How to Garden Succulents in Pots

Garden succulents in pots for a distinctive container garden.

Fill a sunny, dry landscape location with a grouping of succulents placed in pots. Not only are succulents exceedingly easy to grow, but they may even surprise you with lush and colorful blossoms if their growing environment meets their needs. Choose shallow, wide containers made from a porous material to help soil moisture evaporate easily. Fill the containers with a potting mixture, containing sand, soil and compost, in order to provide the ideal growing environment for the succulents.

Things You'll Need

• Porous containers
• Coarse sand
• Compost
• Soil
• Large bucket
• Trowel or shovel

Instructions

1. Select porous containers with diameters approximately two to four inches larger than the base of the succulent, to ensure the containers are not too large or too small. If you are planting more than one succulent in a container, make sure the combined area of the succulents fit inside the container with between two to four inches of space radiating out from the center where the plants were placed. Using containers too large for the size of the succulents keeps the soil overly wet, which can lead to root rot.

2. Mix two parts coarse sand in the bucket, adding one part compost and one part soil. Stir the ingredients well with a shovel or trowel, to combine them.

3. Fill the planting containers approximately three-quarters full with the potting medium.

4. Plant the succulents in the prepared planting containers, placing the roots beneath the soil and adding additional soil to the succulents' crown level. Pat the soil firmly around the plants.

5. Provide water for the succulents, immediately after planting, to saturate the soil. Allow the water to drain out of the bottom drainage holes.

6. Place the containers in a warm, sunny location. Place the succulents outdoors during the months of the year when the temperature stays above 50 degrees Fahrenheit and move the succulents to a sunny indoor location when the temperature falls below 50 degrees Fahrenheit .

7. Water the succulents when the leaves start to wilt slightly or when you notice a slight discoloration of the foliage. Water to saturate the soil evenly and allow all of the excess water to drain out of the containers completely. Do not the water in a saucer beneath the containers as this promotes root rot.

Tips & Warnings

• Succulents will usually thrive without the addition of fertilizer, as long as the planting media is high in nutrients. Using compost is a great way to provide adequate nutrients for the succulents without the addition of fertilizer.

• Wear gardening gloves to protect your hands from the sharp thorns on some succulent plants.

References

• Washington State University Extension: Succulents