After years of trial and error, I finally came up with the perfect DIY succulent potting soil mix. This is the best, and it’s super easy to make too!
In this post, I will share my homemade recipe and ingredients with you, and show you exactly how to make your own.
I don’t buy succulent soil, I make my own. It’s much cheaper than the commercial stuff. I find that those pre-made mixes (at least the stuff I’ve purchased in the past) are light on drainage, and hold more water than I like.
So way back in 2013, I came up with my own mix, and it’s perfect! I’ve been using it for all of my succulents ever since, and they love it.
My goal in developing this recipe was to use common ingredients that you can find at your local garden center, big box store, or online. Plus, I use them to make my other homemade potting soils too, so they are all very reusable.
The Best Soil For Succulents
The best type of potting soil for succulents is a well draining, sandy mix that allows the water to flow through quickly, without becoming compacted.
When readers reach out to me about problems with their plants, most of the issues they have are caused by overwatering. This is by far the #1 cause of death for succulent plants, and that is why it is so important to use the right type of soil for them.
If you don’t want to make your own, then you should buy a high quality brand. Read the package to make sure it’s porous, drains quickly, and does not retain moisture.
Related Post: How & When To Water A Succulent Plant
How To Make Succulent Soil
Below you’ll find all of the details about how to make your own. Since you control the ingredients, you can modify my potting soil recipe to get the perfect mix that both you and your succulent plants will love.
Supplies Needed
You’ll only need a few supplies to mix your succulent soil. So grab these items before you get started…
- Measuring container* (to measure your ingredients)
- Hand trowel
- Container for mixing (I use a bucket or my table top potting tray)
* You can use anything for this, like a measuring cup, a scoop, or a hand trowel.
DIY Succulent Soil Recipe
You only need 3 ingredients for this recipe. You should be able to find them at any garden center, home improvement or big box store, or order them online.
- 3 parts potting soil
- 2 parts coarse sand (turface or poultry grit)
- 1 part perlite (or pumice)
What is a “part”? – A “part” is just a generic unit of measure. For example, if you use a 1 cup measure, then this recipe converts to 3 cups potting soil, 2 cups sand, and 1 cup perlite.
Related Post: How To Make Your Own Cactus Soil Mix (With Recipe!)
How To Mix Potting Soil For Succulent Plants
Making your own DIY succulent potting soil is very quick. All you need to do is dump everything into your mixing container (bucket, potting tray, wheelbarrow… whatever) and stir it all together.
Use a trowel, a large spoon, or your hands to mix it. Just make sure the ingredients are evenly combined once you’re done. That’s it. Told you it was easy.
Related Post: How To Grow & Care For Aloe Vera Plants
DIY Succulent Potting Soil Ingredients
Below I will describe each of the 3 ingredients you need, and also give you alternatives that you can use if you can’t find any of these locally.
All Purpose Potting Soil
Pretty much any type of regular potting soil will work as the base to make your succulent soil. Use whatever you have on hand (as long as it’s fresh and sterile).
However, don’t use cheap dirt, garden soil, mixes that contain vermiculite, or any type that says it has added moisture control or retains water. Succulents need a well draining potting soil, not one that holds moisture.
Related Post: Succulent Plant Care & Ultimate Growing Guide
Coarse Sand
To prevent soil compaction, I recommend buying coarse sand rather than the really fine stuff. If you prefer, you could use turface or poultry grit as a substitute instead.
Just don’t use sand from the garden, the beach, or a sandbox (you never know what nasties will be in there).
Related Post: How To Care For A Jade Plant (Crassula)
Perlite or Pumice
Perlite is a very lightweight organic soil amendment. It’s the white pieces that look like Styrofoam that you see in many commercial mixes.
It retains very little moisture, prevents compaction, and adds drainage – which is exactly what we want for our succulent potting soil.
You can usually buy perlite at any garden center or home improvement store. But sometimes it’s hard to find, so you can substitute for pumice if that’s easier to get where you live.
Related Post: Propagating Succulents From Stem Cuttings Or Leaves
Storing Your Leftover Succulent Soil Mix
You could mix up a big batch and store the leftovers for later. That way you’ll always have some homemade potting soil on hand when you need it for repotting your succulents.
You can keep it on a shelf in your basement, garage, or a shed. But make sure to put it in an air-tight container so bugs can’t get in.
If you don’t have an air-tight container, you can buy one of these bucket sealing lids, which works with a five gallon bucket.
Related Post: How To Make An Indoor Succulent Garden
FAQs
You certainly could use regular potting soil for your succulents. However, make sure that it dries out completely between waterings, or they will rot.
Planting your succulents in regular potting soil increases the risk of overwatering, because it tends to retain too much moisture. It’s best to use a fast-draining, porous mix instead.
The differences between general potting soil and a succulent mix are the ingredients and the consistency. Regular potting soils are made of organic materials that retain moisture, while succulent soil is porous, and designed to drain very quickly.
My succulents do very well in my DIY potting mix, and making my own saves me tons of money. Now that you know how to make it, your plants will thrive too.
