How then do you pick a pot that will keep your succulents growing, flowering, and viable? Learn more below.
Size
Choose a pot that is just big enough for the plant to grow in, but not too big. The circumference of the appropriate pot is 5–10% greater than the size of the plant. Choose pots with a maximum excess space around the sides of an inch or two. The delicate roots will spread if the pot is too big before the plant has a chance to develop. There won’t be any room for the roots to spread in a pot that is too tiny.
Style
The ideal pot will match your decor and taste, but it should also match the plant’s physical characteristics. Tall pots look excellent with upright-growing succulents, like aloe. Low-growing cultivars, like Echeveria, look fantastic in little pots. Not to mention spillers with trailing growth tendencies like String of Pearls. Spillers in shallow pots or hanging plants look fantastic and grow well.
Material
There are many different types of materials for pots. The most prevalent materials are wood, terracotta, metal, ceramic, and resin. Terracotta or ceramic pots work best for succulent plants. Both of these materials allow for proper air and water circulation because they are both breathable. Just keep in mind that both ceramic and terracotta are weighty, especially after adding soil and plants.
Pick resin or plastic pots for larger plants, especially ones you plan to move around. Your back will thank you for using those lighter pots as you move or reposition plants.
Drainage
Before you plant and cultivate succulents, the most important thing to understand is that they don’t like a lot of water. Even before you develop a watering schedule, this is relevant. Without adequate drainage, water that accumulates at the bottom of a container without anywhere to go may cause root rot in your succulent.
The ideal pots for succulents, regardless of design, are planters with drainage holes in the bottom. Since many succulent planters lack drainage holes, you can use any of them as long as you keep in mind to water succulents sparingly and keep an eye on them frequently.
How should you plant succulents in a container?
I’ve been preparing my gardening equipment in preparation for spring. Now is the perfect time to create your first succulent container garden, if you’ve been thinking about it. Here, I’ll show you how to start your very own succulent container garden and provide you lots of other helpful potting advice.
It doesn’t take much planning to grow a succulent container garden, but you should take the following factors into account before you start planting:
Either utilize a single succulent plant or group a number of different plants together. Everything is dependent upon your goals. Your choice of pot should be based on the size of the plant or plants you are utilizing, and vice versa.
Does the pot’s size matter? Yes. Succulents don’t need particularly deep pots or a lot of soil to flourish because their roots are shallow. Succulents actually favor a somewhat shallow pot or just enough dirt to help the roots and the plant to spread out.
You want the size of the pot to match the size of the plant(s) you are using, whether you choose the plant first and the vessel second or choose the pot first and the plants to go in the pot later. The container shouldn’t be too big for the plant, but it should still allow for some growth.
The pot should have a diameter that is 1 to 2 inches larger than the nursery container the plant is currently in.
The decision of what kind of pot to use is largely subjective. Each of them has advantages and disadvantages. Here is a piece I published about selecting the ideal pot that you might find useful: “Choosing The Best Succulent Pot: Advantages and Disadvantages.
Your own preferences will determine a lot of the plant varieties you employ, as well as the color schemes, color combinations, forms, and sizes. Combining succulent plants actually has no right or wrong technique. When placing multiple plants in a single container, I just consider their growing requirements.
Plants with comparable growing requirements should be combined in one container as much as feasible. If a plant’s growing requirements are unknown to you and the label does not include basic instructions, you can easily research the requirements online.
The plant’s fundamental requirements for growth include:
Put plants that require the same amount of light together. Put plants with similar lighting requirements in the same container, whether you’re putting them indoors or out. Plants that require the sun together, those that require partial shade together, those that require low light together, etc. This will make it simpler to locate the ideal location for your container plants and to move them around as necessary to meet their lighting requirements.
