There are several reasons why you might want to replant your succulents, and in this article, we’ll discuss each of them and share tips on how to replant succulents successfully!
If you’ve been growing succulents for a long time or you’re just getting started, there is always more to learn about them!
Everything else should fall into place as long as you follow a few simple rules, such as not overwatering and planting in an excellent succulent soil mix.
How to Replant Succulents
The following are a few of the most common reasons why you would replant your succulents, to begin with:
- You purchased succulents and need to plant them in the ground or pot.
- You propagated succulents and are
- outgrowing their current pot.
Your succulents should thrive beautifully if you follow all of the tips listed below, no matter your reason!
1. Remove all of the root's soil.
It’s crucial to separate the soil if you want to transplant the succulent from another pot or drive it up from the ground.
People often grow succulents in soil that isn’t good for them. This can hurt them. In the image below, you can see that all of the soil is stuck to the roots of a succulent when you buy one.
Soil that isn’t well-draining doesn’t stay around the roots for long. When the soil is too wet, the roots will rot.
2: Break up roots if needed
When you remove a succulent from a pot, it will leave many root balls all grouped. If that’s the case, it’s lovely to divide them up and remove some of the roots before replanting.
3: Choose a well-drained pot or a well-drained area in the ground.
When planting succulents in a pot, the most important thing to remember is drainage holes.
If you find a pot that you like but lacks drainage, you can drill your own. Here’s how to prepare your drain holes.
If you’re feeling particularly crafty, you can even construct your succulent planter box!
If you’re going to plant your succulents in the ground, make sure it’s in a place that’s good for them. For example, you could be in the shade, in full sun, in partial sun, or something like that, for example.
Also, make sure that the soil is well-drained.
It is not recommended to plant directly into the ground with clay soil because it retains too much water.
4: For potted succulents, plant in a high-quality succulent mix.
You can buy succulent soil that has already been mixed, such as Bonsai Jack Cactus & Succulent Mix
Bonsai Jack Cactus & Succulent Mix
Superfly Bonsai Succulent Mix
You can also make your succulent soil.
5: Plant Plants that go well with succulents.
This refers to grouping succulents that have similar requirements.
The Panda Plant and the Zebra Plant are two types of succulents that are good for growing inside, like in a house or apartment.
Choose a sun-loving succulent, such as Blue Chalk Sticks, if you want your succulents to be in full sun.
There are many different types of succulents to choose from, each with its own set of requirements, but with a bit of research, you can find ones that will work perfectly for you!
Replant Succulents Summary
Water is stored in succulents’ leaves, stems, and roots, so they don’t dry out. This allows the plant to survive in dry weather.
A lot of succulents, like cactuses, are also called succulents. There are about 20,000 different kinds. It’s essential to think about the size and shape of the plant when you move a succulent. Move up to a slightly bigger plant pot that is only a few inches wider.
When you plant a succulent in a pot that’s too big, the roots get too much water, which can lead to root rot.
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- If the bottom of a container doesn’t have drainage holes, use an electric drill to make holes in it. One hole, about 1/2 inch wide, is enough for many drainages. Keep the soil inside the container by covering the hole with a wire mesh screen. This will keep the soil inside but let water flow freely out of the bottom of the pot.
- Putting together the soil for your garden: 2 parts potting soil, 1 part sand, and 1 part compost or mulch. Fill half of the plant pot with the soil mix. You can also buy cactus soil from a store.
- Take the succulent out of its old pot. You should wrap the succulent in paper towels or newspaper to protect your hands if the succulent is spiky.
- It’s a good idea to gently separate the roots with your fingers so they spread out. Succulent roots are easy to break and grow close to the surface. Succulent: Put the plant in its new container and cover the roots with the soil mix that you made. Plant the succulent so that it is at the same depth as when it grew up.
- Cover the succulent plant with top dressing, like crushed rock, pea gravel, or decomposed granite. Stem rot can happen if you use materials that hold water, like shredded bark. Do not water the succulent for at least a week after putting it in the ground. Too much water makes the plant stressed.
