Skip to content

Top Navigation

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Food and Recipes
  • Culture and Lifestyle
  • Style
  • Holidays & Occasions
  • Home
  • Gardening Ideas
  • News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Southern Living

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      Here are the haircuts you'll be seeing everywhere this year. Read More
    • How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      Learn how to season this Southern kitchen staple in five easy steps. Read More
    • 50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      Not sure what to write in a thank you card? Here's how to show your gratitude with a handwritten note. Read More
  • Food and Recipes

    Food and Recipes

    See All Food and Recipes
    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    It’s not all in the senses, but they sure can help.
    • Recipes
    • Quick and Easy Dinner
    • Kitchen Assistant
    • Casserole
    • Holiday and Occasion Food
    • Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Healthy and Light
    • Side Dishes
    • Party Food and Drink
    • Appetizers
    • Meat
    • Breakfast
    • BBQ
    • Drinks
    • What's Cooking
  • Culture and Lifestyle

    Culture and Lifestyle

    See All Culture and Lifestyle
    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    Let your besties know how much they mean to you with these unique nicknames.
    • Quotes and Sayings
    • Biscuits and Jam Podcast
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Healthy Living
    • Coastal Living
  • Style

    Style

    See All Style
    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The beginning of a new year often has us all feeling like starting off fresh by taking on better habits, getting rid of old ones, and—most commonly—changing up our look. While others are hitting the squats and going into the salon for a pixie cut, why not start slow and steady with a cozy winter manicure in a color that feels new to you? It takes only a little courage to step outside your usual OPI Lincoln Park After Dark or Essie Bordeaux, which is all you need to kick 2022 off on a fanciful foot.  From new wintry takes on classic dark nail colors to unique pops of color that'll have you feeling the opposite of boring, these are the best nail colors to try this January and tick off all the way into spring. 
    • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Fashion
    • Short Hairstyles
    • Nails
    • Medium Hairstyles
    • Skincare
    • Long Hairstyles
  • Holidays & Occasions

    Holidays & Occasions

    See All Holidays & Occasions
    • Thanksgiving
    • Gifts
    • Christmas
    • Mother's Day
    • Hanukkah
    • New Year's
    • Easter
    • Mardi Gras
    • 4th of July
    • Weddings
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    There's no denying how the pandemic fundamentally changed the world—including how we live (and work) inside our homes. An overall trend toward celebrating the history and originality of our homes is displacing ultramodern aesthetics and sharp lines as we all look to create cozier, colorful, more personalized spaces that better suit our lifestyles. We're turning away from big-box stores and toward vintage items—first, out of necessity due to supply-chain issues, and now, for design reasons—to add charm and character to every room in the house, including the kitchen. Here, interior designers from around the South share their predictions for what's trending in kitchen design for 2022 and beyond.
    • Home Decor Ideas
    • Idea Houses
    • Kitchen Design
    • Before & After Photos
    • Bathroom Design
    • Curb Appeal
    • Bedroom Design
    • DIY Home Decor
    • Color Palettes & Paint
    • House Plans & Builders
    • Inspired Communities
  • Gardening Ideas

    Gardening Ideas

    See All Gardening Ideas
    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    Plus a few strategies for keeping them out-of-doors
    • Container Gardening
    • Gardening Flowers
    • Fruit, Vegetable & Herb Gardens
    • Garden Pests
    • Plant Guides A-Z
    • Indoor Plants
    • Fall Plants
    • Landscaping Ideas
    • The Grumpy Gardener
  • News

    News

    See All News
    • Celebrities
    • Local News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Southern Living
  2. Gardening Ideas
  3. How To Plant Succulents in Containers

