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Plastic pots are commonly found in our local garden centers. They are usually more affordable than terra cotta or resin pots and can be very attractive too. So the question that often comes up is “Can I plant my succulents in plastic pots”?
You can grow succulents in plastic pots but there are some downsides as well as upsides in doing so. Plastic pots are lightweight and aren’t as fragile as other types of pots, which is an advantage. The disadvantage is that they aren’t as breathable and water drainage can be an issue.
There are a few things we have to do a little differently if we want to successfully plant and grow succulents in plastic pots. These things aren’t difficult to do, and if we have a better understanding of how the growing conditions are different in plastic compared to the other types of pots it will all make sense to us. So with this in mind, we can explore both the advantages as well as the disadvantages of growing succulents in plastic pots and what we can do to keep our plants healthy.
Can You Plant and Grow Succulents in Plastic Pots and Why?
You can successfully plant succulents in plastic pots or containers if you keep in mind that the growing conditions will be different in plastic pots compared to other types of pots due to the unique properties of plastic. Plastic doesn’t “breathe” and pots made out of plastic will hold the water in. It will slow down the evaporation that is needed for plants like succulents. But If you make a few necessary adjustments in how you care for the plants you can have all the advantages of using plastic pots and still grow beautiful succulents too and avoid most of the disadvantages.
But Why Would Someone Want to Use Plastic Pots?
People often like to use plastic pots for a lot of reasons. One is that they are widely available in garden centers everywhere and that they usually cost less than terracotta, ceramic or resin pots, but also because they are lightweight and come in many beautiful styles.
Being lightweight is an advantage, especially for larger pots since it makes moving them around a little easier to handle. Better quality plastic pots can also be strong and durable too so they can last for years.
When you buy succulents from your garden center, you will find that they were grown in plastic pots and sold to you in those same pots. This is usually done that way since it is more cost-effective but they wouldn’t do so if they couldn’t grow healthy succulents in plastic in the first place. This should reassure you that you can, indeed, continue to grow your plants in plastic pots. Some people like to keep them in these pots and slip them into nicer, more decorative ceramic pots for a better look. Others will just transplant them into another pot, whether it’s plastic or otherwise.
Another advantage to using plastic pots is that they are not as fragile as terracotta pots or ceramic pots. This is an important thing to keep in mind especially if you have children or pets around since plastic pots are not as likely to break if they get knocked over onto the ground.
These are some of the reasons why people like using plastic pots when it comes to their gardening projects, including growing succulents.
How to Avoid Any Problems That Might Arise When Planting Succulents in Plastic Pots
There are also some disadvantages to planting succulents in plastic pots, but with a little care, you can take steps to avoid most of those problems.
You Need Pots With Lots of Drainage Holes!
One of the problems is that plastic pots are non-porous and that makes water drainage an issue. To overcome this issue, you need to make sure there are drainage holes in your pot so there won’t be any standing water inside the pot after watering. You could even add a few more drainage holes just to be sure you have good drainage since some pots may not have enough.
Succulents are drought-tolerant plants and they don’t like sitting in water– so having good pot drainage is very important.
Use Succulent Soil Potting Mix
You should use a proper succulent soil mix. Succulents need a well-draining soil mix and this will become even more important if your plant is in a plastic pot.
You can buy soil mix at your local garden center or, if you have the correct supplies on hand, you could make your own soil mix.
It isn’t difficult to make your own soil. We have a guide here for those who want to learn how to make their own succulent soil mix.
Another option is to buy a good soil mix online. You can find it in places like Amazon. This is a good soil mix and is one that I have used for my succulents. Here is another one that costs less. It works well too, but I find that I need to amend it by adding some perlite to improve the drainage.
Evaporation is Important!
Another thing you want to keep in mind when it comes to planting in plastic pots is that it’s much harder for water to evaporate in plastic pots than in pots made from terracotta or clay. This can be a problem if you overwater your plants! These pots retain water much longer even when they have enough drainage holes and the proper soil mix. This is because the walls of the pot are not “breathable” — instead, they hold the moisture in. This is not good for your succulents.
Increase Time Between Watering Your Plants
With this in mind, you should make the time between watering your plants longer and you might even consider watering a little less each time as you would for succulents in a terra cotta pot. This is considered a disadvantage for growing succulents in plastic pots for most people… but it can also be considered an advantage if you are someone who often forgets to water your plants.
In Conclusion:
You can plant and grow succulents in plastic pots if you keep in mind the following things:
- It is very important that you have drainage holes in the pots. You may even want to add a few extra drainage holes to help improve the drainage.
- You need to use a well-draining soil mix to help keep the moisture levels down since succulents don’t like to have too much moisture all the time. Regular potting soil is not recommended; use a soil mix designed for succulents or make your own soil mixture.
- These types of pots don’t let the water evaporate as fast as they do in terracotta or ceramic pots, so the soil stays moist for longer periods of time– This can be a problem with succulents.
- So if you are growing succulents in a plastic pot, you should water them less often. And when do you water them, you should consider giving them a little less water than you would for succulents in a terracotta pot.
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