Succulents are plants capable of supporting and adapting very well to any environment and do not require great care. Its ornamental contribution can help bring life to our garden. It is possible to get a very wide variety of succulents, from some with tiny sizes to arboreal species. They exist in various shapes and colors in these exotic species, and these plants can be a great addition to our rock or container gardens. Because succulents are silvers that prefer neglect to constant attention, it’s important that we follow a few steps and tips before venturing into growing succulents in pots.

When selecting a container for our succulent, we must take into account that the roots of this type of plant thrive well in wide containers that do not necessarily need to be deep. The vital characteristic that the pots need when being used to grow a succulent plant is to have a good drainage, if the container tends to retain water it can kill our succulent. To help with the drainage of some commercial pots, we can make extra holes in the base to avoid any unwanted accumulation of water. The size of the pot to choose must be according to the size of the plant that is going to be cultivated in it, we must choose one that is not excessively large, but rather that offers our succulent enough space to grow.

Regarding the soil, there are several options that we can consider; We can buy any special commercial substrate for succulents, or even a mixture of soil for cacti since these plants are grown in similar conditions. Another option is to make our own substrate using mineral components mixed with regular garden soil. For this we can use sand, pumice or fine gravel mixed with generic garden peat, although one of the most recommended main components that we can use is perlite, this allows a drainage of water and a passage of air much better than other minerals, only We must make an equal proportion mixture between perlite and common garden soil and that’s it, we will have our home substrate. A final option is to use common garden soil entirely, although this is not a highly recommended method as succulents require soil that drains well and does not stay moist for long periods of time.

Finally, when selecting the plant to grow, we must inform ourselves and verify what requirements it has in terms of substrate, solar exposure, frequency of watering, temperature and others to survive. This is especially important if you want to grow several species within the same container, so we can group plants with similar needs and make them all grow healthy.

After selecting our plants, container, and substrate, there are a few extra steps and tips we can take to ensure a long and thriving life for our little plants:

1- Cover the drain holes

When filling our container with the substrate, we can use a piece of plastic mesh at the bottom to prevent the soil from coming out from under the holes, this is especially practical if we use a mixture of fine sand or if we previously made more holes drain under the pot. It is better to use plastic or waterproof materials for this task since if you use ordinary cloth it is possible that it absorbs too much moisture and helps retain it in the ground.

2- Imitate the conditions of the natural environment of our plant

To grow a succulent plant healthily, one of the best things we can do is try to mimic the conditions they would naturally experience. For example, the spring and summer seasons are usually warmer and the growing seasons of many species, so we must keep the soil moist and the plant fertilized during these times so that its growth process is as natural as possible. It is the same case during winters, since this time is usually when the plants are normally inactive, we can water them less frequently and try to maintain a suitable temperature. All the details of its natural environment help us to grow and develop in a faster and more adequate way.

3- Be careful with the sun exposure of our succulents

Although many succulents naturally thrive in naturally warm and bright environments, that does not mean that they can endure direct sunlight perpetually. Many species only need partial or direct exposure for a few hours a day since their leaves are very likely to burn if they are exposed to direct midday sun during the summer. It should be noted that if you want to grow a cactus or succulent, it is imperative to provide them with a space that has good light, although there are some types of succulents that can adapt to places with little light or shade, mostly they need good exposure to the sun’s rays.

4- Provide good drainage

Another very important factor when growing succulents in containers is drainage. Something vital for these plants is to avoid the accumulation of water and puddles in their substrates, we must maintain a dry and loose soil to avoid any rotting of the roots of our plants.

5- Investigate the ideal terrain of the plant of our choice

In general, the ideal soil for succulents is a combination of organic and mineral materials, such as planting soil, sand, and gravel. Although most species of succulents can live in a type of terrain with quite similar characteristics, there may be certain differences in soil requirements depending on the species so the best we can do is investigate what type of soil is most suitable for our silver and make a substrate that meets the requirements.

6- Use flat pots

The roots of succulents are quite shallow, so it does not need much depth in the pots that we use, in fact, using very deep containers only creates a greater possibility for it to accumulate water, so it is advisable to use flatter pots that do not accumulate water.

7- Be careful with the amount and frequency of irrigation

The risks for succulents are matters of life and death, since they are plants that accumulate water and can resist droughts in a formidable way, but this does not mean that we should leave it dry for long periods of time. Likewise, we must avoid exceeding the amount of water that we administer during the irrigations, which is enough so that they can survive but that there is no drowning or danger of rotting. The frequency of irrigation should only be measured by the land, when it is completely dry, it will be time to water again, not before.

8- Use organic fertilizers

It is not necessary to fertilize often or powerfully a succulent. On the contrary, these plants take better advantage of the nutrients that exist in the land. If we use commercial fertilizers, it is best to look for an organic one and dilute it in twice as much water as the instructions indicate to avoid an overdose in our plant.

9- Leave space between plants

One of the most common mistakes when growing succulents together is not leaving enough space between them. Although many of the species that we usually plant in our gardens are slow-growing, they can reach quite voluminous sizes, so it is advisable to inform us about the final size of the plants to avoid consuming the plants of smaller size nearby.