Tag: General Succulent Care

As houseplants, cacti are low-maintenance, water-wise choices. In our guide to growing and caring for succulents, we discuss all you need to know to cultivate your own plants.

This article focuses on how often you should water potted cacti.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

Let’s start with cultural requirements.

Replicating a Natural Habitat

In nature, most types tolerate full sun enduring extreme heat and dry weather until a burst of rain soaks the parched ground.

Then their roots take up as much moisture as they can for storage in the stems’ spongy flesh, where it is kept and used as needed.

Indoors, growers provide bright, indirect sunlight for optimal exposure without the risk of burning tender stems.

An ideal pot for growing these plants is porous and has at least one drainage hole to allow excess moisture to evaporate or drain away. If it has a drip saucer, this should be drained immediately after watering to avoid oversaturation.

The potting soil should contain organic and inorganic ingredients and be light, airy, moisture-retentive, and well-draining.

It varies as a result of numerous factors, including temperature, species, soil, size, light, health, container material, and age.

Two seemingly identical specimens are very likely to need water at different times.

Fortunately, although there are nearly 2,000 cactus species in the world, it is possible to know exactly when to water them.

No matter what types you are growing, these moisture-storing powerhouses don’t need watering until the soil in the pot is completely dry.

The trick is to know when the pot is dry, and the best way to gauge moisture content is with a moisture meter. Alternatively, you can check it with a natural wood chopstick.

Now, here’s the challenge: how often should you check for moisture? This is where many growers, myself included, have erred and ended up losing plants.

Just because desert flora is low-maintenance and water-wise does not mean it can tolerate neglect. My recommendation is to check pots less than six inches in diameter every three days and those six inches and larger, weekly.

Gradually, you’ll get to know your plants’ habits and begin to anticipate their moisture needs.

How to Water Cacti

The last topic of our discussion is ways to water. Because they are prone to rotting under excessively moist conditions, it’s important to avoid allowing the stems and spines to get wet.

If you’re using a watering can or kitchen faucet, aim the stream of water at the soil level and continue until the excess drips from the drainage hole in the bottom of the pot.

Since there should be at least two inches between the container rim and the root mass, it should be easy to position a spout over the soil without wetting the spines or stems.

Alternatively, you can use the bottom watering method. To do this, place a pan or deep drip saucer containing two to three inches of water beneath a pot and let it “drink” as much as it can in 20 to 30 minutes.

Use a moisture meter to ensure that the top inch of soil is wet. If it’s not, repeat the process.

When you are finished, do not leave the pot sitting in water, but instead remove it and allow any excess to drip out.

You can learn more about how to bottom water houseplants in our guide.

Both delivery methods use the “dry and soak” style in which a pot completely dries out before thoroughly soaking it.

Resist the temptation to sprinkle a pot lightly when watering other plants, as the frequency of this delivery style may cause oversaturation.

As houseplants, cacti are generally low maintenance. They require bright, indirect sunlight and watering every few weeks when the soil completely dries out.

This guide discusses when and how to repot a cactus.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

When to Repot

Cacti grow slowly and like to fit snugly in their containers, but it’s wise to:

• Divide “pups” or baby plants that nestle beside a parent.
• Refresh the growing medium after three years of use.
• Size up the container when the roots begin to creep out of the drainage holes.
• Transplant a new plant from its plastic starter container to a porous one.

Let’s discuss each.

Divide Pups

Some species of cacti produce pups or offsets – clones of the parent plant. As pups develop, they crowd the parent plant, competing for food and moisture in the container.

Our guide to propagating succulents has instructions for separating offshoots from parents and potting them separately.

With the pups removed, a parent plant can remain in its current pot until one of the other conditions indicates it’s time to move into a new one.

Refresh the Medium

A growing medium that sustains a plant for three years or more becomes depleted in quantity and nutrient content. Some organic matter, like peat, becomes more acidic as it ages.

These plants prefer a pH of 6.0 to 6.9 and excess acidity can wreak havoc with nutrients and impair plant health.

Additionally, the potting soil may show signs of being compacted and fail to drain properly.

Repotting into fresh substrate reestablishes a nutrient-dense growing environment and reduces the risk of soilborne pests and disease from taking hold.

Size Up

Fitting snugly in a pot is different from being so tight that the roots wrap around and around and find their way out of the bottom of the container.

An overabundance of roots displaces soil, impairing water and nutrient uptake. Plants may also become top-heavy in their pots and potentially unstable.

The ideal pot is 10 percent wider than the width of the plant and 10 percent deeper than the length of the roots.

To accommodate their shallow roots in the cozy fit they prefer, generally you will need to go up just one pot size.

A container that is too large takes too long to dry out and is likely to promote rotting.

Transplant

A new cactus in a plastic nursery container needs to be transplanted to a porous vessel that promotes air circulation and drainage. Unglazed clay is an ideal material.

If your specimen falls into one or more of the three categories mentioned above, it’s time for a container upgrade.

Because most cacti have sharp spines, it’s best to plan ahead to protect your eyes and skin when working with them.

Collect the following items to make the job easy and injury-free:

• Artist’s Paintbrush
• Eye Protection
• Garden Trowel (Miniature or Full-Size as Needed)
• Long Sleeved Shirt or Gauntlet Gloves
• Nitrile-Coated or Leather Gloves
• Newspaper or Bubble Wrap
• Pruners or Garden Scissors
• Table Knife
• Tongs or Tweezers
• Water

Sanitize metal tools with a solution of nine parts water and one part bleach, rinse, and dry them thoroughly before use.

With your protective gear ready, it’s time to discuss containers and substrates.

Containers and Substrates

As mentioned, the best vessel for a cactus is a porous one that breathes, letting air and moisture through to avoid oversaturation.

Unglazed clay like terra cotta is an excellent choice. See our guide to the best container materials for more information.

Your container should have a generous drainage hole in the bottom, or multiple holes.

Avoid products with attached drip saucers, as they cannot drain excess moisture without tipping and possibly dislodging plants.

The ideal size, as discussed, is 10 percent wider and 10 percent deeper than your plant’s width and height. These succulents have shallow roots that branch horizontally rather than growing straight down.

Sanitize your new or used container before use with a solution of nine parts water to one part bleach, rinse, and dry.

If your plant is in bloom, wait for the flower to fade before disturbing it.

With your tools, vessel(s), and growing medium ready, it’s time to prepare your plant to transition from its old growing environment to a new one.

Water two days before repotting so the soil is moist but firm – avoid waterlogging the soil.

Note the depth the cactus sits in its original container. You’ll need to replicate it in the new one. If you like, take a picture for reference.

Wear your protective eyewear, long sleeves (or gauntlets), and gloves.

Fill your new container halfway with fresh growing medium using your garden trowel.

Contrary to popular belief, It is not a good idea to put gravel in the bottom first as this does not promote drainage. Instead, it causes a “perched water table” above the gravel, where water pools, which can promote fungal development and lead to root rot.

To unpot, insert your table knife into the soil against the side of the container and work it around full circle to loosen the contents.

With a new plant, the plastic nursery container may be flexible enough to squeeze a bit and slide the entire contents – soil and plant – out.

You may have to set the container of a well-established specimen on its side to work it off. Here’s where the thick gloves, bubble wrap, newspaper, and tongs are handy.

Because cacti have shallow roots, you never want to grasp the plant and pull as this can end up breaking the roots.

Instead, with the vessel on its side, work the table knife around the soil perimeter again, turning the pot as you go. Use your gloved hands, tongs, and wrappings for gentle support until the contents come free.

Gently remove and discard the old soil, rinsing the roots as needed but taking care not to damage them.

