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.
Shawn Hamilton says
Hi there,
I live in Florida and get occasional rain. Would this mix work for rainy weather? Thank you
Amy Andrychowicz says
This succulent soil is fast draining, so it won’t hold water for too long. Occasional rain won’t saturate the soil, and will be perfect for your succulents. 🙂 Just be sure your pots have drainage holes.
sean says
i know its not the most organic stuff on the planet but woul crumbled Styrofoam do justice instead of perlite?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes you’re right, it’s definitely not organic. But that aside, I still wouldn’t recommend replacing the perlite with styrofoam in your succulent soil. Styrofoam can become compacted over time, where perlite is hard and will not become compacted.
Gabriel says
I’ve been using a somewhat similar method yet with 50% potting soil and 50% coarse sand.
Recently, I’ve purchased a bag of perlite. I grow succulents, but the most notable ones are Aloes, Haworthias and Gasterias. Aloes are no big deal, but Haworthias and to some degree Gasterias have tendency for root rot, especially varieties of H. Truncata. They mostly do well, but I think my potting mix has to be improved somewhat.
My question is whether it is a good idea to replace more of the potting soil with perlite, or do another change for that. My climate is Mediterranean. It rains a lot in winter. I can get high rainfall for days in a row, but frequency, intensity and time are unpredictable and the average is not very high. I have no frost in winter, which is good, considering the size of my collection and no sheltering space available.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, I would try mixing more perlite into your succulent potting mix. That will definitely help with drainage for your more sensitive succulents.
Bryan Godfrey says
Hi, I live in Zone 9b. San Jose, Ca. My area I want to plant is about 15 square ft. outside. How deep do I need to have the soil mix and is the recipe the same as the one you gave?
Amy Andrychowicz says
This succulent soil recipe is for potted plants. For the garden, I would check your soil to see if it’s already sandy and fast draining. Since you live in CA, your soil might already be perfect for growing succulents. If your garden soil isn’t sandy, then I would amend it with coarse sand and perlite for your succulents.
ananth narayanan says
Hi, I live in Middle east where the climate is quite hot most of the year and it goes upto 47/48′ C in summer. I love succelents (Burro’s tail, Hens & chicks etc ). I dont get here succelent mix and so use the plant mix avaialble in stores for propogating. I tried many times and not successful yet. Can you advice me how to propogage keeping in mind that my place is a hot place unlike USA or Europe and I stay in 8th floor. I can keep the plants/baby one in open balcony, shaded balcony or indoor
Amy Andrychowicz says
Wow, that is hot! I have a whole different post about propagating succulents, so take a look at that for all the details and step-by-step instructions… How To Propagate Succulents From Cuttings
Lisa says
I can’t click on the recommended items to see what the title actually is.
Amy Andrychowicz says
I’m sorry, but I don’t understand your question. What are you trying to click on?
May says
Thanks for sharing your soil recipe. I just started planting succulent,since I have a greenhouse I decided to try planting it.i lived in Norhern California zone 8 so our winter is usually mild.
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome!
BARRY says
Very interesting reading. I live in South Australia where the climate is great for growing succulents. I have never seen turface or pumice for sale in any of our plant shops. i don’t like perlite because i reckon the white lumps do not look attractive. As far as sand goes, i have collected my own sand from the creek and used it in aquariums for years. This year I went to a sand and gravel merchant and bought ‘propagating ‘ sand, large amout for 5 Australian dollars. Pity your posts do not contain a date so I can see which ones are new or very old. 10 September 2018 i use a website called Pinterest for plant identification and ideas.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Thanks for your added tips for finding succulent soil ingredients in your area of the world. 🙂
Kenneth says
Can i just use 2 part potting soil and 2 part perlite? I do not have safe sand near me and in local shops.
Amy Andrychowicz says
You can buy coarse sand made for bonsai on Amazon, or substitute with poultry grit. I haven’t tried using perlite alone, so I can’t recommend it. But you could certainly experiment with making your own version of the succulent soil recipe using only those two ingredients. 🙂
Laurie Hughes says
I am brand new to planting succulents. i need an answer to a very basic question. i have mixed all the parts of the medium. i have a bucket of completely dry soil-correct? when i begin planting the succulents how much water do i put in the soil? do i plant them in the dry soil? this is such a basic question, but i need an answer
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, you can plant them in the dry succulent soil. If the soil of the succulents you’re repotting was already wet, then I wouldn’t water them right away. But, if they were already pretty dry, then I’d give them a good drink of water after repotting into the dry soil, then allow them to dry out completely before watering again.