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Things You Will Need
- Electric drill and bit
- Wire mesh screen
- Sand
- Compost
- Potting soil
- Paper towels
- Crushed rock
Succulent Care Tips
You’re more than halfway to success if you replant your succulents the correct way, taking all of the steps listed above! However, the tips listed below are just as crucial so that your succulents can begin to become healthy and gorgeous!
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1.) Water Deeply Versus Just Misting
People misting their succulents with a spray bottle is pretty standard, but it’s ineffective. The key is to wash profoundly and infrequently rather than just a mist all the time.
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2.) Get On a Watering Schedule
Succulents are drought-tolerant and store water in their leaves, so they don’t need to be watered as frequently as other plants.
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If a succulent is underwatered, it can almost always grow back. If it is overwatered, it will become mush.
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It would help if you only water your plants every 2-3 weeks as a starting point. Then you can cut that down to once or twice a week so that you can figure out what is best for your plants.
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Everything will change depending on the weather.
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For example, when it’s scorching hot in the summer, you can usually get away with watering once or twice a week.
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However, in the winter, you may only need to water once a month.
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3.) Treat Pests Immediately if Spotted
common succulent pest is a mealybug, and if you run across them, it’s crucial to be rid of them as soon as possible!
Transplant Succulents
Many people don’t like to rip their succulents and cacti out of their pots. When you finally get one that’s strong and growing, you don’t want to do it!
Don’t be so stressed out! Transplanting or repotting is not only safe – it’s usually good for you!
What are the benefits of transplanting?
It’s the same with plants, like people. They like to change things up a little. One of the best things you can do is move your plants into a new pot. Here are some of the benefits of transplanting:
It’s a way to see how healthy plants are.
Doing regular checks on a plant’s health is very important. Some problems aren’t apparent until they’re looked at very closely. Under the surface, you can’t check on anything that’s not visible. Those illnesses can be terrible for your plants.
When you move plants, wash the roots with water and look for signs of pests or decay. Let the roots grow out, too. It’s suitable for the plant and helps it grow new things.
There are ways to improve the soil.
The quality of the soil changes over time because of several reasons. The plant will slowly get all of the nutrients out of the soil on its own, without any help. Adding fertilizer will slow down this process, but it won’t stop it for good, and it can’t make the soil more fertile.
With a lot of watering, the soil becomes compact and rigid. So, the amount of air that can reach the roots is reduced. This makes it more difficult for new roots to grow. If you add large particles like perlite to the mix, you can lessen the soil’s chances of compacting. Here’s our recommendation for soil.
Succulents and cacti should be repotted on a regular basis.
A healthy plant will eventually outgrow its pot. This is because plants grow. If they are happy and healthy, they will ultimately grow out of their pots, too.
The plant’s roots won’t succeed if they stay in a small pot. A root ball isn’t wrong, but it stops the plant from growing more.
Occasionally, newly purchased plants require transplantation.
Because of where you buy your succulents, they may come in bad pots or not at all. If you buy a plant from a big-box store, it comes in a cheap plastic pot. Plastic pots aren’t bad in and of themselves, but it’s easier to keep succulents healthy in terracotta.
In addition, you should know that if you buy your succulents from someone else, the soil mix is probably not suitable for succulents. That’s why we sell only succulents and cacti at our nursery! It may be potting soil. You’ll want to get rid of it as soon as possible and get a good mix of cacti.
When is the optimal time for transplantation?
In some cases, you should remove the succulent from the pot and refill it with new soil if you think its roots aren’t healthy. It’s entirely up to you whether or not to transplant it, but chances are now is an excellent time to consider moving up.
They need to be moved around every year or two. It takes a long time to fill a pot with them. When the crown of the foliage (the widest part near the top) meets the edges of the pot, it’s time to plant.
There, it would help if you moved it up one pot size. Because we all have different pots, we should try to find one that is a little bigger than the succulent.
Cacti are another story. They don’t have leaves, and many types of cacti, like columnar cacti, don’t grow very wide. For them, you should think about how the weight is distributed when you decide when to transplant. Putting it in a bigger pot with more soil will make it more stable.
Keep this in mind when you move things: bigger isn’t always better. Two things can go wrong if you put your plant in a too big pot for it.
- Plants often try to “fill out” their pots. Instead of growing beautiful, pretty leaves, it will spend most of its time growing roots. If the pot is too big, this can last for a long time.