For rootbound plants, use your pruners to cut across the twining roots to encourage new growth.

If the roots are a tangled mess, you can cut up to one-third off the bottom of the root mass before transplanting.

If any roots are dark, malodorous, and/or slimy, they may be rotting from oversaturation.

You can cut off the worst of them, but healthy white roots must be attached for a successful transplant.

Make a newspaper or bubble wrap sling, or use tongs or tweezers to gently grasp the plant while you settle it into the fresh soil.

Backfill until the plant sits at the same depth as it was in the original pot.

Center it upright before firmly tamping the growing medium around it. The vessel should be no more than three-quarters full of substrate to enable you to water without spillover.

Use your artist’s brush to dust off any flecks of soil between the spines, but not so aggressively that you bruise the foliage. Alternatively, rinse with water and avoid returning to bright indirect sunlight until the specimen is thoroughly dry.

Water at the soil level, avoiding the foliage, and place the new vessel in its permanent location in bright, indirect sunlight.

Drain excess water – and don’t let it pool in a drip saucer – to inhibit moisture buildup. Sanitize all tools after use as we did before.

The ideal indoor temperature is between 65°F and 80°F with low humidity. Most healthy homes are in the 30 to 50 percent humidity range.

It’s not necessary to fertilize at planting time, but is beneficial to apply a 15-30-15 (NPK) fertilizer two or three times during the growing season.

In winter, the plants go dormant and stop growing, and fertilizer is not needed during this time.

Water requirements are greatly reduced in winter as well, and the container is likely to remain moist for up to six weeks before completely drying out.

Succulents are extremely diverse, and have an amazing array of textures, shapes, and sizes that are suitable for growing in the garden and as houseplants, and many also display bold, colorful flowers.

They’re adaptable to a variety of climates and thanks to their ability to retain moisture in their fleshy plant parts, they don’t need to be watered as often as other plants, making them a smart choice for water-wise gardens and xeriscapes.

You can learn more about how to grow succulents as houseplants and outdoors in our guides.

While they are not heavy feeders, a regular application of nutrients helps to produce healthy, attractive plants.

Feeding your succulents also encourages abundant bud set, with many varieties providing a stellar display of showy flowers in saturated shades of mauve, orange, pink, red, white, and yellow.

Are you ready for vibrant, showy succulents? Then let’s learn about how and when to fertilize!

Here’s a peek at what’s ahead:

When to Fertilize Succulents

The active growth period for most species happens over spring and summer, with plants entering a dormant period in late autumn and winter.

To give your plants the greatest benefits from fertilization, they’ll do best when fed in spring – this is when they have the highest need for additional nutrition.

For maximum effectiveness, wait until overnight temperatures consistently stay above 50°F before feeding established plants.

However, because of their relatively slow growth and delicate roots, new succulent plantings shouldn’t be fed with fast release products for their first six months.

This is to prevent overloading the delicate root system and potentially causing fertilizer burn. More on how to feed new plantings in a bit.

If your plants are fed with organic materials or slow release compounds that break down gradually, a second application can be made in midsummer, if desired – but as a rule of thumb, avoid feeding plants after the end of July.

Container-grown outdoor varieties do best when fed monthly during the growing season with a half-strength solution of a water soluble feed, or you can apply slow release granules or spikes in spring and once again in early to midsummer.

For houseplants, apply liquid or slow release feeds starting in spring. Use liquid fertilizer on a monthly basis or apply slow release pellets or spikes in spring and again in midsummer, following the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Winter Dormancy

Along with knowing the right timing for feeding succulents, it’s equally important to know when not to feed them, which is during their dormant or inactive period.

Outdoor succulents may or may not go into dormancy, depending on variables such as temperature, hours of daylight, and the species you are growing.

But in general, growth will slow or stop during the cold season.

And it’s because of the inactivity, along with their low nutritional needs, that feeding should be completely withheld for both indoor and outdoor plants over the fall and winter months.

If dormant plants are fertilized, it can create a buildup of excess nutrients and mineral salts in the soil, which can lead to toxicity and damage like rotting.

Also, if plants are producing new growth from a late season feeding, the tender tips can be susceptible to damage from cold weather.

You can learn more about how to care for succulents in winter in our guide.

Types of Feed

Succulents respond to a variety of fertilizers, including organic materials such as compost, fish emulsion, kelp emulsion, rotted manure, and worm castings plus commercial products like fast-acting liquid feeds and slow release granules or spikes.

Organic materials can be applied as a two-inch layer over the root zone and gently worked into the surface of the soil with a hand cultivator, taking care not to disturb the shallow roots.

Or you can make an aerated tea from compost or castings for a fast acting liquid feed – you can learn more about how to make compost tea in our guide.

Liquid feeds of organic matter like fish or kelp emulsions need to be diluted before application – follow the manufacturer’s instructions for accurate dilution ratios, then dilute it again to half strength before feeding succulents.

Slow release granular pellets or spikes should be gently scratched into the soil’s surface or inserted into the root zone to gradually release nutrients as they slowly dissolve.

Commercial liquid or water soluble products are mixed with water before application. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for dilution ratios, then dilute again to half strength before feeding your plants.

Also, fast acting, water-soluble products should be avoided on new plantings until the roots are established, after at least three to six months.

The reason for diluting liquid feeds to half-strength, and not using them on new plantings, is to protect the shallow, specialized roots that have evolved for the fast uptake of moisture in arid environments – like during a flash flood in the desert.

Instead of using liquid feeds, it’s best to let young plants become established with a one-inch top dressing of compost, manure, worm castings, or other organic materials.

As the natural materials break down, they’ll provide young plants with plenty of slowly released nutrients without burning the roots or producing legginess.

All types of feed should be applied to the root zone, not on the leaves or stems. Should you accidentally splash liquids or pellets onto the fleshy parts, rinse gently with water to avoid scorching.

Above all, remember to use a light touch to avoid overfertilization – when feeding cacti and succulents, less really is more!

Perhaps you’ve tried this technique before and failed? No judgment! It may be that you simply skipped one or two of the steps.

Before we get started, if you need to review the best practices for growing and caring for succulents, be sure to read our guide.

Whatever your experience, so that your very first (or next) attempts at growing new succulents from pups are successful, in this article we’re going to cover everything you’ll need to know.

Ready to learn the secrets of propagating succulents from offsets?

What Are Offsets?

First, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page first regarding the lingo.

Plants reproduce in more than one way. They can produce seeds of course, which is known as sexual reproduction. This involves the genes of two different individuals combining in a seed that eventually germinates and forms a new plant.

Many plants have another strategy in addition to producing seeds – asexual reproduction, which is essentially producing clones of themselves.

In the case of succulents, this can happen when a leaf falls and takes root on the ground, but it is also achieved in many species through the production of offsets. This results in a clumping growth habit.

These “babies” are clones of the mother, and are also known as pups or plantlets. They usually grow from the base of the succulent, but in some cases they are formed on the upper part, along the stem, or even, as you’ll learn later in the article, on the edge of the leaves.

The botanical world is actually full of species that reproduce this way, including bromeliads, tulips, onions, and spider plants – as well as a whole bevy of succulents.

For us gardeners, taking advantage of this botanical reproduction strategy gives us a way to grow more succulents quite effortlessly!

While you can also propagate succulents from leaves or seeds, using offsets to create more specimens tends to be faster and easier.

What Types of Succulents Grow Offsets?

You may be wondering if the particular type of succulent you’re growing can be propagated via offsets.

Providing a definitive list of all species with this reproductive ability is beyond the scope of this article, let’s take a tour of some of the most popular candidates.