Fortunately, the most of succulents have very comparable watering requirements, so I don’t stress too much about watering requirements when combining plants. However, you should be aware that different succulent plants require extremely varied amounts of water, therefore it is advisable to place them in different containers. For example, Lithops (Living Stones) have extremely different watering requirements from other succulents and won’t grow well if planted next to them or irrigated at the same time.
Learn about the hardiness zones of the plants and the ideal setting for that specific plant. Avoid combining plants that are cold-hardy with those that are not, or tropical cacti with desert cacti. It will be simpler for you to care for the plants in different seasons if you group plants with similar growing requirements together.
Finding these three items may seem like a lot of work, but most of the time, a fast internet search is all that is required to learn about a specific plant. Or, if you buy the plants from a garden center, they typically have a tag or label that describes their fundamental growing requirements. Additionally, you can enquire in the garden center about the requirements for the plant’s growth.
Do succulents require shallow or deep pots?
Your succulent’s health is also dependent on the pot’s depth. Due to the amount of soil they contain, avoid using pots that are too deep or tall. Pots that are too tall will hold too much moisture, just like pots with a diameter that is too large. The taproot needs freedom to expand, but not so much space that the soil dries out. Shallower containers work best for succulents and cacti since they dry out more rapidly and produce plants that are happier and healthier.
Big pots are preferred by succulents?
Succulents should be planted in pots that are about 10% broader than the plants themselves. Choose the shallow pot whenever the choice is between a deep or shallow pot. The pot’s depth should be 10% greater than the plant’s depth.
Let’s clarify using instances from real life:
- Grab a 2.5 (the best option) to 4 inch pot (the exact maximum size) for optimal outcomes if you have a 2 inch succulent.
- Grab a 4.5 (the best option) to 6 inch pot (the exact maximum size) for optimal results if you have a 4 inch succulent.
Are succulents healthy in plastic containers?
The absorption of terracotta, meanwhile, can sometimes work against you, especially in warm weather. Plants may become parched as a result of the soil drying out too soon due to the clay’s absorbent properties. In cooler months, this is less of an issue, but in the summer, you may need to water your plants more frequently to make sure the pot isn’t robbing them of too much moisture.
Plastic pots might be the best choice if you frequently neglect to water your succulent plants. Since plastic is not permeable or absorbent, it will take longer for the soil to dry out than with clay pots. Just make sure your plastic containers have adequate drainage; otherwise, you might discover that the roots of your succulents have rotted from too much moisture.
Black or dark-colored plastic containers, as was already said, might also cause the soil of your succulent to dry up. The water in the soil will evaporate more quickly because the dark colors absorb more heat from the sun. Keep an eye on those succulents during the summer because this can swiftly harm a plant in excessive heat.
Are drainage holes required for succulent pots?
It is feasible to utilize a container without drainage holes, but it shouldn’t be kept in a location where it could get wet or drown. In these kinds of containers, watering needs to be regularly managed as well. Because succulents’ roots are shallow, a shallow bowl or pot is ideal. 2.
Are succulents healthy in clay pots?
Terracotta pots are everywhere throughout our house. Red clay has a very organic appearance, and I adore the patina it develops. Mineral deposits that are drawn through the pot walls are what give the patina its appearance. It is safe to leave on or to remove with soap and water.
- Because terracotta is permeable, air and water can pass through the walls without causing soil disease or root rot.
- Plants can be grown both indoors and outdoors in terracotta pots.
- Cacti, succulents, and other plants that demand dry soil do well in terracotta containers.
- Colder climates benefit greatly from terracotta. To help the soil dry more quickly, the walls of the pots suck water out of the soil.
- They are affordable!
- They create a lovely patina that only gets prettier with time.
Can you use ordinary potting soil with succulents?
I’ll address some of the most prevalent queries concerning succulent soil in this section. Ask your question in the comments section below if you can’t find it here.
Can you use regular potting soil for succulents?
For succulents, you could probably use ordinary potting soil. It might work quite well, especially if you frequently forget to water your plants or if they are small. However, make sure the soil thoroughly dries out in between waterings to prevent them from rotting.
