How To Repot Succulents

We get asked all the time about the right way to go about repotting succulents. Repotting succulents is super easy, but you need to know the proper way to do it in order to ensure that the health and stability of your plant is not compromised. All succulents are different and require slightly different handling, so make sure to assess the fragility of your plant, or its potential danger to you, i.e. cactus needles, before beginning the repotting process. Follow our simple step-by-step process below to learn how to repot succulents:

What you'll need:

• Your Succulent
• Pre-Mixed Cactus or Potting Soil
• A Pot
• Gardening Gloves
• Coffee Filter (optional)
• Water

Steps For Repotting Succulents:

1. Prepare your new planter by filling it ¾ full with a pre-mixed succulent or cactus soil, which can usually be found at any local nursery or home improvement store. If you want to try making your own soil, you can mix equal parts regular potting soil and perlite. If you are moving your succulent to a larger planter, make sure the planter is about 2" wider than the diameter of the succulent.  This will give your succulent plenty of room to grow and stabilize.

2. Take your succulent out of its current pot, and gently loosen the roots. You can "tickle" the roots from the bottom to loosen them up and knock off the soil. Think of this step as giving the roots a nice stretch. Spreading and lengthening them out will allow them to stabilize in a bigger pot and get used to their new soil. This is the perfect time to brush away any dead roots as well as pull off any dead leaves around the base of the plant. Be sure to brush away the old, excess dirt while you're doing this!

3. Dig a shallow hole in the new soil, place your succulent in it, then gently cover the roots with more of the potting soil to stabilize the plant. Be sure to add enough to reach the base of the plant, but don't cover any leaves or let the leaves rest on top of the soil! This will result in rotting leaves because they'll absorb too much moisture from the soil. 

4.  Once the plant is stable, you can give your new potted succulent a personal touch by adding colored rocks, pebbles, or sand. If you do add something to the top, be sure that the material drains well so that water can get down into the soil below!

5. Watering in this instance is all about circumstance.  Initial watering of a repotted succulent will vary depending on the type of plant and when it was last watered. It is generally recommended however, that you wait at least a week after repotting to water your succulent. Be sure the soil is dry, then wet it thoroughly without drowning it.

6. Enjoy your repotted succulent! Maintain your succulent by watering about once every week to three weeks, depending on your climate, sunlight, etc. When the soil is dry, it's time to water. If it's still damp, leave it until it dries. They are resilient little plants, so don't be afraid to experiment and find out what works best for your new addition.