Do you have an aloe vera among your houseplant collection, serving as part of your first aid kit perhaps?

You may have noticed baby aloes popping up beside the mother plants. Like most succulents, aloe offsets are formed at the base of mama plants.

And yes, those are pups that can be transferred to pots of their own.

With a growth habit so similar to aloe that they are sometimes difficult to tell apart, agaves can also be propagated in this way, which is a great way to save on your xeriscaping budget.

There are many different types of succulents in cultivation that have a low growing, rosette shape, and most of these also grow offsets.

These include aeoniums, echeverias, graptopedalums, pachyverias, and sempervivums, also known as hens and chicks, to name a few!

Some types grow pups on noticeable stems, such as Chinese dunce cap, and greenovias.

There are so many great pup-producing succulents that can be propagated in this way!

Some of my personal favorites include concrete leaf plants, haworthias, haworthiopsis, gasterias, and tiger jaws.

Not all species grow their pups from the base of the mother, though.

Mother of millions (Kalanchoe delagoensis), also known as mother of thousands, is a type of kalanchoe that produces its pups on the edges of its leaves.

One of the most common houseplants because of its tolerance of neglect, the snake plant is also a type of succulent that grows pups at its base that can be used for propagation.

And while, as mentioned, this is by no means an exhaustive list, let’s finish off our tour of some of the succulents that can be propagated via offsets with a mention of the euphorbias.

Some euphorbias can also be propagated in this manner, such as the spiny African milk barrel.

When to Propagate Offsets

Before you start assessing other factors of readiness, wait until the temperature is fairly mild, such as in spring or fall, so that the specimen isn’t about to go into either a summer or winter dormancy.

Dormant succulents won’t be able to recover as well from the separation process.

If you aren’t sure when the dormancy period of the species you are growing is, plan to carry out the propagation in spring, as active growth is more likely at that time.

The next question you should ask is – are the babies big enough to leave their mother?

It can be tricky to know exactly when a pup is ready to be separated, and this won’t be the same for each species.

To start with, make sure the offset has at least a few leaves.

For many succulents, such as haworthias, haworthiopsis, and gasteria, wait until the pup is about half the size of the mother before removing.

Another factor you should consider before separating offsets is flowering: don’t take offsets when either the mother or the pup is in bloom.

It takes a lot of energy for a succulent to bloom, and if you interrupt the flowering process with what is essentially a surgical procedure, the specimen may not have enough energy to recover.

These Haworthiopsis pups are the right size for separating, but the plant is flowering.

If the season is right, the pups are the right size, and neither mother nor babies are flowering, your succulent is a good candidate for propagation.

Are you considering propagating offsets because your plant is getting crowded in its pot? That would certainly be a valid motivation for propagating offsets.

These hens and chicks pups are almost as big as their mother, and this tiny pot is getting crowded.

Of course instead of separating the offsets, you could just repot the whole clump instead of dividing it.

Supplies Needed

When you’ve decided the pups are ready to be separated, make sure you have your propagation supplies on hand. You’ll need: 

Pots

Aside from size considerations, the type of pot that is best for your new plants depends on the type of climate in your region.

If you’re in a humid location, unglazed terra cotta is a good choice as it will allow the growing medium to dry faster, helping to prevent the succulent from succumbing to rot.

On the other hand, those in arid locations may prefer ceramic, glazed clay, or plastic pots to slow moisture loss.

Wondering if you can reuse some of the old nursery pots you have lying around under your potting bench for this project?

Yes indeed! Just make sure to clean them with soap and water first, and then sanitize them – you can do that by wiping them down with hydrogen peroxide.

Be aware that you should have pretty close to a 100 percent success rate with these clones, so you may want to skip the small nursery pots and reach straight for more permanent, decorative containers.

Be sure to read our guide to 17 of the best gardening gloves.

How to Propagate Succulents from Offsets

Some offsets will pull right off the mother plant with little resistance, such as those of hens and chicks.

Others may need to be cut away t with a sharp blade, such as haworthias. For these types, consider removing the entire plant from the pot before separating the pups.

Tease the offset apart from the mother plant, or use the snips – sterilized first, of course – if needed, to sever the pup’s connection to its parent.

When you’ve separated the offset, now you’ll need to wait.

It’s best to allow both the parent and the pup to rest for a few days before repotting until their wounds have formed a callus.

Before allowing the wounds to dry, apply fungicide or biofungicide if you are using it, following the manufacturer’s directions on the product of your choice.

Situate the plants with their wounds facing up on a plate or in a shallow box out of direct sunlight, in a dry location while you wait for them to callus.

Depending on the plant and your climatic conditions, it will take from a few days up to a month for the wounds to callus – but a week is average.

Once the wounds have formed calluses, it’s time to transplant the offsets and parents into their new containers.

Put a layer of growing medium into the bottom of the pot, then situate the offset on top of the growing medium.

Adjust the amount of medium if needed – don’t bury the foliage in the growing medium, but do make sure that the roots are well-covered and won’t pop out of the soil.

Repeat with the mother plant if it needs to be repotted as well.

When potting your offsets, you may want to add a layer of inorganic material as a top dressing. 

A top dressing helps keep the foliage off wet soil, reduces the risk of fungus gnats, and can offer an attractive background for your succulent’s leaves.

Either coarse sand, small lava rocks, fine river rocks, or pumice can be used as a top dressing to cover the growing medium for small specimens. For larger plants like agave, use larger lava rocks or river rocks.

Wait a week before watering the repotted plants, and fertilize only when you see new growth on the aboveground portion of the plant.

So that you can be sure you’re choosing a plant that will work for your conditions, for each of these options I’ll mention the USDA Hardiness Zone, water and sunlight needs, mature size, and details about what the plant looks like.

And to help you out when you identify exactly the plant you’re looking for, I’ll also provide tips for where to buy some of these selections.

Ready to learn more about 21 of the best red succulents for your home or garden? Here’s a peak at our list:

Before we start digging into the scarlet, carmine, maroon, and burgundy details of these red succulents, there’s something you should know about ruddy hues in succulent foliage.

To varying degrees, the succulents in this list produce more red pigments when they are exposed to stressful conditions such as intense light, cold, or drought.

Warm-toned pigments help protect the plants from those stressors.

Gee, you might be thinking, all I have to do is plop my succulent in the sun and never water it, and it will be beautiful!

Not exactly.

Depriving succulents of water as the sole method of encouraging colorful pigmentation is likely to backfire, producing sad looking specimens. Instead, follow the watering directions included in this article for each particular plant.

And regarding sun exposure, keep in mind that these plants must be acclimated to more intense light conditions gradually to avoid scalding.

As for cold stress – while cool temperatures can certainly bring out ruby tones in fleshy leaves, not all succulents have the same cold hardiness, so only expose your selection to cool temperatures within its tolerance.

Now that you know why red succulents display those warm colors – and now that you are prepared to carefully encourage ruddy foliage coloration – let’s start looking at our options!

1. Calico Hearts

Do you wear your heart on your sleeve?

With our first selection, you can also wear it on your succulent shelf.

Calico hearts (Adromischus maculatus) is a small succulent with plump greenish gray, heart- to paddle-shaped leaves that have burgundy spots and leaf margins.

Also known as mottled pig’s ears or chocolate drop, this red succulent has a mat-forming growth habit, reaching three to six inches tall with a 14-inch spread.

When they bloom, calico hearts succulents bear small, white, tube-shaped flowers.

Calico hearts needs at least four hours of direct sun per day, preferably during the morning or late afternoon. Protect it from direct sun during the hottest part of the day.

