5 Basic Succulent Planting Supplies

Ready to start growing your own collection of succulents? Learn what succulent supplies you’ll need to get started planting your very own succulent garden!

One of my favorite things is planting new succulent babies!

The problem is…

I’m running out of places to put them so I’ve decided to blog about it and help you build your own succulent collection!

Usually, when you pot regular plants, all you need is plants, soil, and a pot. Succulents are exactly the same, but there are a few things you can add to your succulent terrarium or planter to give your plant a head start. Here’s a list to help you get a head start!

Succulent Supplies

• Succulents
• Succulent/Cactus Soil
• Container With Drain Hole
• Medium-Small Rocks
• Decorative Rocks

1. Picking Out Your Succulents​

Let’s start with the first thing on our list: the succulents! If you’re new to succulents or have had issues keeping them alive in the past, I’ve written another post that describes the best succulents that are hard to kill and easy to keep alive.

Trust me, I’ve been there and killed a lot of plants. One pro-tip I’ve learned over the last few years: buy succulents in bulk. I love going to Lowes or Home Depot and buying succulent planters that come with 15-30 succulents for $13-25. It’s so much cheaper than buying individual succulents that cost $3-4 a piece and you are able to grow your collection a lot faster.

But what happens when you see that one little succulent that you are just dying to add to your collection?

Answer: Buy the little guy! I love when I am able to find a specific type of succulent I’ve been looking for and I have no problem spending a little extra money on a single succulent.

2. Succulent Potting Soil ​

Please, please, buy a succulent soil! I started my succulents off with regular potting soil and that was a bad idea. Succulent/cactus soil drains better than regular soil which is something better suited to succulents as the worst thing for them is letting their roots sit and rot in standing water. Succulent plant soil costs about the same price and honestly, you won’t use nearly as much as you may think you will.

3. Succulent Potting Soil

Another thing I beg of you:

Use a container with drain holes! When I first started adding to my succulent collection, I planted all of my succulents in cute glass bowls and teacups. These were the plant pots I’d seen all over Pinterest so that’s what I bought.

That was a huge mistake.

I tend to over-water my succulents and caused several succulents to die because my roots starting to rot in the sitting water. Planting succulents in pots with drainage holes is more important than using a succulent soil.

4. Drainage Rocks

Adding larger rocks to the bottom of your succulent pot will allow more room for excess water to drain in cases of overwatering. You can use the same rocks you decorate the top with, or just go collect some smaller rocks from outside. Trust me, you want this layer so your succulent roots don’t sit in any excess water and rot.

5. Decorative Rocks

Lastly, decorate your little succulents! I love adding river rocks as the final layer of my succulents to spruce them up and help them retain water. You can use whatever rocks you find in the craft section of your local store.

Optional Succulent Planting Supplies

• Activated Charcoal
• Sphagnum Moss (drainage)

These are a few optional, but highly recommended succulent supplies to add to your list! Fist off: activated charcoal is amazing! You can find it in your local pet store or purchase it from Amazon. It helps with odor, filtration, drainage, and all the good stuff that you want for your succulent plants. Just put a small scoop of it in your soil and mix it in.

Another thing that helps with drainage is a layer of sphagnum moss in the middle of the pot. You can also layer this on top in place of decorative rocks.

I hope this list of succulent supplies helps you get started with your succulent planting. Have fun decorating with various pots, rocks, and succulents. Once you’ve got all your supplies, check out my walk-through on how to plant a succulent.

Let me know if you’ve had any luck with other succulent planting supplies!