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As a gardener, you may be wondering how you can make your own succulent soil at home. Making your own soil isn’t an exact science– which explains why there are so many different recipes out there – everyone has their own favorite recipe! But there are some basic recipes that are commonly used by lots of people because they are tried and true. I will give you two of them to help you get started.
In general, you can make your own succulent soil mix by mixing together the correct ratio of inorganic and organic materials so that the final mix has good aeration and drains quickly. These ingredients can include things like sand, pumice, perlite, peat, potting soil, and more.
One thing I have learned from experience is that by making my own succulent potting soil mixture I have more control over the ingredients used and I have even saved money in the process. I know that you can do that too.
What Goes Into a Good Succulent Soil Mix?
Since you want your succulent soil to drain quickly and to have good aeration, you will need to incorporate inorganic materials into the mix.
Some of these inorganic materials often used are:
- Coarse sand
- Grit
- Perlite
- Pumice
- Fired (baked) clay materials like Turface, or Akadama
You will also need organic materials in your potting mix too. This is the part of the soil that contains the nutrients for your plants; it is also the part that holds onto the moisture.
Since succulents don’t like to have their roots sitting in water, it is important to have just enough of the organic materials to provide the moisture and nutrients they need , but not so much (moisture) that it would harm your plants.
Some of these Organic materials used are:
- Peat Moss
- Coconut Coir
- Potting Soil (which contains peat moss)
We have an article talking about each of these materials that you can read if you’re interested. It is called What is a Good Cactus Soil Mix? (Guide to Cactus Soil Mixes).
Tools Needed to Make Your Own Succulent Soil Mix
You will need only a few tools to make your soil mix:
- You will need a container to mix the soil together. Make sure it is large enough to hold the soil while you are mixing it. A bucket will work well for this, but if you double or triple the recipe, then a large tote with a lid, or even a wheelbarrow will do better. If you don’t use all of the soil on your plants, you can easily store the leftovers in the tote.
Amazon has 5-gallon buckets that would work very well for this purpose. I use 5-gallon buckets like these all the time and they are great for storing my soil mixes. I just put the lids on them and stack them up in my storage area until I need them again.
- You will need a hand trowel or a garden fork to mix up the soil.
This one from Amazon would be a good choice.
- You might want to use a pair of gloves to protect your hands. It will keep your skin from getting irritated or dried out.
I use gloves similar to these ones on Amazon and they keep my hands from getting rough and dirty.
DIY Succulent Soil Recipes
Succulent Soil Recipe #1
2 cups Coarse sand (or Grit)
1 cup Perlite (or Pumice)
2 cups Potting soil
Succulent Soil Recipe #2
2 cups Coarse sand (or Grit)
1 cup Perlite (or Pumice)
3 cups Potting soil
Notes About the Ingredients Used in These Two Recipes:
Sand: The coarse sand is an inorganic material that will prevent the soil from becoming compacted and helps increase the aeration.
You want to use coarse sand, and not the fine sand that is sold and used in children’s sand boxes. You may also substitute grit for the sand. The grit does the same thing as the sand.
Perlite: This is also an inorganic material that will help prevent compaction and increase aeration of the soil. You may also substitute pumice for the perlite, just make sure it’s small in size and not large.
Potting soil: This is the part that contains the organic material. You can purchase this at a local garden center or online. Make sure that this soil is light and airy. Stay away from brands that have a lot of vermiculite or that claims it retains moisture or has added moisture control.
Why are There Different Succulent Soil Recipes?
The reason there are many different recipes for succulent soil mixes is because different gardeners have developed their own preferences over time and through their own experiences.
Another reason different gardeners tend to use their own custom made recipes could be due to availability of the materials and costs. They may have made substitutions to fit in with their budget or with what they could find locally.
There is also the fact that different succulents have slightly different needs when it comes to the type of soil they need. This is why I have included two recipes in this article, one recipe with slightly more organic material in it and another with less.
Both of them are good succulent soils, but some succulents do better in soils with a little less organic materials while others like it with more. So it is good to learn about your succulents and what their needs are.
Are Commercially Made Succulent Potting Mixes Good?
There are many commercially available potting mixes that are very good. If you don’t mind spending a little more money, or if you don’t have the time to make your own soil, then these mixes will work very well.
There are some brands of commercially made potting mixes that are not good at all. These ones often use too many organic ingredients and not enough of the inorganic materials. These soil mixes will retain too much moisture and cause problems for your plants. So be careful when you buy a commercially made mix.
The good thing to know is that by making your own succulent potting soil mixture you have control over the ingredients you use and you will save some money too.
I have used these soil mixes and found them to work out well for me. Both of them can be found on Amazon. This one is the Miracle-Gro Succulent Soil Mix, and this one is the Hoffman Cactus and soil mix. But even with these commercially made mixes, I often amend them with perlite or other inorganic material when needed.
What Happens If You Plant Succulents in Regular Potting Soil?
Succulents need a soil with more inorganic materials than what regular soil provides.
Succulents will develop root rot if they are planted in regular potting soil because the soil retains too much moisture. The reason this happens is that regular potting soil contains more organic materials than a succulent soil mix and organic materials are the part of the soil that holds onto moisture.
It’s not a given that they will develop root rot if you plant your succulents in regular potting soil, but the chances are much higher, especially if you tend to overwater your plants.
You can overcome this problem by being very careful when watering your plants, but the best thing to do is to repot your succulents in either your own DIY soil, or a good commercially made succulent soil that contains more inorganic materials.
This post was written for cactus-central.com and is not permitted to be used on other sites.