If you don’t have a location with enough direct sunlight to grow this – or the other plants in this list – as a houseplant, consider supplementing with a grow light.

Read our article to learn more about using and choosing grow lights.

This selection is named for Jupiter, the Roman god of the sky and thunder.

Known as either Job’s beard or Jove’s beard, this red succulent is now classified botanically as Sempervivum heuffelii, but used to be considered a species of Jovibarba, now considered by experts to be a subgenus of Sempervivum.

A type of hens and chicks, Job’s beard grows lovely rosettes of elongated, spade shaped, burgundy leaves, on plants that reach four to six inches wide and tall.

This succulent only produces flowers once, right before dying, but leaves behind offsets which go on growing after the parent plant is gone. Flowers are whitish-yellow and are borne on the end of the rosette.

Give Job’s beard four to eight hours of direct sun and allow the top one to two inches of the growing medium to dry between waterings.

Job’s beard provides options for landscaping use to a wider range of gardeners than the other selections we’ve considered so far. This red succulent is hardy in Zones 4 to 9.

Learn more about growing hens and chicks in our guide.

9. Lipstick

Red is a color sometimes associated with drama, and with its high contrast, this selection signals visual excitement more than any of the other options in this list.

A cultivar of Echeveria agavoides, ‘Lipstick’ is a type of echeveria that has triangle-shaped, neon green leaves with wine-colored margins and leaf tips.

The tips of the leaves are pointed, and look as though they have been dipped in paint or makeup. I find the effect more reminiscent of nail paint than lip coating, but ‘Nail Polish’ doesn’t really have the same ring to it, does it?

‘Lipstick’ usually grows as a solitary rosette without producing offsets, and those lone rosettes reach six inches tall and eight inches wide at maturity.

The flowers of this cultivar are pink to red with dark yellow tips.

‘Mission to Mars’ is a type of red-leaved Mangave, an intergeneric cross between an agave and a manfreda.

The long, pointed leaves of ‘Mission to Mars’ are spined, arranged in a rosette, and burgundy colored, mottled with green.

A cross between Agave shawii and x Mangave ‘PDN#9,’ ‘Mission to Mars’ plants grow up to two feet tall and three to four feet wide at maturity.

These xerophytic plants produce huge spikes of yellow blooms, and unlike in the case of agaves, mangaves don’t die after flowering.

Grow ‘Mission to Mars’ in six to eight hours of direct sun, and wait until the soil is dry before watering.

You can grow ‘Mission to Mars’ outdoors year round in Zones 9 to 10.

13. Nodulosa

If you appreciate succulent rosettes but have been hoping for something really different, get ready for this next option.

Echeveria nodulosa looks like a botanical creation that came out of a lab, but in this case, it was nature’s lab – this is a species plant, not a hybrid!

The foliage is grayish green with dark red markings on the centers of leaves as well as on the margins. These markings look as though they’ve been applied with a painterly stroke.

These red succulents are upright or sprawling and have branching stems, reaching up to two feet tall and wide, with open, five-inch rosettes.

Sometimes called painted echeveria, the flowers of these fantastical looking succulents are yellow, pink, and white. These plants are also sometimes referred to as painted lady echeverias, though that common name is usually reserved for E. derenbergii.

‘Royal Red’ is a cultivated variety of African milk tree (Euphorbia trigona) that has branching, columnar, three- or four-angled stems that bear both sharp thorns and small, teardrop shaped leaves. 

Both the stems and leaves have a red to burgundy flush.

This red succulent grows into a large shrub or small tree with stems taking on a candelabra-like growth pattern and the main stem turning into a woody trunk as the plant matures.

Outdoors, African milk trees can reach 12 to 15 feet tall and four to six feet wide, while indoors they typically grow to about six and a half feet tall and two feet wide.

This plant isn’t known to produce flowers, which makes some botanists think the species is actually a hybrid.

Grow ‘Royal Red’ in a spot with four to eight hours of direct sunlight, and allow the soil to dry completely between waterings.

If choosing this option as a houseplant, don’t forget it has the potential to reach over six feet tall, so make sure you have room!

Branching plants produce three- to four-inch, open rosettes on stems that can reach nine to 12 inches tall. Mature plants can spread up to 15 inches wide.

Ruby slippers produces orange, urn-shaped flowers.

We’ve curated a selection of 29 beautiful blue succulents for you to choose from to add to your own collection. On the other hand, perhaps you have a UBS – Unidentified Blue Succulent – and are looking for help learning the true identity of your plant!

Whatever your interest in these cool-toned, fleshy plants, for each succulent in this list you’ll learn the particular shade of blue, its growth habit, and expected mature size.

And while these blue succulents are typically grown for their foliage rather than their blooms, you’ll also discover what kind of flowers and size of flower stalks to expect – short, medium, or tall.

A note on blooming though: not all succulents will flower indoors, but they are all more likely to do so when provided with enough bright light.

Speaking of light, we’ll talk about the care requirements of each of these selections in terms of basic light and water needs.

We’ll also give you some tips on where you might find a specimen of your own if you are in the market for a new floral companion.

Are you ready?

You’ll discover ground covers that excel outdoors, tiny specimens happy to sit on windowsills, one that can grow into a tree – and plenty of options in between!

Here’s a sneak peek at our list:

As we proceed, let’s calibrate your expectations. The blue shades found among succulents in nature aren’t bright cobalt blue.

If you see options online that look too blue to be real, the images have likely been altered beyond what exists in reality. You’ll find none of that fakery here!

Before we start exploring the features of these fabulous succulents, let’s cover a couple of important details related to the hue of these drought-tolerant plants.

Have you ever wondered why silvery blue foliage is so common among succulents?

It’s not a coincidence.

Since these species originate in hot, arid climates, they have an adaptation that helps them keep cool – reflecting the hottest part of the light spectrum, which happens to be blue, and which is why they appear blue!

Perhaps you have also noticed that some blue succulents have a powdery looking wax coating on the surface of the foliage?

This is called farina or epicuticular wax, and it helps to shield succulents from intense sunlight, and prevent water loss.

This feature also serves to protect these blue succulents from pests, keeping the plants in prime shape both visually and health-wise.

To avoid removing this protective coating on species that have epicuticular wax, try not to touch the leaves of these xerophytes since the natural oils on your skin will wipe it away.

If it’s too late and you’ve been affectionately fondling the fat little leaves of your blue succulents, it’s okay, just stop now so that they can continue growing with healthy levels of farina.

I’ll let you know which of these selections feature this waxy layer.

If you’d like to learn more about these botanical wonders, be sure to bookmark our guide to growing and caring for succulents to read later.

And now that you have an even greater appreciation for these cool blue succulents, let’s start exploring our options!

1. Aquamarine

Our first blue succulent selection looks as refreshing as the blueish-green waters of the sea.

‘Aquamarine’ is a cultivated variety of Pachyphytum that features the type of epicuticular wax discussed above.

This succulent has open rosettes of chunky, blueish-green leaves with pointed ends. Rosettes reach five inches wide and can grow up to 12 inches tall.

Pachyphytum ‘Aquamarine’ produces adorable pink flowers with yellow centers on very short stems.

Situate ‘Aquamarine’ in direct sun except for during the hottest part of the day to keep its compact growth habit.

If you don’t have access to direct sun all year long, consider supplementing with a grow light.

As with other pachyphytums, water ‘Aquamarine’ when the growing medium is completely dry – this may be every 10 to 15 days from spring through fall, and even less frequently in winter when the days are shorter and cooler.

Of course, with this and all the other blue succulents in this article, watering frequency depends not only on light exposure, but also on the growing medium you are using.

