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 several succulents be planted together?
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.
Can I plant as many succulents together as possible?
I suggest investing in a pot or planter that you can stand to look at every day if you’re growing succulents indoors! After all, indoor plants play a significant role in the dcor of your house.
Personally, I absolutely adore keeping my succulents and indoor plants in pots that are either ivory-creme or crisp white, like the ones in this post. I believe it highlights the succulents while blending in nicely with our furnishings and other elements.
Always keep in mind how crucial it is for the root system of your succulents to choose a pot with a drainage hole. Succulents may last for days, even weeks or months without water because they store water in their leaves and stems. They are resistant to drought because they can store water in this way.
In order to prevent the roots of your succulents from sitting in moist soil, a drainage hole allows excess water to flow from the pot.
Actually, one of the main causes of dying succulents is too much moisture. Succulents’ roots will eventually decay if they are left to sit in wet soil, which will result in a dead plant. Simply put, succulents don’t require that much water.
Planting succulents in a container with a drainage hole will benefit them. They’ll repay you by developing into thriving, healthy plants!
A excellent place to start is with a decent cactus mix or soil blend designed specifically for succulents. Succulents require good drainage and air circulation to thrive, and this soil will offer both.
It’s time to fill your container with your succulent or cactus mix once you have it on hand. (If you want to prevent soil from leaking out, you can cover the drainage hole with some mesh.)
Fill the pot with enough dirt to allow your succulents to protrude above the rim. Simply add extra dirt to raise it if the leaves touch below the rim.
TIP:I almost never remove soil from a succulent’s roots before planting it. This isn’t required in my opinion. I just remove the plant from its plastic container and place it, soil and everything, in its new pot.
I’ve been doing it this way for years and don’t see any reason to alter. I’m aware that many gardeners remove the roots from their existing soil, but I find that my plants do better when I don’t. Only when I’m doing crafts with live succulents do I do it.
One of the most fascinating aspects of gardening is that everyone develops their own preferred method of doing things, even if there are undoubtedly some rules you should abide by. If it functions for you, that’s fantastic! Continue your wonderful work. To each their own, as the saying goes.
Simply plant each succulent near apart if you want to create the appearance of densely packed succulents. As long as the base of the plant is sitting over the lip of the pot, as seen in the photo, tuck in each plant wherever it looks good. (The image is from my Instagram page, where I share pictures of succulent arrangements and gardening advice.)
Consider this process as being artistic. It takes art to make lovely succulent or flower arrangements! It’s best to mix and match your succulents while paying attention to color, texture, and height if you want to create a pleasing arrangement.
Succulents don’t seem to mind growing so closely together, so I never worry about that. Additionally, they remain compact when grown in this manner, which I appreciate. They can continue to grow in this manner in the same pot for up to a year before you need to consider relocating them once they outgrow it.
Particularly for my indoor plants, I particularly prefer smaller succulents than ones that appear overgrown. You have a choice: you can plant one, two, or a lot of succulents in a pot. I have engaged in each one and have enjoyed it equally.
Before planting, try arranging your succulents above the ground to see if you like how they appear together. After that, you can start planting or moving things around.
Simply dig a hole in the ground for each plant and surround its root systems with soil to plant it.
How to Water Succulents After Planting
Don’t water your succulents right away after repotting them, despite what you might assume. Before giving them their first drink of water, I advise waiting about a week.
Any roots that were harmed during the transplant or who previously had damage could get infected or rotten if you water them after planting. It will take a few days for those roots to callus over or heal, preventing them from absorbing water that would cause them to decay.
Use a tiny watering can to hydrate your succulents if you only repotted one or two of them. However, if you planted them the same way I did in the image above, you’ll benefit more from using a watering squeeze bottle because it will allow you to apply water more precisely.
To make sure the succulents in the container receive adequate water, you should water them regularly using a watering syringe or a watering squeeze bottle, as seen in the image below.
TIP: If this is your first time growing succulents, you should know that you need ONLY water the soil, NOT the actual leaves.
The soil requires moisture, not the leaves, because the roots will absorb the water and transfer it to the leaves, where it will be stored.
It’s acceptable to get the leaves wet if you’re growing succulents outdoors and have them planted directly in the ground because the sun will soon evaporate the water. You don’t need to be concerned about your leaves rotting from too much water exposure.
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).
How are numerous succulents planted?
Succulents need a soil that drains effectively because they don’t like to sit in wet soil for very long. The best soil for succulents enables quick water and air exchange in the plant’s root system. I prefer to use a mixture of perlite and cactus potting mix. Perlite is used for increased aeration and drainage. I often use a potting mix to perlite ratio of 1:1 or 2:1. I use an eyeball method rather than precise measurements. For improved drainage, you can also include coarse sand in the mixture (1:1:1 solution of potting mix, perlite and coarse sand). Your soil should be as porous as possible to let all the extra moisture to drain out, depending on how humid your area is.
You can, indeed. In fact, I used a typical all-purpose potting mix when I planted my very first succulent container garden because I had no idea any better. The plants are still flourishing now and have been in the same container for at least seven years as of the time I am writing this. That’s because other factors, including watering practices and sunlight, affect how well your plants do in general.
However, giving your succulents the best potting mix from the start will increase the likelihood that they will survive and thrive.
It is better to amend the soil with drainage when using ordinary potting soil for succulents. Pumice or perlite should be added to the mixture in a 2:1 potting mix to perlite ratio.
Yes. Succulents can be grown in pots without holes, though it is not recommended. Simply put, you need to water your succulents more carefully because there won’t be anyplace for the surplus water to escape, making your plants more prone to root rot. The succulents I have in pots without drain holes are growing and performing well. I also prefer to submerge all of my succulents more often than I overwater them.
If you anticipate a lot of rain, keep in mind to relocate the plant to a shaded area so it doesn’t drown in the water that collects in the pot. When this occurs, empty the pot’s extra water and let the plant dry off. To avoid rot, don’t water again until everything is absolutely dry.
Giving succulents a healthy drink of water and then leaving them alone until the soil feels dry is the general rule when watering succulents. Before you give the plant another drink, the top inch of the soil must feel dry. For the record, I live in a dry area and water my outside succulent plants around every 14 days in the fall and winter and once every 7–10 days in the summer. When it rains a lot in the winter in my location, I completely stop watering. You don’t need to water as frequently if your plants are indoors or if you live in a humid environment.
Visit my post on “How to Grow Succulents in Pots Without Drainage Holes” to learn more about how to keep your succulents alive in pots without drainage holes.
Yes is the reply once more. Succulents have innate survival mechanisms that enable them to endure severe environments for extended periods of time. This is due to the fact that they thrive in environments where the majority of other plants cannot. Succulents will eventually look for moisture and send out air roots if they are planted in merely rocks without any soil or moss.
Succulents are able to survive in this state indefinitely. To allow some of the water to be absorbed by the plant and prevent it from entirely drying out, mist the plants on occasion, aiming towards the base or the roots. No matter how well you take care of the plant, eventually it will look for a better environment to grow in. Just take the plant out of the rock and place it in some appropriate potting soil.