How To Plant Succulents in Containers

Southern Living May 2021 Cover
By Southern Living Editors
Skip gallery slides
FB
Lively Mix
Credit: Southern Living
Easy-to-plant succulents—from every variety of cacti to medicinal aloe vera—are foolproof picks when it comes to building low-maintenance and eye-catching containers. Because they practically take care of themselves, they're a great choice for gardening beginners and veterans alike. Available in all shapes and sizes, succulents are the ideal plants for mixing and matching. Don't be afraid to get creative with scale and composition when crafting your container garden. The more variety you infuse, the more interesting your creation. These dry-climate gems thrive in Southern heat during summer months, but they can also be brought indoors for safekeeping when the temperatures shift with the seasons. Check out this informative gallery for a step-by-step guide on how to plant succulents and keep them flourishing. Ready to create a stunning container garden? Dig in!
Start Slideshow

1 of 5

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Planting Succulents

Planting Succulents

If you’re trying to grow and cultivate your own green thumb, succulents are a great starting point. You won’t find any plants better adapted for growing in pots. Most succulents are native to arid regions and store water in their fleshy leaves, stems, and roots, enabling them to resist drought. This means they do not need to be fussed over with frequent watering, so you can go ahead and enjoy a weeklong summer vacation without giving them a second thought. Plus, their funky shapes and diverse varieties make growing them truly fun. Learn how to make a diverse succulent container arrangement in four easy steps.

1 of 5

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 5

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Step One

Planting Succulent Containers: Step One

First, go to the garden center and purchase a variety of succulents in an array colors and shapes. For this container, we purchased 6; depending on the container’s size, you may need more or less (find a list of common succulents on slide 4). You can find the soil, gravel, and container at the garden center as well. When you get back to your home, full the wide, shallow dish three-quarters full with potting mix, and then cover the top with gravel. Succulents don’t need a lot of root space, as they store most of their water and nutrients in their leaves. Gravel helps the soil drain; steer clear of sand, because it can become too compact and lead to root rot.

2 of 5

3 of 5

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Step Two

Planting Succulent Containers: Step: Two

Blend the soil and gravel thoroughly, and moisten with water. New plantings should be watered well – but only once. The water will settle the soil. But if you water them too much, you will cause them to die from overwatering. When you give a succulent too much water, it will fill up its water storage tissues to a point of damage. You will know if your succulent is overwatered by its overly puffy-looking stems and leaves, and a general look of unhealthiness. Overwatering leads to root rot, which can kill your succulent. And we are trying to plant live succulents, here.

3 of 5

Advertisement

4 of 5

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Step Three

Planting Succulent Containers: Step Three

Remove the plants from their nursery containers, and plant the largest one on one side of the pot. Surround it with the other plants, clustering similar shapes together. Some common succulent types include:
Echeveria – The crown jewels of all rosette-forming succulents, this type can be found in a variety of colors

Sedum (stonecrop) – These flat-lying succulents are perfect for trailing out from the edge of containers.

Aeonium – Although they come in a variety of colors, we love these fleshy, long-leaved rosettes in lemon yellow

Other types we love: Agave, Dudleya, Aloe, Cotyldedon, Crassula, Sempervivum, Graptopetalum, Kalanchoe, and Senecio.

4 of 5

5 of 5

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Step Four

Planting Succulent Containers: Step Four

Sprinkle dark-colored aquarium gravel around each plant so that the soil is covered.

To care for your succulent container garden and prevent root rot, let the soil dry out completely before watering again. Succulents thrive in well-drained soil, but require more water in the early spring when the plant is growing and less during the summer and winter. During the winter, succulents enter a dormant period. You may only need to water your succulents as infrequently as once per month during the winter, and as much as once/week during the springtime growing period (but only when the soil is dry). Keep your succulent container in a place that it is exposed as much sun as possible.

5 of 5

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Southern Living Editors

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 5 Planting Succulents
    2 of 5 Step One
    3 of 5 Step Two
    4 of 5 Step Three
    5 of 5 Step Four

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
    Southern Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • About Us
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Books from Southern Living
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    MeredithSouthern Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. Southern Living is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab All Rights Reserved. Southern Living may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Southern Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.southernliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    How To Plant Succulents in Containers
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.