Learn what type of soil succulents need and how to make your own potting mix in our guide.

Are you hoping to keep this cultivar growing outdoors year round? ‘Aquamarine’ is hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 to 11.

Do you live in a cooler zone? Treat ‘Aquamarine’ as a houseplant, and make sure to bring it back indoors when the temperatures start to cool if you set it outside for the summer.

If you’re confused about how to transition succulents back inside for the winter, read our article for guidance.

2. Arctic Ice

Seeing glaciers in person may be on your bucket list, but you won’t have to travel far to feast your eyes on ‘Arctic Ice.’

‘Arctic Ice’ is an Echeveria hybrid, with E. ‘Lila’s Surprise’ as one of the parents. It has blue to blueish-green, spoon-like leaves.

Farina-covered, Chinese dunce cap’s small rosettes extend their offsets away from the mother plants on short stems.

Rosettes reach three inches tall at most, with the overall height of the succulent growing to be six to eight inches tall.

The flowers of these succulents are what give them their common name “dunce cap.”

The blooms are conical shaped inflorescences covered with white and pink blooms, arising from the center of the rosette.

This succulent requires six to eight hours of direct sunlight, and the growing medium should be allowed to dry completely between waterings.

Chinese dunce cap can grow outdoors year round in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 8.

12. Cliff Stonecrop

Did I hear someone request another blue succulent ground cover to consider?

Formerly known as Sedum cauticola but now classified botanically as Hylotelephium cauticola this stonecrop has blueish-gray to blueish-green, rounded leaves covered with a layer of farina.

While young specimens look similar to aloes and have single “fans,” as plants mature, a mass of succulent leaves is held aloft on forked stems. These stems grow to be thick and corky like trunks as the plants mature.

Fan aloe can grow to be three to fifteen feet tall if conditions are favorable.

As for blooms, fan aloe produces tubular, reddish orange flowers loved by hummingbirds and held on long spikes.

Fan aloe grows best with sun in the morning and shade during the hotter part of day. Allow the growing medium to dry completely between waterings.

Have you become a fan of this (former) aloe? Fan aloe can grow outdoors year-round in USDA Hardiness Zones 9b to 11b.

16. Ghost Plant

When it comes to houseplants, ghosts are nothing to fear!

With farina-covered, pale grayish blue foliage that takes on a pink hue in strong sunlight, ghost plant (Graptopetalum paraguayense) has five- to six-inch rosettes consisting of pointed, spoon-shaped leaves held on trailing stems that can reach up to 12 inches long.

This small living stone is just 0.7 to 1.18 inches tall and an inch or so wide, and unlike some lithops, tends to remain as a solitary head rather than growing into clumps.

This mimicry plant produces daisy-like yellow flowers on very short stems held low over the foliage.

For this pale blue succulent, be sure to provide full sun – six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day.

As for water, lithops require even more extreme care with watering than more common succulents like hens and chicks or echeverias.

Wondering if this could be part of your succulent garden? L. gracilidelineata is hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 9b to 11b.

You can learn more about how to grow and care for lithops in our complete guide.

18. Ice Plant

This next option makes a wonderful houseplant, having a similar appearance to living stones but with more height.

Ice plant (Delosperma lehmannii), also known as Corpuscularia lehmannii, has grayish blue foliage and a compact, spreading growth habit.

The leaves on this blue succulent are chunky, rounded, and have three edges, giving them a unique, geometric appeal.

This species reaches six to eight inches tall and has an eight- to 12-inch spread.

‘Pinwheel’ grows to three inches tall, with each rosette reaching a width of five to six inches.

When ‘Pinwheel’ blooms, pink and yellow blooms are held on medium length stems above the rosettes.

You will want to provide this gorgeous blue succulent with bright light, including at least four to six hours a day of direct sun.

Wait until the top inch or two of growing medium is dry before watering.

If you’re in a warm location, you can consider this for landscaping as well as for growing as a houseplant. ‘Pinwheel’ is hardy in Zones 9 to 12.

26. Powder Puff

‘Powder Puff’ is a type of Pachyveria, a hybrid cross between Pachyphytum oviferum and Echeveria cante that grows up to six inches tall.

With silvery blue leaves covered in farina to give it a powdery appearance, ‘Powder Puff’ takes on a purple tinge when exposed to cold temperatures or excessive sun.

Leaves are chunky and have pointed tips on three-and-a-half-inch, open rosettes formed on stems that grow horizontally before they grow upwards.

When these blue succulents bloom, purple and pink flowers with yellow centers are held on short stems.

Provide bright light for this succulent, including around six hours of direct sun except for during the hottest part of day.

‘Powder Puff’ should be watered when the soil is completely or almost completely dry.

Are you gardening in a location where the temperature almost never drops below freezing? You’re in luck – ‘Powder Puff’ can grow outdoors year-round in Zones 10 to 11.

27. Propeller Plant

Looking for a change from the common rosette form of many blue succulents?

Propeller plant (Crassula perfoliata var. falcata), previously known as C. falcata, has alternating, sickle-shaped leaves that are blueish green and coated with a layer of epicuticular wax.

This blue succulent is also known as scarlet paintbrush and airplane plant. But don’t confuse it with another houseplant also known as airplane plant, more commonly known as spider plant.

This clumping succulent usually reaches no more than two feet tall but occasionally grows to four feet tall if provided with support.

However, if left to its own devices, propeller plant will start to tip over and grow horizontally rather than vertically, where it can spread up to 10 feet.

Turquoise tails (Sedum crassularia) is a type of stonecrop that has clusters of greenish-blue leaves that are narrow and pointed, and covered with a layer of epicuticular wax.

Also known as S. sediforme, this blue succulent reaches four to six inches tall and has a spread of eight to 12 inches.

Clusters of yellowish white flowers appear at the ends of tall stems.

Grow turquoise tails in full sun to part sun, and water this drought tolerant plant when the growing medium is almost completely dry.

This plant brings good news to those of use challenged by winter freezes – turquoise tails is hardy in Zones 5 to 10.

For the most part, succulent plants are easy to grow from leaf or stem cuttings – but propagating from seed, while not quite as easy, has its advantages too.

Growing from seed can save you lots of money since the price of a packet of seeds is typically a lot less than the price of a single plant.

This propagation method can also allow you to create unique hybrid crosses from the specimens in your collection.

It also provides a way of propagating succulent plants that don’t produce pups easily, too!

Despite those advantages, and as much as I’m excited for you to try this method, propagating succulents from seed probably isn’t for everybody.

But there’s one way to find out if it’s for you or not – read this article and learn what this horticultural project entails from start to finish, and decide if you’re willing to commit.

Ready to start learning the process?

I’m going to provide you with detailed instructions for this propagation project.

In fact, these are the instructions I wish had been available to me when I first started practicing this type of propagation, and I hope you’ll find these directions as useful as I do.

Before we get into the details, here’s a quick peek at the steps involved:

Before we get started, I want to reiterate what I said earlier about this propagation method being a long term project:

Most succulents started from seed need care for around one year before they’re ready to transplant out of their seedling pot.

Overall, when you propagate succulents from seeds, it can take several years for them to reach maturity.

I promise, I’m not trying to turn you away from reading this article! I just want you to know that it’s much faster and easier to grow most succulents from offsets or leaf cuttings.

Want to compare methods to see which one is the best fit for your lifestyle?

Read our article to learn how to propagate succulents from leaf cuttings and by division.

If you’re still leaning towards trying out seed propagation, good for you! Here are some words of encouragement:

It is incredibly rewarding to slowly watch a succulent grow from a teeny, tiny seedling into a mature plant – just like the one you fell in love with after seeing it at a botanical garden or online!

