5 Best Succulent Soil Mix for Cactus and Succulents in 2024

It often becomes difficult for us to find the best succulent soil mix. Succulent soil mixes are perfect for your little plants.

Creating the best succulent soil mix is not a big task at all. A little caution and tenderness can help you make the best succulent soil mix for yourself.

While the succulent potting soil mix can be created at home, there are certain succulents that can be brought from the market and used for the betterment and fertility of the soils.

Do you want to know about the best succulent soil mix for yourself? Let’s find out more about the succulent soil mix for your succulents.

What type of soil is best for succulents?

The best soil for succulents indoors is those soils that have a good drainage system. Porous soils are the best soils for succulents and cactus.

The soil mix needs to be absorbed by the soil appropriately so that the plants get the appropriate nutrients required for their growth.

The best succulent soil mix can be easily made with the use of inorganic substances. The inorganic substances are often considered to be the main ingredient & help in soaking water and allowing air in the soil mix.

Best soils for indoor succulents

succulent and cactus soil mixture

The soil that does not stay wet for a long period can be considered a good one. The potting soil for indoor succulents should be extremely well-drained.

You can use Miracle-Gro for our indoor succulents. These soils have been specially designed for indoor succulents, and it helps your succulents to be extremely healthy and nutritious. The bonsai jack succulent soils can also be an option.

Best Soil for Outdoor succulents

To grow succulents firmly, you need to give it a good soil mixture. A soil mixture that has well-draining properties and also possesses some proportions or coarseness can be best for succulents.

Best succulents soil mix for the outdoors should also be porous in nature. You can try using such soils for outdoor succulents like Kalanchoe, Echeveria & Aeonium.

How deep should soil be for succulents?

The soil for the best succulent soil mix should be approximately 8 cm deep. However, for the beneficial growth of the succulents, the soils can also be deep about 15 to 20 cm deep.

The depth of the soil is often determined by the roots of the succulents and how much it stretches. The deeper the soil mixture is, the better it is for the succulents.

The liner and deeper roots are in requirement for the deep soils. Certain succulents have tiny roots and can be perfectly grown in shallow soil too.

Can you plant succulents in regular soil?

best succulent and cactus soil mix

Regular potting soil is often considered to be inappropriate for succulents although often people are found using these by mixing essentials like pumice in proportion to it.

Many people also use sandy potting soil for their succulents.

Any regular potting soil needs to act as the base for the plantation of the succulents. It is highly recommended to use light and porous solids as the base of the succulents while making a potting mix for succulents.

Can you plant succulents in sands?

sandy potting soil

Yes, you can plant succulents in the sand. However, the sandy potting soils should be well-draining.

The sands that can be used for the best succulent soil mix should be reversed sand and not the beach sand.

Beach sands contain salinity which might be applicable for the rotting of the succulents. Reversed sand soils can be used for the plantations of the succulents as they are well-drained and porous, as well.

How do I prepare my soil for succulents?

potting soil mix

There are several steps through which you can prepare your soil succulents.

Let me guide to through them so that you can do it yourself.

  • Get a potting mix that can be well utilized for preparing your soil for succulents.
  • In that potting mix, add some sand. The sand must be reversed sand and not the beach sand.
    This is because beach sands often add salinity, which might not be good for succulents. The reversed sand will add structure to the entire soil mix.
  • Now, you have to put the old compost into a potting mix to prepare your soil mix.
  • Use old compost for its nutrition-rich contents. Pile it with the sand in equal proportions.
  • Add some perlite in an amount half to that of the sand & compost. Being highly porous, it is essential to make your soil mixture compact & aerated.
  • Now, add this soil to the pot and plant your succulents properly.

Your succulent is now ready for growing in a properly nourished soil mix.

Apart from these steps, you can also add various ingredients like crushed granite, pumice, chicken grit, and calcined clay to your soil mix to enhance its quality.

Do you need a special potting mix for succulents?

Yes, it would help if you had a special potting mix for preparing your soil for the best succulent soil mix. The best potting mix for your succulent soil is the pots that are made of terracotta or ceramic.

These potting mixes are extremely useful for the best succulent soil mix because of their ability to hold water.

As mentioned earlier, holding water and the availability of airiness is extremely important for the soil mix. Thus, the potting mix made of terracotta and ceramic is the special potting mix required for succulents.

The special potting mixes can be classified on the following criteria.

Criteria for selecting the best potting mix

You can always choose the correct potting mix for the best succulent soil mix. There are some criteria that you need to follow to ensure that our soil mix is extremely healthy and nourishing.

1. Drainage

succulent drainage pot

The prime lookout for selecting the potting mix is the drainage of the pots. You can prepare the best succulent soil mix only if the potting mix is well-drained. It should be taken care of if the excessive amount of water is not logged at the bottom of the succulents, which might kill the succulents by rotting.

2. Size

Size is an essential criterion for the selection of the special potting mix. The size should be big enough. The spacious potting mix allows the succulents to grow properly

The correct size should be at least 5 to 10 percent larger than the size of the actual succulents. The pot should be big enough to allow the proper growth of the succulents. However, excessive big pots might create fragile roots of the succulents, which is not best for the best succulent soil mix.

3. Material

The material of the potting mixes should be of excellent quality. The most popular actual fitting mixes include terracotta, ceramic, metal, resin, and wood.

4. Design

succulent designer pot

Last but not least includes design. The designs of the potting mixes must be following the tastes and preferences of the owner. It would help if you considered the physical characteristics of the plants before selecting the designs of the potting mixes.

Can you plant succulents in pots without holes?

Yes, you can successfully plant the succulents in those pots which do not contain holes. Succulents can easily survive in those pots without the holes if the soil is of the best succulent soil mix.

The survival of the succulents in pots without the holes depends upon the care that you are willing to take off the little succulents.

Watering is extremely needed for succulents but excessive watering in the pots without holes might be harmful to the succulents. Succulents can be planted and grown in pots without holes with extreme caution.

Should I water succulents after repotting?

Yes, you have to water the succulents after repotting to allow the best succulent soil mix to settle properly.

The best succulent soil mix requires not only correct nutrients but also appropriate hydration. You need to supply an ample amount of water to your freshly potted plant.

Since there is a presence of sand in the succulent soils, there is a huge tendency that the soil might dry & harm the roots of the succulents.

Repotting leads to creating pressure on the roots, and it requires enough tenderness and care. Thus, watering is essential after repotting.

Summary

We often find ourselves in a dilemma in finding the best succulent soil mix. They have the capability to enhance the tenure of the succulent’s life and make sure that they live healthily.

The best succulent soil mix can be a little tricky to make. However, with proper caution and dedication, you can prepare the best succulent and cactus soil mix easily at your home.

Outdoor succulents & indoor succulents often increase the decor of the surroundings as well as the interiors. And the one that provides you with such aura and makes its presence felt, needs to be given proper care.

I do not suggest people be nagging or choosy about the kinds of stuff required for successful indoor gardening, but when it comes to the soil mixture for succulents, you cannot choose anything but the best soil mix.