- Second, there are issues with watering. When there is more soil, you need more water, and when the roots haven’t spread all over the pot, the soil will stay wet longer. A recipe for root rot is that.
How to transplant succulents
Because succulents and cacti are so hardy, the actual act of moving them isn’t tough.
Collect materials
At the very least, you’ll need new soil and another pot to put the plant in. The emphasis is on “new soil.” Reusing old soil is a great way to bring pests and diseases to a healthy plant. Additionally, your new pot should be slightly larger (unless you downsize from a larger pot).
If the plant has thorns, you may also want to use thorn-proof gardening gloves. It can be excruciating if you don’t know how to handle cacti.
Take away the succulent
When you want to move your plant, hold on to the base of its stem as close to the ground as you can. Make sure you’re picking up the stems, not the leaves. As you move it from side to side, wiggle it a little. When it starts to come away from the ground, do it again.
To get rid of a plant that doesn’t need a stem, use a knife or a trowel to loosen the pot’s edges by twisting the dirt around them. Then you can remove it.
When you touch the soil around the roots with your fingers, you can work it. Because you don’t have to get every last piece, but there’s also no good reason to leave it behind. If you need to, use water to get it out. Roots that fall off aren’t rotten. They’ll grow back.
Succulent transplanting
Half of the soil should be new. As long as you don’t want dirt to fall out, you can put a piece of window screen over the drainage hole if you’re going to keep it that way.
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It’s time to plant a succulent. Place it on top of the soil, and then, as you hold it there, fill up the pot with the rest of the dirt. The soil should come up to about 1 or 2 centimeters below the edge of the rim. No part of the plant’s stem should be below the earth. Only the roots should be.
This will help keep the soil in place. If it’s still falling over, you can use chopsticks or skewers to hold it in place. You’ll be able to get rid of them later when the roots have grown in, so you can.
That’s it! We like to move plants around watering time to help them get used to the new one. Water helps the plant’s roots grow, which allows it to stay in place in its new home.
FAQs
How do you replant succulents without killing them?
Taking the whole plant out of its pot and putting it in a new one is the best way to replant succulents without killing them.
One way to get rid of the old soil from a pot is to remove all of it. Then, put in new soil and water it well.
Can you cut off a piece of succulents and replant them?
Yes, you can cut off a piece of a succulent and put it back in the ground.
Using the leaves to start new plants is also a good idea. You can cut the leaves in half or quarters and put them in water that has been mixed with some soil.
Can I cut the top off my succulent and replant it?
Yes, you can replant your succulent after cutting the top off.
To do this, you should take a knife and cut through the plant's stem where it meets its leaves. If you're unsure how deep to cut, start at one end of the stem and make minor cuts until you reach the other end.
Using your hands or a tool like a spoon or a chopstick, gently pry open the plant's root ball until you can pull it out. This will show you fresh roots ready to be moved into a new pot. When you buy a unique pot for your succulents, follow the directions on the package. Fill it with a mixture of peat moss, perlite, sand, compost, or garden soil. Before putting your new green tea plant back into its pot, make sure it is thoroughly wet.
Can you plant succulents without soil?
Yes, you can plant succulents without soil.
Use these steps to do it:
This is how you start:
1. Fill a tray with sand or grit, add some water, and let it soak for 10 minutes.
2. Add some soil in small amounts until the mixture has enough moisture but is still dry to the touch, but not so much that it is wet.
This is how you plant your seedling. Cover it with more sand and then grit.
How do I replant succulents?
Replanting succulents is not easy, but it can be done, even though it's not fun.
It would help ensure that the plant had enough water in the soil. To make sure your plants don't dry out, you need to water them often. If you want your plants to grow faster, you can also add fertilizer.
The next thing you need to do is ensure that your plant has enough moisture and nutrients. You also need to ensure that there are enough light sources for the plant and that the temperature can be changed if necessary.
Which one is better: soil-based or water-based growing media for succulents?
Both types of growing media are suitable for succulents.
When it comes to soil-based growing media, it is more porous and has better aeration than water-based growing media, which is less porous and can be used in low-light places.
Do you have any questions about how to move or repot succulents? What do you think? Let us know in the comment box below!