Do you make your own succulent soil? Share your recipe or tips in the comments section below.
Nick says
Great advice however if you have clay in your soul like we do in CA, adding sand will decrease drainage adding to your compact soil problem. Go with more perlite and even a small amount of compose which can break up overall soil to help drainage. Lastly in ground succulents require half the amount of water you probably give them once established
Amy Andrychowicz says
Thanks for the great tips for growing succulents in the ground Nick!
Gail says
Making a succulent section surrounded by rock. Got rid of grass. We put plastic sheeting on ground before rock. My question is: can I plant on sheeting to help keep weed from growing or do I need to cut sheeting and plant on soil.
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’ll definitely need to cut the sheeting and plant them in the soil.
Kathy Thompson says
You can use layers of newspaper. Roots will go through it, but grass will not. Once your plants have established themselves they’ll pretty much crowd out grass. The newspaper will degrade into the soil.
viv says
thansk kathy for the information…hope the dyes used in newspaper for printing wont harm the soil and the plants as have read these synthetic dyes contain metals and poisinous metals like mercury and lead.please advise.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Newspaper ink is soy based these days, and non-toxic. They don’t use chemicals anymore, so you don’t have to worry about that. 🙂
Brigitte says
My question is I started succulents a few months ago ,I have a fish tank with the ultra violet light, at first they to seemed to be doing just fine and then the leaves starting falling off. What did I do wrong ? Oh not all suffered the leaf loss, I also spray them lightly ,misty is that ok for them ?
Amy Andrychowicz says
My guess is they are getting too much moisture. Succulents like dry conditions, and keeping them in a fish tank provides too much humidity for them. I would pull them out of the tank, and put them in a sunny window. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings. You can continue to mist them if you want, they like that… but don’t do it every day. Here’s more information about caring for succulents… Growing Succulents As Houseplants
Ranon says
Are you sure it should be the kind used in sandboxes? I bought that and it seems really water-retaining. How long should it take for the surface of the soil to dry in this mixture?
Amy Andrychowicz says
It should be porous sand, not the fine stuff. It shouldn’t take more than a week or so for the surface to start to dry out, depending on how saturated it was. If it’s holding too much water, then I would add more perlite or find a more porous sand. Also, don’t water the plant as often.
Dod Jobson says
Pumice is used in quality potting mixes. Perlite contains nothing relative to plants diet, completely inert.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Great, thanks for the suggestion. Yes, perlite is purely added to help with drainage.
cheryl mc says
Pumice is extremely hard to find in Michigan, tried looking for it, no such luck…
Amy Andrychowicz says
Here’s a great source for high quality pumice… Pumice
Steve says
I am definitely going to try your recipe for succulent soil. I have been using palm and cactus mix and not having good results with my semps. I always get confused when people say 1 part this and 2 parts that. Does one 1 part equal 1 scoop or handful? I really want to get this correct.
Thank you,
Steve H.
Amy Andrychowicz says
You can use anything you want, as long as you use the same type of measure for each “part”. So, if you use a scoop measure for 1 part, then use the same scoop twice for 2 parts. Does that make sense? So, for example if you use a 1 cup measure, then this recipe would convert to 3 cups potting soil, 2 cups sand and 1 cup perlite. If you use a scoop, it would be 3 scoops potting soil, 2 scoops sand and 1 scoop perlite. A handful would be 3 handfuls potting soil, 2 handfuls sand and 1 handful perlite.
Steve says
Thank you for clarifying the instructions for the succulent soil recipe. I made it and planted twenty- five sempervivum chicks in 2″ containers about two weeks ago. Not only are they doing great I would say they are thriving…
Amy Andrychowicz says
Awesome, that’s GREAT to hear! 🙂
Suchika says
My indoor jade plant leaves are falling pls. suggest the maintenance and also the causes of this . I bought it just two days back.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Could you describe the problem you’re having with the plants? I’m guessing that if you just bought them, then they were already struggling before you even brought them home. Read my detailed jade plant care guide to help you out.
Debbra Gore says
I’m new to the succulent world. Always had a green thumb. But I thought I could just buy them, replant them in cute containers in potting soil. It worked for awhile. After about a month all of them started to either and the leaves started taking off. You really have to read and know how to care for them. Trying to save them all. I think they’ll be OK.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Sorry to hear your succulents are suffering! 🙁 Good luck bringing them back to health, I hope they will all survive for you!
Deb Murray says
I use a similar recipe that someone gave me:
4 parts potting soil (I use cactus mix)
1 part coarse gravel (think chicken grit or pea gravel)
1/2 part perlite.
Works great, drains fast.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Awesome, thanks for sharing your recipe!
Barbara Barrett says
I live in New Mexico – I leave my succulents and cactus outdoors all year long. When we have very cold/freezing weather, (and we DO have sub-zero temps occasionally) I invert a plastic pot with holes drilled in the bottom, over my succulents at night and uncover them during the day. Has worked for several years, even through the weeks of sub-zero weather in 2011. Our biggest problem down here in winter is wind-chill.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Sounds like a great, easy way to protect your plants. Thanks for sharing your tips!
