Making the Best Succulent Soil

Hi guys, it’s me Zane, and today we’re going to talk about succulents and the soil of succulents so we’re going to talk about the soil aspect of growing succulents.

So if you’re growing succulents in your home or in your garden you have to use the soil that is the most ideal for the succulent and for the succulent roots and behavior of the succulent roots. Because what do succulent roots need?

Succulent roots developed in a certain way that allows them to pick up moisture at a short period of time and after that they can exist in dry periods. The succulent will actually live without being moisturized by the roots. So a lot of succulents do have this root growing technique like that that when the soil actually gets wet around the root system the roots actually grow micro roots which can pick up moisture from the soil and they will pick up moisture as long as moisture is available around them. After the sun has dried out those micro roots will actually die. Normal roots will stay there and the micro roots will actually grow again when the soil is going to be again wet.

So you have to provide short periods of moist soil and after that that is most important thing to the succulent. You have to wait until the soil just dries out completely and after that you can water the soil again. But the soil is very important in this case because the soil actually can hold the moisture for a short period of time and for a long period of time. And in a lot of cases, especially in the case of beginners who are just getting into growing succulents, one main problem of killing succulents is the wet soil and the inappropriate soil for the succulent.

So what do we have to use as a soil for succulents because maybe they came in a really bad soil and you have to just completely change it because it’s not good. Maybe they’re coming in mud or things like that and that’s just horrible. This soil has to be free draining and it shouldn’t be damp because that’s just very bad for succulents. Don’t use regular potting soil with your succulents because that’s very bad and that’s the worst you can do.

You can purchase succulent or cactus mixtures from garden centers or you can make your own. If you’re making your own succulent mix you have to take into consideration a few things about that. The soil shouldn’t be dense and the soil should be free draining so you have to add another material to the soil to be perfect for the succulents. What are those materials?

For example rocks, bark chips, perlite, all those materials which can actually bring a little bit airiness to the soil. The ratio of what are you using is just really up to you. You have to experiment with that. The main thing that you should have in mind that is it should be free draining. Holding moisture for a long period of time, like for a week, that’s not good because your succulent won’t enjoy that.

For example if you are trying to make a succulent mix and you have just no idea what to put in that succulent mix you can use your own garden soil. It can be whatever type of soil. For example the soil in my garden is just so dense that it’s just ridiculous. It’s a clay soil. I know if in English you say like that is clayish soil but in my language we have a very dense soil.

If I was up to make soil from my garden soil I would like put there garden soil like 40 percent garden, soil 40 percent sand and then I would add the rocks and perlite into it and it would be just perfect for my succulents.

Don’t forget about fertilizing because you cannot be sure if your soil is containing enough food for a succulent to support growing and everything like that. Don’t burn the roots because that’s not good so don’t use too much fertilizer. And the last thing, let your soil dry out! This I cannot stress it enough. You have to make sure that before the next watering that the soil is completely dry!

That’s what I have to say about soil for succulents. Bye guys.