Jerri says
Thanks for the good advice. I was losing my succulents by using “cactus Mix” which as you explained does not have enough sand. I wasn’t watering too much – my soil was holding too much water. Thank you again!
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome!
Phyllis fred says
I have just started my small succulents and cacti collections.
And i notice that nursery here use gardening soil or compos, coarse sand with small pebbles, cocopeat. Now i dont think that cocopeat drain water..right? so now i know what to prepare when repotting my collections. I have all ingredients ready. Am just waiting for new babies to immerge
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, coco coir and peat moss would hold too much moisture for succulents. Have fun potting up your new babies!
viv says
hi amy…hope u r in good health…recently i am seeing white webby spots on my succulents….black spots on a plant where the leaf seems to be melting from the inside(exactly same like when u put a fleshy fruit in the freezer and as u unfreeze the fruits fleshy seems to have melted). along with the leaf the stem seems to be rotting too…one of the plant recovered back on its own and i am seeing the same with 5 diffrent succulents…one of them has dried completely although i have sprayed all of them with a neem based insecticide.mixed with hand soap too.hope i am doing it correctly.can u please help..
Amy Andrychowicz says
Are your succulents infested with some kind of a bug? If not, then you don’t need to spray them with anything. It sounds to me like your succulents are being overwatered. Here’s my comprehensive guide for succulent plant care for more information on how to care for your succulents.
viv says
thanks amy….no maam not being overwatered. it seems to be a bug as the leaves melts and the stem too melts and breaks off. (i can notice a number of black spots near the stem)the process can be seen on all leaves and and stem. one of the succulent was able to survive after being exposed to sun for 3-4 days along with a hebal insectiside spray. but the present one doesnt seem to be healing back.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Whenever I’ve had problems with the stems rotting and the leaves dropping off like that, it’s been due to either overwatering or too much humidity. If your succulents aren’t in the sun, and you live somewhere humid and/or rainy, then that’s likely the issue. Succulents like a dry location, and most of them require lots of light/sun. But when you said there was white webbing, that makes me think of spider mites, so you could check for those. If you want, you can post a few photos on my Facebook page so I can take a look.
viv says
amy one thing i wanted to add and confirm one of my succulent is loosing it leaves rit from the middle…today i noticed 2 small white non-hairy caterpillars. they were eating the leaves and have seen the same in other plants. was surprised as the succulents has been with me for more then 2 years but saw the caterpillar pest for the first time on it..
Amy Andrychowicz says
Ok, then maybe you’ve found the culprit. I would watch the caterpillars to see if they’re eating the leaves. If they are, then hand pick the ones you see, and continue treating the plants with neem oil. That will eventually get rid of the caterpillars.
viv says
thanks a lot amy.. ur help is greatly appreciated. thanks for ur selfless service and advice.take care
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome. 🙂
viv says
hi amy….thanks for all the help and tips….regarding succulents… i am using egg shells(being economical) as perlite.and using dried leaves ratio to soil as 3:1 is that ok.
eggs shells information i found on the web. leaves recipe was conveyed by my local nursery and my gardener.
* could u please provide me ur mail id so i can share some succulent pictures regarding some pest issues.
Amy Andrychowicz says
You can share your photos on my Facebook page.
viv says
sure amy….what would u advise on egg shells as perlite and the leaves soil mixture..
Amy Andrychowicz says
Oops, sorry I missed that you were asking for advice about your mix. I would not advise substituting those ingredients for making succulent soil. I’ve never tried either of those ingredients in any of my soil mixes, so I can’t speak from experience. But I would think the leaves would hold too much moisture as they decompose, and the eggshells wouldn’t prevent soil compaction. If you have extra succulents then you can sure experiment with it to see if it works for you though.
Len cole says
just started growing suculants,find your advice very helpfully Ma my thanks
Amy Andrychowicz says
Great! You’re welcome, hope your new succulents will grow well for you!
Sharon Davenport says
Hi Amy, I rooted a succulent that was part of a Valentine’s arrangement 2 years ago and it is thriving ! However, it is outgrowing the container (in the house) and I need to re-pot it. At this time, it is growing 2 shoots with buds / blossoms on the ends. I had no idea a succulent would bloom so now I’m concerned about when to re-pot it. Any suggestions ? Also, I live in Wisconsin, just across the Mississippi from MN so not sure if weather conditions play a factor, but the plant is in the house. Appreciate your help !
Amy Andrychowicz says
The best time to repot succulents is in the spring. Most types of succulent plants will flower in the right conditions, and some even flower year round. Congrats on your success! 🙂