Succulent Care Guide Part One: Planting

Congratulations! Perhaps you are the new owner of a baby succulent. Follow these planting tips we've compiled from our succulent expert Sara to ensure a long and happy life together.

Contain your succulent:

• You can use most any container (bowls, pots, cups, boxes, baskets), but use something with drain holes if you can.
• If it doesn't have drain holes, adding a layer of pea gravel in the bottom is very important. This helps with drainage. 

The right tools:

• Not dirt, not even cactus dirt, use pea gravel. It's what our expert with over thirty years experience recommends.  
• You can use a paint brush or small stick to pick out any gravel that gets caught in your plant.
• Wear gloves for the prickly guys! Trust us. 

The planting process:

• Put a layer of pea gravel in the bottom of your container (at least half an inch). This allows the water to drain down away from the roots.
• Put the plant (and the soil it came with) in the container and fill with pea gravel up to and around the plant's neck covering all soil. You do not need to add more soil.
• You do not have to break apart the soil or roots unless you need to make the plant slightly smaller to fit in your container.

The future:

• You will not need to repot them later. They are like goldfish and only grow as large as their containers.
• Read Part Two of our Succulent Care Guide to learn about how to care for your succulent now that you've completed a successful planting!