Now that you know you’ll need marathon-like dedication if you want to propagate succulents from seed, let’s get started!

Be sure to read through all the steps before you start the process so that you know what to expect.

And since this is a longer term propagation project, you may want to use your garden journal or a digital planner to help track the different stages and set yourself reminders.

1. Obtain or Harvest Seeds

Whether you’re starting from scratch or have specimens of your own to harvest from, you’ll need to obtain seeds, also known as pips.

Where to Find Succulent Seeds

Are you thinking about harvesting seeds from plants growing wild?

Depending on the species, this is most likely a bad idea. Like most wild things these days, many succulents are at risk in their native ranges because of habitat loss, and in some cases, overcollection.

And in many places, seed collection is illegal if you don’t have a permit.

So don’t risk hefty fines for yourself or increase the risk of extinction for the planet’s wonderful succulent plants in the wild – there are plenty of other options for sourcing propagation material from specimens already growing in cultivation.

Perhaps friends or family members have some they can share with you to get you started!

Are you eyeing a neighbor’s succulent landscaping plants as they flower? Be sure to ask permission if you’d like to gather the fruits of those flowers for propagation.

Of course you can also purchase seeds – your local succulent society may have some on offer.

There are nurseries specializing in succulents which offer seeds for sale, but be sure to patronize only those with responsible plant and seed-sourcing practices.

You may also be able to source seeds through trades on social media or other online plant forums.

And of course, if you already have a collection of succulents, you can also grow your own seed supply!

Providing instructions about how to pollinate flowers for seed production is beyond the scope of this article.

But if that is a goal for you, it’s important to know that most succulents require cross pollination to produce viable seed, which means you’ll need two separate specimens that are not the same clone.

Not sure what I mean by the term “clone?”

Offsets from the same mother plant, or a mother plant and baby – these are all considered clones and can’t cross pollinate each other.

One way to grow specimens that aren’t clones, of course, is by propagating plants from seed!

Harvesting Succulent Seeds

Do you need tips about how to harvest seeds from your succulent plants?

While the vast array of different types of succulents makes it impossible to provide complete instructions in this article, the most important piece of advice is to make sure that the fruits and their contents have fully ripened. Immature seeds won’t be viable.

How do you know when the fruits are mature?

In general, fleshy fruits will be soft and change color from green to red, yellow, or orange when ripe, and pods, capsules, and seed heads will dry and turn brown.

Some plants produce pods or capsules that are dehiscent, meaning their seed cases split open when they are ripe, such as starfish cactus and other members of the Stapelia genus (aka stapeliads), which are succulent relatives of milkweed.

Other succulents produce their seeds in fleshy fruits that don’t automatically split open when ripe, such as those of epiphyllums, which resemble small dragon fruits.

To prepare the seeds for sowing, you’ll need to remove them from their casing, clean off the pulp if necessary, or remove dry bits of chaff or plant matter.

If the pulp is sticky and hard to remove, soaking the seeds in a small dish of water can help dissolve it.

If you want to store the seeds rather than sowing them right away, make sure they are dry, package them in a labeled, small paper envelope, and use for propagation preferably within the next six months.

2. Know When to Sow and How to Prepare Seeds

When you have seeds for propagating, you’ll want to make sure you sow them at the best possible time and prepare them for sowing if needed.

When to Sow

Although there are exceptions, the best time of the year to propagate succulent seeds is in late winter to early spring.

Sowing at this time of the year allows the seedlings a chance to size up by the time the next winter rolls around, giving them better odds of surviving.

Many species have better germination rates when the seeds are fresh.

In general, fresh seed is better for propagating, so you may need to sow as soon as you harvest instead of waiting for the end of winter or early spring.

If that’s the case, take advantage of all of the growing supplies recommended later in the article to help keep the seedlings thriving during winter.

On the other hand, succulents like dragon fruit, as mentioned above, are easy to start at any time of year.

How to Prepare Seeds

Some seeds may need to be prepared for sowing by either stratification or scarification.

The most commonly grown succulents don’t require either of these, but let’s look at a few that do.

Those that require stratification need cold, wet conditions to trigger them to break their dormancy for germination.

These types should be mixed with moist sand in a small container, labeled, and stored in the refrigerator for eight weeks prior to sowing.

These include succulent pelargoniums and members of the Disocactus genus, including red orchid cactus (D. ackermannii).

Others require scarification, a process which mimics the damage to the seed coat that happens naturally as it goes through freeze thaw cycles or travels through the digestive system of an animal.

To scarify seeds, soak them in hot water for 48 hours prior to sowing. Alternatively, larger ones can be rubbed with sand paper.

The most widely grown succulent pips that require scarification are those of ponytail palms (Beaucarnea recurvata).

3. Gather Propagation Supplies

Before you sow, you’ll want to look at this list of supplies and make sure you have everything you need for the propagation process:

Growing Medium

Since succulent seeds are often extremely small, unless you are growing medium or large ones, you’ll typically need a finer mix than the typical cactus and succulent growing medium.

There are different growing medium formulations that will work for propagating succulents from seed.

Every commercial nursery has its own preferred mix, and they differ from each other greatly, there’s not only one mix that will work for this project.

For arid land succulents, such as anacampseros, crassulas, and desert cacti, the main features you want are for the mix to be gritty, fairly fine in texture, and for the product to contain no more than 25 to 30 percent organic matter.

The rest should comprise gritty mineral ingredients such as coarse sand, fine river rocks, pumice, lava rack, or zeolite gravel.

In general, the bigger the mature size of the plant, the bigger the seed will be, and the fewer you’ll sow per pot.

If you’re propagating using a seed tray and wondering how many you can fit, know that commercial growers may sow literally hundreds of very small seeds per tray and then prick out plants as they mature, so dense growing conditions aren’t necessarily a problem.

If you have very good germination rates and the seedlings are a bit crowded, they will mature at different rates and you will be removing them at different times, leaving room for the smaller ones to keep growing once the larger ones size up.

Humidity Dome

During germination and as seedlings become established, you’ll need to provide high levels of humidity by covering the pots or trays with a covering that can serve as a humidity dome.

Fungicide

Finally, you’ll want to consider applying a fungicide.

Commercial growers are able to bring large numbers of succulent seedlings to maturity because they protect them from fungal pathogens with fungicides.

This is important for preventing damping off while seedlings are becoming established in very humid conditions.

However, if you like to take an organic approach to ornamental horticulture, there are alternatives to chemical fungicides.

Bio-fungicides are types of inoculants that harness the power of microbes to ward off fungal pathogens, much like a well-chosen probiotic can help protect from unwanted gut microbes.

It’s fighting fire with fire, essentially! (Wait a minute, does that actually work? Never mind, this does.)

Trichoderma species are beneficial fungi that excel at protecting plants from fungal pathogens from the seed stage onward.

Whether you use this product or some other fungicide, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions for application.

4. Fill Nursery Pots

Now that you have gathered all the necessary propagation supplies, and have prepared the pips by stratifying or scarifying if necessary, it’s time for the fun part!

Start by mixing the various ingredients of the succulent seed growing medium as described above, if using.

This is a good time to apply the bio-fungicide if you choose to use it – the product can be mixed with water and used to moisten the growing medium.

Fill the nursery pots or seed tray with moist growing medium, leaving an inch and a half of room between the surface of the growing medium and the rim of the container.

Tamp down the surface of the growing medium to make sure it is level, then add a half-inch layer of sand. I recommend pouring the sand into a small cup and then pouring from the cup into the pots.

