I always love planting season and I try to come up with new and different ways to plant things. This past week I decided to create a DIY succulent garden and I am so happy with how it turned out!
It’s the perfect addition to our screened in porch and brings a little life into the space! And the good news with succulents is you don’t really even need to have a green thumb!
Succulent plants are pretty easy to take care of. You could even turn this into an indoor succulent garden too since they do well inside. You just need a pot with a good drainage hole and you’re all set.
This was such an easy and simple project to do as well. With just a few materials and a little bit of time, you too can create your own succulent garden easily! You can get everything you need easily at your local Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores or Home Depot too.
Keep on reading to see just how you can make one too! And trust me, you don’t have to be a master gardener to create your own succulent garden.
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Materials Needed For DIY Succulent Garden
Large pot or succulent planter
Well-draining soil (specifically a succulent potting mix, see notes below)
What Type of Soil is Best For Succulents?
If you’re wondering if you can use regular potting soil for succulents, you can, but technically it is not the ideal substance for them. Regular soil contains too much organic matter and can cause root rot.
Having a good drainage system is important for succulents so you want to use something that includes sandy soil, perlite, or pumice instead. You can even use a specific succulent soil mix for best results too.
What Types Of Succulents Should I Use?
You all know there are so many varieties of succulents out there. And it can be hard to know what succulent species would work best for you.
And again, it depends on where you want to put your DIY succulent garden to know exactly what’s best. Especially since some succulents need full sun and some don’t want too much sun.
Depending on if you want it to be an all outdoor succulent garden or not can help you decide which ones to plant.
Check out your local garden centers to see what they are offering and what they have available. I wanted some with different colors to create a visual interest for my garden.
How To Make DIY Succulent Garden
First, in the bottom of the container, I made a layer of rocks to help with the drainage situation. And again, make sure you use a pot or container that does have a drainage hole too.
Then, over the bottom layer of rocks, I added in my succulent soil. After that, I started planting the succulents. I dug small holes where I wanted to plant the succulents in the soil.
Then, I added some succulent plant food inside the holes before planting. Carefully remove them from their nursery pots and place inside the holes.
Cover the area back up with soil and make sure succulent is well planted. After all the succulents are planted, I went back and added some decorative rocks on top to create a colorful rock garden.
You may remember these rocks were similar to the ones I used to fill up the inside of my DIY fire bowl I shared a few weeks ago. And that’s it! That’s all you need to do to create this succulent dish garden!
How Often Should I Water Succulent Garden?
You definitely want to be careful when watering your succulent garden You don’t want to give them too much excess water. Especially since they get more prone to root rot if so.
To properly water succulents, use the “Soak and dry” method. Which means to let the soil completely dry in between waterings.
You can stick your finger in the top of the soil to determine if it is dry enough to water again. If it’s wet soil, wait a few more days before watering again.
In the summer and warmer months, you can water them about once a week, whereas in the winter once a month should be just fine.
Enjoy Your Succulent Bowl!
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial for a DIY succulent garden. As you can see, it’s super easy to create and maintain too.
It’s a good start to planting, especially since succulents are drought-tolerant plants and easy to care for.
If you’re looking for another tray garden idea, be sure to check out my DIY Herb Garden as well. That’s another easy way to have fresh herbs all summer long!
But, I just love the finished look to this succulent garden design and I can’t wait to wait them grow all year long!
For More Planting Inspiration See Below:
- What To Plant In A Raised Garden Bed
- DIY Upcycled Planters
- What To Plant In A Window Box
- DIY Raised Garden Beds
I just LOVE a good succulent planter, Charity! They are easy to care for and so very colorful with a ton of different textures! Thanks for sharing! Creatively, Beth