Erika Boutin says
is that by weight or volume? thank you!
Amy Andrychowicz says
by volume.
Rebecca says
I just bought some succulents and I’m curious about soil:
I have some succulent/cactus mix soil from the store, which I guess has sand already mixed in. Would mixing this soil with some pebbles or gravel have the same effect as the perlite, since the goal is to prevent compacting?
Thanks!
Amy Andrychowicz says
For sure you could do that. The only thing is that pebbles or gravel will add weight to the pot, where perlite will not. It depends on the size of your pot. It wouldn’t be a big deal for small pots, but if you have a large pot, it will get very heavy.
Suze says
You wash your succulents? How, is this something I should be doing? I”m getting ready to repot several that have been in same pots for several years and are not doing well now, they live on screened in porch in mostly sunny warm south central FL. Should I try to “wash” them?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, only the ones that spend the summer outside. I had a terrible aphid outbreak in my house one winter, so now I make sure to clean and debug all of my potted plants before bringing them back indoors for the winter. I haven’t had a major pest outbreak since (knock on wood). Here’s how I do it…
Debugging and Cleaning Potted Plants You don’t need to wash them if you haven’t had any issues with bugs. Our winters are much, much longer than yours and houseplant pests are a major problem.
Peggy says
Oh how I wish I had found this site and read it all before spending lots of time and a nice chunk of change on succulents and planters lol
Suz says
How do you wash your succulents?
Amy Andrychowicz says
You can find details here… How To Debug Plants Before Bringing Them Indoors
Janet QueenofSeaford says
I should make my own too, maybe when we go to Lowe's again I will get all of the above. I guess you have to bring in your succulents for the winter? The only one I bring in is the aloe…and that just comes inside the storage room door…to be forgotten until about January. 🙂
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yah, they all come in for the winter. It's a huge task to wash them all and move them inside. Every fall I wonder why I keep doing it, but they do so much better outside. You're lucky! :-)Amy
Amy Andrychowicz says
This is great Sheila! Thanks for sharing this, it's really fun to see my post translated in Portuguese!
Sheila Zanella says
Hello!! I read your post and it was very helpfull..I used to use vermiculite when i lived in Portugal (very dry weather) now I'm living in Ireland (very humid, wet) and I'm still using, for the first time i lost a succulent with root rotten..Now I know why. Thank you very much.!!
Amy Andrychowicz says
Great, so glad I could help! 🙂
El Gaucho says
Very good advice. I just repotted a bunch of succulents this weekend and I just use a imprecise +/- 1/2 sand, 1/2 potting soil (with perlite). It's one of the reasons I love succulents, as long as the soil drains well, they'll be fine.
Amy Andrychowicz says
I love succulents too!
gwynne carosella says
Dear Amy. Good advice about the succulent potting soil. One tiny detail you never use the play sand that is meant for sand boxes.1. It has been sterilized.2.Too small particles. It will clump together. So the deal is use big grained sand. Bank sand we call it in Houston. For potting soil and garden soil also.I use to run a plant nursery. It is way cheaper to make your own.
Gwynne
Amy Andrychowicz says
Great, thanks for your tips. The sand I buy is the course-grained stuff. Yes, we definitely don’t want to use the fine-grained stuff. 🙂
dan dore says
what to look for is concrete sand. very coarse and has small stones mixed in for drainage. go to your local concrete plant and they will probably fill your bucket for nothing…
Amy Andrychowicz says
Awesome, thanks for the tip!
Nikki.Ro says
good to know!
Bessie says
Thanks
Bridgette says
Great advice. Want to start growing some succulents. Appreciate the tips.
Lori Faulk says
Hi,
Where did you find bank sand. I was only able to find play sand.
Thanks,
Lori
Tina Reddu says
When growing succulents what it the best place to move them when it’s cold
Amy Andrychowicz says
I move my succulent plants indoors and grow them as houseplants during the winter here in MN. But, if you’re in a warmer climate and only need to protect them from short cold spells, then you can just move them into a porch or garage overnight (or even up to a few days if the cold spell will last a few days). But, if you’re in a colder climate like me, then you’ll need to bring them indoors for the winter. Here’s a detailed post about how to care for succulents indoors… Succulent Plant Care.
SJL says
Any builders merchant will sell it in bags for very little. In England we call it sharp sand, just look for the the little rocks in it!
Peggy says
lol wish I had read this before I went out and bought 8 different succulents and made up a batch of “soil”… I used play sand… did I just kill all the babies I just bought ?
Amy Andrychowicz says
If the sand you used wasn’t coarse, then you may want to amend the soil in your containers with more coarse sand. But if you make sure to allow the soil to dry out completely between waterings, your succulents should grow just fine.
Kate says
Could cat litter be used as it absorbs excess liquid? ? I’m new to growing these plants.
Amy Andrychowicz says
I would not recommend using cat litter in your succulent soil mix. Though it does absorb moisture, it also retains the moisture. Which means your soil would stay way too wet for succulents.