Wet the sand by spraying it with the mister, and make sure the surface is still level.

If you’re labeling the pots, go ahead and write out the labels now and insert metal or plastic stakes into the pots, or attach stickers to the side.

It’s a great idea to note the plant name, as well as the number of seeds sowed, and the date of sowing.

5. Sow Seeds

And now it’s sowing time – time to get down to business!

While nursery workers often apply fungicide directly to the seed, with very small seed I find it easier to sprinkle a bit of the bio-fungicide onto the top of the sand layer, much like salting food. This way it is inoculating both the growing medium and the sand layer.

Before you drop the pips into your carefully prepared growing medium, make sure you know how deep to sow them.

The packet may list a recommended sowing depth on it. However, most succulent and cacti pips don’t come in informative seed packages like vegetables and herbs do.

If the nursery provides depth recommendations, refer to that info. Otherwise are some sowing guidelines to follow:

• Small or very small seeds should be sown on the surface.
• Medium sized should be lightly covered with sand.
• Large ones should be covered with a layer of sand equal to the thickness of the pips.

To make it easier to evenly scatter small and very small seeds, mix them with dry sand before sowing.

Try to scatter the dry sand and seed mixture evenly across the damp sand in the pot.

Medium and large pips can be spaced out evenly within the pot or tray – provide at least a quarter to half an inch between seeds.

Poke holes in the growing medium for sowing, then cover with a layer of sand.

Water the seedlings in by spraying lightly with the plant mister. Then you’re ready to place the nursery pots into greenhouse-like conditions!

6. Maintain Greenhouse-Like Conditions

For succulent seeds to germinate they require a warm and extremely humid environment.

Either cover each pot with a humidity dome as described in the propagation supplies section above, or place the pots into a clear plastic bin and fasten the lid, creating a mini greenhouse.

Place the mini greenhouse in indirect bright light and in a location that will maintain a temperature of 77°F during the day and 68°F at night, using the heat mat and temperature controller to achieve this if needed.

How do you know if the light you have available is bright enough?

A range of 800 to 1500 foot candles is a good goal. You can check your light conditions by using a light meter.

Keep humidity very high for this initial phase and keep the growing medium moist. You should notice condensation on the inside of the humidity dome – when it disappears, it’s time to water.

Water the growing medium by spritzing gently with the plant mister, preferably in the morning before temperatures drop to help prevent damping off.

And if you’re using the bio-fungicide recommended earlier in the article, you can add it to the water and apply it every seven to 10 days.

The time it takes for them to germinate will vary depending on the type of plant and the individual seed. Some may germinate within a few days, and others will be much slower.

If no seedlings have appeared within a month, you may need to double check that you followed all the propagation steps properly, or try again with seeds from another vendor.

However, if some of the seedlings have popped up, there’s still hope for the ungerminated pips, they may just be a little slower.

7. Transition Seedlings

When either most of the seeds you sowed have germinated or a month has gone by and at least some have sprouted, it’s time to start transitioning the seedlings to the real world.

You’ll want to transition the seedlings to lower humidity, more aeration, and stronger light very gradually.

The easiest way to do this if you are using a clear plastic bin is to unfasten the lid and place it slightly diagonally across the box to allow some of the humidity to escape.

Do this for just an hour or so the first day, then gradually open it for longer periods, increasing the amount of the bin that’s uncovered until eventually the lid is taken off completely.

When the seedlings have been acclimated to lower humidity, progressively increase their exposure to bright light as well, depending on the particular plant’s sunlight requirements at maturity.

If you’re using a grow light during propagation, this means gradually lowering the light closer to the seedlings. Check the indications on your particular grow light for recommended distances.

Or if you’re using sunlight from a window as your main source of illumination, expose the seedlings first to just a half an hour of direct sunlight, and gradually increase this as needed.

Also be sure to rotate the pots or trays to keep them growing upright instead of leaning towards the light.

Meanwhile, make sure to continue watering with a mister, keeping the growing medium consistently moist.

While seedlings are acclimating to harsher conditions, if they show signs of wilting, slow down the transition. There’s no need to rush!

8. Continue Maintenance

This is the second to last step in this propagation project:

Continue caring for your “nursery” of young seedlings as they become established – keeping in mind that they will need more frequent watering than mature specimens.

Once the seedlings are about four or five months old they may be big enough to start watering with a houseplant watering can, depending on what type you’re growing and the size of these young plants.

Some succulent growers who propagate from seed apply fertilizers frequently, to promote faster growth – sometimes with each watering during the growing season – while others use it sparingly.

Fertilizing succulents can be tricky, as too much fertilizer can cause etiolation, stretched out instead of compact foliage.

The best approach to take with fertilizing is to learn more about your particular plants’ needs and to observe their reactions to changes in light, water, and fertilizer.

Learn more about plant nutrients found in fertilizers in our guide.

And remember, if you are applying the bio-fungicide product recommended earlier in the article every seven to 10 days, it works as a biofertilizer as well, so that may be all you need if your seedlings are showing vigorous growth!

Allow the juvenile succulent plants to keep growing in the same containers for as long as possible before transplanting.

9. Transplant the Succulents

Finally, you’re arriving at the end of this long term propagation project:

Most seedlings should be big enough to transplant into their own pots at about one year of age.

How will you know they’re ready?

The young plants will start to become crowded in their containers, and should have multiple pairs of true leaves.

Lithops and living stones with similar growth habits are notable exceptions, since they only produce one pair of leaves at a time for much of their lives.

However, if your seedlings are still quite small and not filling up their pots, there’s no rush – let them remain in their first pot as long as possible.

These lithops are still too small to transplant.

Once signs such as overcrowding and leaf development indicate the plants are maturing, you can transplant each succulent into a pot of its own – or into a succulent planter with some xeric plant buddies, if you prefer!

As mentioned, some individual seedlings will likely be smaller than others, and if that’s the case, let them stay in the seedling pot until they grow bigger, transplanting only the largest specimens.

For transplanting to individual pots, two- or two-and-half-inch pots will work well for most types of succulents at this stage.

Fill the pot with dry cacti and succulent mix, or the preferred growing medium for that particular plant.

You can use a widger for this step or a spoon to dig under the plant’s roots and remove it from the pot or tray.

Next use the widger or spoon to make a hole in the growing medium in the new pot and insert the plant, roots first, into the hole.

Transplant the succulent into the growing medium so that the soil level remains the same – don’t cover any of the plant’s foliage with potting mix.

Fill in with more growing medium if needed, then add a top dressing, a layer of small pebbles or gravel – the lava rocks used to make the seed starting mix can be used for this purpose.

Allow the plant to settle into its new home for a week before watering.

Once the young plant recovers from transplanting, begin caring for your seed-grown specimen according to the species’ growing requirements.

Propagation project complete!

Succulents fall somewhere in the middle. The wrong kind can lead to stunted growth or discoloration, but it probably won’t kill your plant.

Still, we want robust growth and pretty colors, right?

So, to help you figure out the right kind of water for your succulents, here’s what we’re going to discuss:

Get out that watering can, and let’s begin by figuring out what succulents prefer in their natural habitat.

Succulents in Nature

In nature, all succulents have evolved to have thick, fleshy leaves that serve the purpose of storing moisture.

This allows them to survive unpredictable rainfall patterns. The more established a plant is, the longer it can survive without moisture.

But these plants have not adapted to survive when there is an overabundance of moisture.

These plants access moisture in several ways. The first is, of course, rain falling on the leaves.

They can also absorb dew that forms on the foliage. Then, the roots take up moisture that exists underground or enters the soil after rainfall.

