3 Super Easy Homemade Succulent Soil Recipes
That Will Nurture Your Plant!

Introduction

Soil is the lifeline of plants. Apart from providing water and nutrients, soil also stabilizes plants by acting as a foundation. However, sometimes the soil is not rich in water and nutrients, nor is it firm enough to supply stability to plants. If this is the case, you need to make a more appropriate soil mix for your plant.

After experimentation, I perfected a soil mix for my succulents. You can create a brilliant succulent soil mix by using ingredients like garden soil, coarse sand, perlite, and coconut coir.

3 Easy Homemade Soil Recipes for your Succulents

Now that we know the benefits and properties of soil best suited for succulents let’s make some for your plants from scratch!

The Perlite-Based Soil Mix Recipe

You won’t believe how easy it is to make your own soil for succulents. To do that, you would need:

• Common garden soil
• Coarse sand
• Perlite

Common garden soil is a household element. But if you live in an apartment, you can easily find it in the nearest park or garden. Similarly, coarse sand is also available in some households. If you don’t have it, you can easily get it here. You can cheaply perlite too.

Mosser Lee ML1110 Desert Sand Soil Cover, 5 Pound

I wholeheartedly recommend this desert sand as it is perfect for your soil mix!

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Organic Perlite by Perfect Plants

If you're searching for organic perlite, this is the perfect place to purchase it!

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After you have all the ingredients, mix three parts of common soil with two parts of coarse sand and one part of perlite. And boom! You have the magic soil for your succulent.

Pro Tip

You can dilute coffee grounds with water and add them in your pot as a natural manure.

The Coconut-Coir Based Soil Mix Recipe

For this recipe, you will mix three parts of common soil with two parts of coarse sand. But this time around, add one-part coconut coir. Coconut coir is shredded husks of coconut that will improve the drainage capabilities of your soil. You can easily get it here

Minute Soil - Compressed Coco Coir Fiber Grow Medium - 20 MM Pellets - Bag of 100

I am a big fan of this coconut coir product, it never lets me down!

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The Turface-Based Soil Mix Recipe

In this recipe, you will replace the 1 part coconut coir with turface. Turface is a clay product that will help in aeration and moisture control. With turface in your mix, your succulent will blossom like never before. You can get turface here

2 Gallon Turface

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Soil which Succulents Love

Soil provides 17 of the most common nutrients essential for the growth of any plant

Different soils mean soils with varying compositions and ratios of nutrients. In general, succulents like soil that does not hold moisture. As sand is known for its ability to absorb moisture, the soil for your succulent must have it.

Garden Succulents

If you are making soil for garden succulents, make sure that the place is not wet all the time. Selecting a higher spot in your garden for succulents is a good idea. When it comes to nutrients, your garden succulents will require no fertilizers at all.

Indoor Succulents

For indoor succulents, it is better to have holes in your pot. Proper drainage will help in keeping the soil drier. To get sufficient nutrients, indoor succulents need fertilizers. Mainly, any solution having nitrogen is recommended for indoor succulents.

Beware! Excess nitrogen can actually harm your succulents. So, be moderate!

Making Your Own Soil: The Benefits

Apart from keeping your plant healthy, making your own soil for succulents has other benefits as well.

You Will Save Money

Ready-made soils for plants are readily available. However, they are also heavy on pocket. From my experience, off-the-shelf soil for your succulent will cost you at least twice as much as their homemade counterparts.

Making your own soil will cut your cost in half

You Will be Healthy

Apart from saving money, you will also be doing yourself a favor by making your own soil. Using organic fertilizers will keep you safe from the side effects of toxic chemicals. This is especially important in the case of indoor plants. You don’t want unnecessary exposure to chemicals, that too, while sitting in your room.

You Will be in Control

Finally, making your own soil will give you the liberty to experiment with the ingredients. You will be able to change ratios of contents as per the requirements of your plant and external conditions, i.e., light, temperature, humidity, etc.

Conclusion

Soil is vital for your plants. If you give them the best soil, they will provide you with happiness. To make that best soil, you need ordinary garden soil, coarse sand, and either perlite, coconut coir, or turface. All you have to do is mix two parts soil and sand, each with one part of perlite, coconut coir, or turface. And you don’t need any expensive off-the-shelf soils for your plants.

As mentioned earlier, every plant likes different soil. For example, check out this article that mainly talks about choosing the best soil for cacti.

The Perfect Soil For Your Succulent! Find Out How to Choose One.

Are you wondering what makes your succulent rot? Well, the answer is pretty simple: the wrong type of soil. Knowing that “effective drainage” is the factor that makes the soil best suited for succulents’ growth will help you choose the perfect soil for your succulent.

Posted in: Recipes Drainage Watering Tips Overwatering Underwatering Root Rot