How to Plant Succulents

How to properly plant your succulents

Supplies need to grow your own Succulents

• The succulent plants: There are a whole variety of succulent plants you can grow. You can opt for a single succulent plant, or if you like to see a lot of green, you can combine a variety of succulent plants and plant them together. If you are grouping succulents, you need to choose ones that need similar light and other care needs.
• The container or pot: If you are bringing up succulent plants indoors, we recommend you purchase a container or pot that looks as good as the plant they are housing. This way, they will enhance the home decor. When you purchase a pot, keep in mind how big your succulents are. The bigger the pot, the bigger should be the size of the pot you will purchase. The size of your pot should correspond with the size of your plant. You should also buy a pot with a drainage hole at the bottom. Excessive water can kill your succulents.
• The soil or potting mix: You should use a cactus mix or soil mix that is particularly tailored for succulents. If you use a potting mix that is well-draining and has good drainage, it will reward you by growing vibrant and healthy leaves. Alternatively, you can make your own succulent mix by blending equal amounts of coarse sand, perlite, or pumice and potting soil. 

How to plant succulents?

Here is the step-by-step procedure to plant succulents.

• Cover the drainage hole with mesh. This will keep the soil intact in the pot while draining out the excess water.
• Once you have the pot ready, fill it with the appropriate potting mix. The soil line should remain around ½ inch below the rim of the container. This will allow you to water your succulent plants without water flowing out from the sides of the pot.
• The first step to achieving success with planting succulents is to remove the plants from their nursery pots. Get rid of as much soil from the plant as you can. You need to do this because when the plant is too dense, it will retain way too much water. The succulent roots will be healthy if you get rid of the nursery soil. Shake up the oil soil a little to loosen the root ball. But be gentle on your succulents! 
• Start planting your succulents from the back of the pot. The taller plants need to be at the back.
• Set the plant in the center of your bowl and then the sides. Finally, plant the front. Tuck in the plants wherever they look good and create a nice, visual arrangement.
• Fill in all the gaps with potting mix and pack the soil surrounding the plants to keep them intact.
• As a next step, you can add topsoil for a more finished look. The top dressing could be coarse material like stones, gravel, marbles or even glass. This is left entirely to your choice, though.
• Finally, water the succulents completely after a few days. Once you water, ensure that you don’t water until the plant becomes completely dry. Some people wait for a few days before watering the plant so that the roots are well-rested before they start absorbing water. There is no chance of root rot happening. 
• If you notice your succulent plants becoming overcrowded and untidy, it’s time to prune and repot. Watch out for the lower and outer leaves, which could dry up and die out. Remove these leaves gently. This will not only improve the overall appearance of your plant but improve the air circulation, and you can look forward to new growth.

Follow these steps, and you will be well on your way to developing a healthy and lush-looking succulent garden.

Conditions for Successfully Growing Your Own Succulent Plants

Succulent plants, when given the right conditions, will grow amazingly well. They can be any shape or size and come in plenty of colors, stripes, and variegations. Some have the most stunning blossoms as well. 

Sunlight

There are thousands of succulent plant varieties, each with its own preference for sunlight. Typically, they need at least 6 hours of indirect sunlight. Some succulents can tolerate heat, but other varieties are sensitive to it and don’t relish too much sun during the summer months.

You can bring them up outdoors in direct sunlight, but you may need to provide them with shade during the summer months. They need some reprieve from the blazing sun during the afternoon time. 

If you are bringing your succulent plants indoors, you should place them close enough to a sunny window to a garden room to get direct light, but also far enough so they don’t get sunburned from the blazing sun. No sunny window? No problem! Just make use of grow lights.

You can place your plant by sunny windows, on your dining room table, or on the kitchen counter. No matter where you place them, they require good air circulation apart from bright, indirect light. Proper air circulation will protect your plants from insect and pest infestation.

You need to keep watching your succulents and see how they respond to the location where you bring them up. If you notice they are not thriving well, you can move your plant to a shadier or sunnier spot.

If the succulents were in a nursery where they didn’t get much sun, then you need to gradually expose them to longer periods of direct sunlight.

Watering

Succulent plants thrive well in moist, but not soggy soil. In the initial stage, the cuttings need to be provided with frequent moisture so that they can grow roots. You should water your plant just enough to keep the soil from drying out. On no occasion should there be standing water!

Depending on the climate, time of the year, size of the pot, humidity, soil conditions, and temperature, you may need to water every other week or once in 2 to 4 weeks during the cooler months. This is because the plants will go dormant during the winter and will not require as much water to thrive. 

To know if your succulents are getting just the right quantity of water, look at the leaves. If your succulents lack water, they will look all shriveled and lack shine. If they are overwatered, the leaves could turn yellow. The plant will be mushy, and stem or root rot can happen.

Fertilizer

Whether you want to use fertilizer or not depends on the variety of succulents you are growing. If applying a fertilizer, use a diluted liquid all-purpose slow-release 15-15-15 blend fertilizer. It is enough if you apply the fertilizer within a few weeks of planting, and then you should reapply them maybe twice a year. This should be done in the spring growing season.