When to Water

Succulent lovers joke that if you’re wondering if it’s time to irrigate, it isn’t.

But I learned a handy tip from the book “Success With Succulents: Choosing, Growing, and Caring for Cactuses and Other Succulents” by John Bagnasco and Bob Reidmuller.

They suggest placing a small, flat river rock on top of the substrate in your container. Lift it up now and then and look at the soil.

For those of us who use treated municipal water, we either need to make some adjustments or collect rainwater if we want to give our succulents the ideal type.

Municipal water tends to contain mineral salts that eventually build up in the soil. These salts can burn the roots of the plant and can certainly reduce its health.

In the absence of a well, distilled or purified water is best. These don’t contain common chemicals like fluoride or chlorine that are commonly added to municipal water.

You can also use purifiers, whether chemical or physical to remove the chemicals from your tap water.

Of course, you can always collect rainwater if it’s legal in your state. Set buckets outside or install a collection barrel.

Signs of Bad Water

You can tell that moisture is causing problems for your plant in a few different ways. First, the soil will develop a white, gray, cream, or brown crust, hinting to an obvious build-up of minerals.

But the soil might change color, as well. If the soil itself, not just the surface, becomes pale, it can be a sign that chemicals are leaching or killing the humus in the substrate.

If the leaves of your specimens start to look stressed and develop brown or yellow spots, particularly at the tips, it’s a sign that you might want to examine the roots.

To do this, remove the plant from its container or the ground and brush away the soil. Look closely at the roots. Do you see root burn? It will look like brown or black areas on the roots and is usually most obvious at the ends of the roots.

The leaves might also change color, turning bronze or brown without necessarily wilting or degrading.

If the liquid lands on the leaves, you might see white spots form. These can be wiped off, but it’s an indication that there are chemicals or minerals in the liquid.

Finally, if your plants are stunted or just seem sad, and you’ve ruled out other culprits, try changing up the liquid you’re providing.

If you’ve been watering a potted plant with the wrong kind and it shows signs of stress, repot it in a fresh potting medium and use filtered, distilled, or rainwater instead.

My stonecrop is looking absolutely stunning as the roses are fading. Lots of people don’t realize it, but many succulents are native to the soggy areas of the Pacific Northwest.

If you live in the northwest, you can enjoy succulents in your garden. It’s just a matter of knowing how to care for them and part of that is understanding when to plant them.

Coming up, we’ll answer that question – and a few others. Here’s what I’ll cover:

For the sake of clarity, when we talk about the northwest, we’re referring to Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

Some people also include western Montana, northern California, and British Columbia.

Those areas encompass a huge variety of environments and climates.

We’re going to focus on the areas that experience mild, cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers. This is the region west of the Cascade Range, running from Lassen Peak in northern California to Mount Baker in British Columbia.

Areas east of the Cascades have a climate that is more in line with the western states like Utah and Wyoming, which have the type of climate for succulents to thrive.

Selecting the Right Species

When selecting succulents for your garden, the first consideration is the USDA Hardiness Zone rating for the specific species or cultivar you want to grow. Obviously, those that are hardy to your specific region are the best options.

It’s not just about picking a species that is ideal for your Zone, but choosing one that will tolerate your climate. Much of the Pacific Northwest is extremely wet for at least a portion of the year, so look for species that tolerate lots of moisture.

Yucca, Dasylirion spp., Manfreda spp., Dudleya spp., Sedum spp., Talinum spp., and even some Agave species like A. utahensis adapt to this unique climate.

Dudleya species, and Sedum oreganum, S. oregonense, and S. spathulifolium are native to coastal Washington, Oregon, and northern California, so you know they can handle the Pacific Northwest climate.

Broadleaf stonecrop (Sedum spathulifolium), which I mentioned above, is another stellar PNW native species. You’ll often spot the native Siskiyou lewisia (Lewisia cotyledon) in Pacific Northwest gardens as well.

Any of these indigenous species have figured out how to navigate our wet winters.

When to Plant

The best time to transplant succulents is in the spring. This gives the plants plenty of time to develop adequate root systems that will allow them to deal with the soggy winter ahead.

But don’t plant during the heaviest period of springtime rain. If the ground is still extremely soggy from the winter rain, wait until it dries out a bit.

In Portland, we joke that spring doesn’t end until the 4th of July, but you don’t have to wait until the end of June to put them in the ground!

A little bit of rain won’t hurt and will probably help. It certainly takes the pressure off you to be diligent about watering your new transplants.

I’m talking about the kind of rain that lasts for weeks and makes the ground into a giant mud puddle. That’s a bad time to put succulents in the ground. Wait for a few dry days to pass and a few dry days predicted in the future and then go ahead and plant.

Obviously, if you set them out in March, April, or May, it’s likely that you’ll have another period of rain. That’s fine, and you don’t need to do anything to protect your plants.

And definitely don’t get too excited and put your succulents in the ground during the “false spring” of February.

I know it’s tempting to get started when it feels like spring has arrived, but not only might you experience another freeze, but you know that soggy, wet weather is coming right back.

All that said, if you come across a screaming bargain on some suitable succulents at the store and it happens to be autumn, don’t worry. You can transplant them in fall, and they’ll probably do just fine, especially if they’re native species.

The only times you absolutely shouldn’t plant succulents is in the winter months and during the hottest part of summer.

Where to Plant

This might seem obvious. You’re gardening in the Pacific Northwest, right? So that’s where you’ll plant. But you might have noticed that the environment in different parts of your city and even your yard can vary dramatically.

You might have a spot in your backyard that seems to remain soggy all year long, while another area seems to dry out quickly.

Take note of the specific microclimates in your garden and place your succulents in those areas that have good drainage and sun exposure.

Since many parts of the northwest have clay soil, you might need to do a little amending to make your succulents happy.

Rather than adding humus or sand (which won’t hurt), it’s best to work some fine grit into the soil. This creates more channels through which moisture can escape.

Alternatively, you can always put them in raised beds or containers.

When you’re growing a species that doesn’t necessarily thrive in your region, sometimes you have to do a little research to determine how to make it work.

If a species is rated for a climate just outside of your USDA Hardiness Zone, there are actions you can take to influence the microclimate so that you can grow species you might not be able to otherwise.

For instance, if you live in Zone 8b and you find a succulent that’s hardy to 9a, you can still grow it, but you’ll need to find a spot in your yard that has conditions more like Zone 9a.

As an example, you can put your succulents near a brick wall which will help to increase the temperature, or you might have a protected, sunny area that retains heat better than the breezy, low spot in your backyard.

Alternatively, you can choose to grow your plants in containers so you can move them indoors during the winter.

In addition, it helps to understand the environment in which a plant grows naturally. Pediocactus species grow in the southwestern United States, where they are periodically covered in snow during the winter, so they can tolerate cold winters.

But they are only covered with snow for a short period. For that reason, if you have snow in the forecast, and it tends to linger in your neck of the woods, you should protect your plants with frost cloth that you can lift off after the snow has been there for a day or two.

Or, if a species only grows well in rocky soil, you might build a raised rock bed for the plants.

Providing Protection

When you’ve chosen your plants and decided where to put them, you’ll still need to provide protection for your new transplants.

A late spring freeze doesn’t just damage fruit tree blossoms. Succulents exposed to strong, direct sun in the spring during a hard freeze may be damaged or killed.

Cover these with frost cloth or grow your succulents on the west side of a rock or building so they have time to defrost during the day before the sun hits them.

You should also provide a thick layer of mulch, so long as it doesn’t cover any part of the foliage, to help protect the roots from the heat and cold cycle that happens in winter.

For other tips on succulent winter care, please visit our guide.