content at the same level it was when the plants were growing in their nursery pots. Make sure all of the gaps between the plants are filled in. The roots could dry out and cause the plants to die if air holes are left.
Tip
Be cautious when taking the plants out of the nursery pots because the soil may be loose and coarse. Each succulent should be held gently at the top, the stem resting between two fingers. To remove the plant, tip the pot onto its side and lightly hit the bottom.
Avoid Overcrowding
When placing plants in your container, it’s crucial to consider the mature size of your succulents. Overcrowded containers may certainly cause plants to grow more slowly than usual. And because there will be greater competition for moisture and nutrients, they could not be as healthy.
In a packed container, light won’t be able to reach every portion of every plant, and air circulation will also be poor. Because of the conditions that allow fungi to flourish, some portions of the container may get too dark, which can result in mold growth and other fungal problems.
Add the Finishing Touches
Remove any soil that is covering the plants’ stems and leaves with care. You can accomplish this by brushing the plants with a soft bristle or even by softly blowing on them. One method for giving your container a polished appearance is to top-dress the potting soil with coarse materials like stones, gravel, glass, or marbles. Depending on the style you want, the top dressing cloth can be either vividly colored or neutral.
Can succulents be repotted in the same pot?
Before repotting, give plants plenty of water. Before taking them out of the container, you must allow them to dry. If you’ve recently watered, skip this step. The idea is to make the plant’s leaves fully hydrated so that it won’t require additional watering for a few weeks after repotting.
If you are transplanting succulents that have grown too large for the pot, use a larger container. Pick which plants you’ll remove from the arrangement if you wish to repot them in the same container. Repotting just a portion of a plant is possible when some plants have multiplied with new shoots. Use the edge of a large spoon or hand spade to reach the plant’s roots in the bottom of the pot. You are then able to remove the entire root system.
When removing each plant, try to avoid damaging the roots. This is challenging, and in some cases, impossible. To make it simpler to remove them, make cuts through the soil and roots. As much of the old soil as you can shake off or remove. Apply cinnamon or rooting hormone to the roots before replanting. Leave roots that have broken or been cut out of the container for a few days so they can callus over. Replant in dry soil and hold off on watering for 10 to 2 weeks.
Can you combine any succulents?
Succulents are ideal plants for beautiful plant arrangements due to the variety of their look. There are so many incredible succulents to pick from, and they come in a variety of forms, sizes, colors, and textures. Which succulents can you grow together, though? Continue reading to discover how to create stunning succulent arrangements by combining various succulents.
How to Combine Succulents
Although almost every species of succulent can be combined with another, there are still a few things to keep in mind when creating succulent arrangements.
When planting succulents together, the most crucial factors are the care requirements and development duration. Succulents will work together very well if they all have the same maintenance needs and grow in the same season.
For visually beautiful succulent arrangements, other factors including color, shape, and texture are essential. These requirements, which are equally crucial, determine which varieties of succulents will be combined.
Care Requirements
Succulents are often low-maintenance plants. All of them can retain water in their components (leaves, stems, or roots), and the majority of them can withstand droughts very well.
But some succulents require more moisture than others. While some people like full light, others benefit from partial shade. Succulents can go dormant in the summer or the winter. Tender succulents are less tolerant of the harsh conditions, while hardy succulents can withstand frost and freezing temperatures.
You should think about the following when grouping succulent plants:
- water requirements
- criteria for light
- temperature
- growth period (or dormancy period)
For instance, succulents with thinner leaves typically require more water than succulents with thicker foliage. You run the risk of losing one of those succulents if you plant them together and water them equally. If you decide to plant them together, attempt to offer succulents that thrive in water a “direct dose” of water while keeping other succulents dry in some other way.
Planting varieties of succulents that are dormant during the same time is crucial when making succulent arrangements.
Some of the summer-dormant succulents include Graptopetalum, Aeonium, Aloe, Crassula, Gasteria, Graptoveria, Pachyphytum, and Haworthia.
Succulents that hibernate in the winter include Echeveria, Sempervivum, Agave, Adenium, Euphorbia, and Lithops. Planting succulents from the same category together will produce the greatest results because different succulents become dormant at different times of the year.
Color
The color of succulents is one of its greatest qualities. Except for deep blue, they appear in practically any color. Additionally, a lot of them have the capacity to alter their hue in response to the surrounding surroundings (hot temperature, sunlight exposure, etc.). They are even more beautiful due to this quality!
Even while each succulent is lovely on its own, by grouping them according to color, you may make stunning arrangements. Basic color theory is the finest formula for making a succulent arrangement that works.
Succulents in complementing colors can be used (the opposite colors on the color wheel, such as green and red, blue and orange, and purple and yellow). Since many succulents naturally contain reds and greens, making this type of arrangement is not too difficult.
A monochromatic color scheme necessitates succulents of the same color but in various tones and hues. For instance, different shades of green succulents allow you to create arrangements with greater texture by using several succulent species. A monochrome arrangement with a single accent of a different hue is a fantastic choice.
In succulent arrangements, an analogous color scheme—three hues that are adjacent to one another on the color wheel—is frequently employed. An equivalent color scheme that gives you several possibilities for choosing succulents is yellow, yellow-green, and green.
By the warmth of their color, succulents can be interestingly combined. For a cold-toned arrangement, match blue-green succulents with purple ones; for a warm-toned one, pair yellow, orange, red, and yellow-green succulents.
Succulents that are variegated or have some form of marking add added interest and are acceptable in succulent bouquets.
Shape and Texture
Utilizing a variety of plants with various heights, forms, textures, and unique characteristics results in a fascinating variance in succulent arrangements (like hairs). The alternatives are practically limitless: you can select from tall, upward-growing plants like Sansevieria or Aeonium, rosette-forming plants like Sempervivum or Echeveria, cascading (trailing) plants like several varieties of Sedum and Senecio.
For a more intriguing pattern, experiment with succulents of different heights. Alternately, you could use succulents of the same height to create a uniform pattern while experimenting with different colors and textures.
A few succulents have wonderful texture. For instance, the white markings on Gasteria, Aloe, and Haworthia provide a beautiful texture. Any variety of cacti, with their distinctive stems and spines, give fantastic texture. The genus Euphorbia features a variety of growth patterns and textures.
Succulents are well-known for their plump leaves and unique stalks, but some of them also produce beautiful blooms. A flowering succulent added to the arrangement will produce a stunning display while it is in bloom.
Pots and ContainersAn Important Part in Succulent Arrangements
Pots and containers are the last but not least! As enjoyable as arranging succulents can be picking the ideal container and experimenting with its size, shape, color, and texture.
When selecting a pot for a succulent arrangement, seek for a pot with hues, textures, and shapes that either match or contrast interestingly with the succulents in the arrangement. Making a sensible choice when selecting a container is important, as are different top dressings like pebbles or crushed stone.