What happens if you plant succulents in regular potting soil?
Succulents planted in normal potting soil run the danger of being overwatered. Your succulents may quickly decay if the soil absorbs too much moisture.
What is the difference between potting soil and succulent soil?
The components and consistency of succulent soil and regular potting soil are different. Succulent dirt is permeable and created to drain very rapidly, unlike regular potting soil, which is composed of organic ingredients that hold onto moisture.
Making my own potting soil helps me save a ton of money, plus my succulents thrive in it. Your succulents will flourish now that you are aware of the ideal soil to use and have my formula for creating your own.
How frequently do succulents need to be repotted?
Evergreen succulents have always captured my heart. Succulents are low maintenance plants that thrive in containers because to their unusual forms and thick leaves; I have a large collection of these well-liked varieties.
Repotting succulents every two years is a good general rule of thumb, if only to give them access to new, fertile soil. The beginning of a succulent’s growing season is the optimal time to repot it because it provides the plant its best chance of surviving. My gardeners, Ryan and Wilmer, took advantage of the snowy weather earlier this week to repot many succulent plants and propagate a variety of cuttings. Here are some pictures of the steps we took.
In times of drought, succulents, sometimes known as fat plants, store water in their fleshy leaves, stems, or stem-root systems. Because of their eye-catching shapes, succulents are frequently planted as attractive plants.
I needed to repot a few of the succulents in my collection either they had outgrown their pots or I wanted to relocate them into more attractive clay containers.
He stamps my name and the year the pot was produced on the reverse side. When I host big events in my home, they invariably look fantastic.
To aid in drainage, a clay shard is placed over the hole. Additionally, I like using clay pots because they permit adequate aeration and moisture to reach the plant via the sides.
We always keep the shards from broken pots; it’s a fantastic method to use those parts again.
Wilmer carefully takes a succulent from its pot without damaging any of the roots.
Wilmer then conducts a meticulous test to determine if the pot is the proper size for the plant. He picks a pot just a hair bigger than the plant’s original container.
Prills are the name for osmocote particles. A core of nutrients composed of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium is covered by the prill’s beige shell.
For the finest drainage, we mix equal parts of sand, perlite, and vermiculite for succulents. The correct soil mixture will also aid in promoting rapid root growth and provide young roots with quick anchoring.
Wait a few days before watering the succulents after repotting to give them time to become used to the new soil.
Wilmer shifts to the following plant. This one too need a little maintenance attention. He picked up any fallen leaves.
In order to promote new development, Wilmer lightly pruned the roots after manually loosening the root ball.
Wilmer inserted the plant into the pot after adding some Osmocote and a little amount of potting soil.
The pale blue-gray leaves of Echevaria runyonii ‘Topsy turvy’ curve upward, are prominently inversely keeled on the bottom surface, and have leaf tips that point inward toward the center of the plant.
Echeverias are among the most alluring succulents, and plant aficionados greatly respect them for their brilliant colors and lovely rosette shapes.
An aeonium is a succulent with rosette-like leaves that grows quickly. Aeonium is a varied genus that includes little or medium-sized plants, stemless or shrub-like, and plants that favor sun or shade.
Succulents should be placed on a table so that they can get enough of natural light even when the sun isn’t shining directly on their pots.
Moreover, propagation is fairly simple. Here, Ryan uses sharp pruners to cut a three to four-inch portion of stem off the mother plant.
There should be about a half-inch of stem showing. A handful of them are ready to be planted here.
Ryan provides plenty of space for the plants. There will be plenty to use in mixed urns during the summer if all of these take root and grow into succulent plants. Four to six weeks following planting, new growth should start to show, at which point each plant should be repotted independently.
Inside my main greenhouse, all of my priceless plant collections are kept on long, sliding tables. They all have such lovely looks. Which succulents are your favorites? Please share your feedback in the spaces below.