Choosing the perfect succulent pot can be a challenge. From size and drainage to even the pot material, there are several things to consider when picking the right pot for a succulent. These tips for selecting an appropriate succulent pot are essential to maintaining a healthy and asthetically appealing succulent.
6 Selecting the Right Succulent Pointers
1. Choose the Right Size Pot
Bigger isn’t always better. Succulents should be placed in pots that allow a small amount of room to grow (about 10% of their current size) but not much more.
Having too large of a pot can cause fungal growth that can harm a succulent. Using the measurement, a succulent that is 4 inches in diameter would do well in a pot with a diameter of 4.5 inches.
At the same time, avoid crowding a succulent with other plants or features because then it won’t grow at all. It’s recommended to choose a series of pots for your succulent, with plans to repot it as it grows.
Don’t forget to consider depth. The right pot for a succulent should be only 10% larger than the plant’s height. A four-inch succulent, for example, needs a pot that is about 4.4 inches tall.
2. Ensure the Pot Allows Drainage
Succulents are well known for their ability to grow in low water conditions. Unfortunately, the flip side is that they rot quickly when their conditions are too moist.
Choose a pot with a hole, or holes in the bottom to ensure the succulent can have access to water and the extra water can drain as needed, keeping the succulent’s roots dry.
3. Select the Proper Pot Material
Succulents can grow in a wide variety of pot types. However, not all pot types are suitable for all succulents.
Terracotta
Terracotta pots are classic clay pots that make it easy for a plant to breathe, but they are fragile, meaning they aren’t the best choice for a household with children or pets.
In addition, terracotta pots are expensive, so while they are one of the best for succulents, those on a tight budget might want to consider a different pot type.
Ceramic
After terracotta, the best pot type for allowing a succulent to breathe is ceramic. Similar to terracotta, however, they are expensive and fragile.
Additionally, ceramic pots can crack in the cold, so they are only recommended for those living in warmer climates or for plant parents who plan to keep their succulents inside their homes.
Plastic
Plastic pots are cheap, and an excellent decision when you have a small succulent that will eventually grow larger, but the downside is plastic pots aren’t very drainable.
While plastic pots are an okay pot choice for succulents, ensure that whatever pots you are using have a way for excess water to drain.
Concrete
Concrete pots are popular because of their durability and drainage abilities. Concrete pots are expensive at the store, but those who have molds on hand can take the time to pour their own.
Concrete pots are a common choice for succulents, and they do allow a succulent to grow and flourish.
It’s important to keep in mind, however, that cement pots are heavy, especially when filled, and should only be used for plants that don’t need to be moved regularly.
Wood
Wood can make a beautiful succulent pot, but wood garden containers aren’t usually good for long-term plant homes because they tend to mold, fall apart, or rot.
Plus, wood pots frequently have holes that can lead to soil and water leakage. So, while a wooden pot is okay as a starter pot for a succulent, it’s best to shift the succulent to a more permanent pot as it grows.
Glass
Glass succulent pots can look pretty, but they don’t offer much drainage for the plant. Not only that, but they are also delicate and easily broken by kids and pets.
For succulents, it’s best to skip the glass container entirely, putting them in a more breathable container right from the start.
Recycled Dishes
It has become popular to place succulents in old coffee mugs and pitchers for a unique look. While this is an excellent way to reduce waste, check the ingredients of your recycled dish and ensure it is made of material that allows a succulent to breathe.
For example, leftover drinking glassware is not suitable for succulents, but a leftover coffee mug, which is ceramic, allows enough moisture to escape so the succulent can breathe.
Metal
Metal pots, such as watering cans or troughs, do not allow enough water drainage to keep a succulent healthy, but they can be modified to do so. Metal gardening containers should have a hole or a shelf within the pot, which allows water to drain away from the roots. For metal containers without drainage, it’s best to transfer a succulent to a more breathable dish sooner rather than later.
4. Grouping Succulents Together
Some succulents grow well together, and others do not. You’ll want to take the time to ensure the succulents you plan to place together require similar sun, soil, and water levels.
When planting succulents together, ensure they are still placed far enough from each other to allow growing room. Additionally, it’s important to ensure one doesn’t shadow another as they grow and to have a plan in place for repotting crowded succulents.
Because succulents are so finicky when it comes to growing them together, it is usually recommended to give each succulent its own container, especially when it is still small.
5. Choosing the Right Soil
Succulents need specific soil, which is often sold in bags marked specifically for succulents. These mixes have the right level of both moisture-retaining and moisture-draining materials to keep succulents healthy.
If succulent potting soil isn’t available, succulents do best in pots with rock at the bottom, topped with a layer of sand mixed with potting soil at equal ratios. It is also a good idea to add organic matter like bark and seaweed from time to time to provide the succulent with needed nutrients.
6. Upgrade Your Succulent Pot as it Grows
Picking the right pot for a succulent is a challenge, and unfortunately, it is one that must be faced regularly. Succulents should be checked monthly to see if it is time to upgrade them to a new pot.
Succulents should be moved to a new appropriate pot once their roots begin to emerge from the surface of the soil or the bottom of the pot. The new pot should be 10% larger than the succulent, both in diameter and depth.
Don’t forget to swap out the soil during the pot upgrade to keep the succulent looking its best, and try not to break any roots as you move the succulent to its new home as this can hinder its growth.
