Repotting Succulents The Right Way (An Easy Guide)

Whether you’ve been a succulent guru for the past ten years or just purchased your very first succulent plant, knowing how to repot succulents correctly is crucial for long life. Below you will find a step-by-step process on how exactly to re-pot your succulent so that you can do it successfully. (And have some fun with it).

When To Repot Succulents

You bought a new succulent plant to add to your collection.

When you purchase a beautiful succulent plant at your local store, they usually come in those small, cheap black plastic containers. (You know what I’m talking about). Not only do these plastic containers look hideous in your home, but they also obstruct the growth of your succulent plant.

Make sure you re-pot your succulent after purchasing it with soil and potting mix nourishing for your succulent. You don’t want to wait too long before you re-pot it. I would safely say no more than 2 weeks. (1 week, to be specific). We highly recommend using a terra-cotta planter as they greatly help with moisture. Though, any planter with drainage holes should do.

You have a gut feeling that watering your succulent feels “weird” or “different.”

If your treasured succulent plant seems to dry out quickly shortly after watering it, thus requiring more frequency in watering, it can be a sign that you may need to re-pot your succulent. Sometimes the planter or pot you utilize may not allow a good flow for the water to travel around the plant thoroughly.

Also, if your succulent isn’t absorbing the water, this can be another sign that your pot is too small. If it’s too tight and cramped, your succulent won’t be able to use its roots stress-free fully. Consider a larger pot.

Your succulent looks like it’s outgrowing its pot.

If your succulent plant looks like it’s outgrowing the current pot that it’s in, do it a tremendous favor and re-pot it. (Succulents need room to grow, just like you and me). If you see the roots growing from the bottom of the planter or pot, repot it.

Sometimes the plant looks squished within the current pot, which is another sign that you should re-pot your succulent plant so it continues to grow healthy. It’s begging for a new home!

You don’t want to upset your succulent plant, do you?

Plain and simple, you can’t remember the last time you repotted your flourishing succulent.

If it’s been days, weeks, and years since the last time you repotted (or remembered), this can signify that it’s time to switch things up.

It’s important to know that when considering repotting, changing the pot or planter itself may not be necessary. You may need to switch things up with the soil and placement rather than the pot or planter.

How Often Should I Repot Succulents

All plants have a different time frame for maturing from their current pot, but most plants should be repotted between 12 and 18 months. Though it’s ideal for repotting your succulent plants every 12 to 18 months to keep them healthy, there are exceptions.

Some succulent plants can spend a few years in their planters or pots before it requires another change.

PRO TIP— Even if it’s technically not time to re-pot, ensure you regularly change the soil. This is SUPER beneficial for the plant. Why? New soil has a bunch of crucial nutrients that the succulents need to survive and thrive! If the soil looks old, change things up a bit. (Change is good).

Spring is the growing season for your indoor succulents. Fuel them up with a bit of water and new soil. Watch them grow like the beautiful succulents you see on Pinterest.

Make sure to follow Succulent City on Facebook, Pinterest & Instagram for more informative & interesting content about succulents & cacti 🙂 Happy planting, and live the moment, my friend!

What Supplies Do I Need to Repot Succulents

• A New Pot: Make sure it’s more significant than the pot you’re transferring the succulent from and has a drainage hole at the bottom (significant). Spice things up and get a fun new funky pot that your succulent and home will love.
• New Soil: The nutrients from the new soil will make your plant thrive. Like us, your succulent plants need rich soil (or food) to grow healthy and go about daily.
• A trowel: Don’t know what a trowel is? It’s that baby shovel! Use it when removing the plant from its existing pot. If you’re repotting more miniature succulents or propagating buds and seeds, use metal tweezers to help you plant them effectively and carefully. 
• Coffee Filters: Use this to cover the drainage hole. It’s a great inexpensive solution besides newspaper or the other materials you might use as a filter.

Riseuvo 5 Inch Terra Cotta Pots with Saucer - 6 Pack Clay Flower...

Hoffman 10404 Organic Cactus and Succulent Soil Mix, 4 Quarts,...

Radius Garden 16011 Root Slayer Trowel, Red

8-12 Cup Basket Coffee Filters (Natural Unbleached, 500)

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Buy From Amazon

Buy From Amazon

Buy From Amazon

Buy From Amazon

Riseuvo 5 Inch Terra Cotta Pots with Saucer - 6 Pack Clay Flower...

-

Buy From Amazon

Hoffman 10404 Organic Cactus and Succulent Soil Mix, 4 Quarts,...

Buy From Amazon

Radius Garden 16011 Root Slayer Trowel, Red

-

Buy From Amazon

8-12 Cup Basket Coffee Filters (Natural Unbleached, 500)

Buy From Amazon

Last update on 2023-04-30 / Amazon

How to Repot Succulents

It’s time for the fun and action of this whole thing… I’m excited, are you?

The Prep Work: A day or two before you extract the succulent from its existing pot, you water it frequently. Check the soil used for the new pot and see if it seems dry. If it does, spray it a little bit with some water. Moisture is critical in having a successful repotting process.

Step 1: Extract your succulent from the existing pot.

This step can sometimes be tricky and daunting, but we promise it will be okay. Start by turning the plant sideways, then grab the plant at the base of the stem. Tap the bottom of the container and shake it a little bit. If you have to, give the stem some friendly and gentle pulls.

If your succulent plant is squished and there’s no way of safely removing it from the pot or planter, you might have to break it. Yes, you’d have to sacrifice the old planter for the new planter.

Gently hammer the planter not to hurt yourself in the process. Extract the beautiful and healthy succulent child you cared for deeply.

Step 2: Rootwork

Roots are crucial to your succulent, so we must take extra special care of them. If the plant’s roots look tangled and knotted together in a bunch at the base of the plant, try to loosen them. Use your hands to loosen them! Feel free to give them a little trim too.  If you cut, tear, or even break some, do not worry. This is not the end of the world. Just do your best to be careful and do this process cautiously, patiently, and calmly.

Make sure to follow Succulent City on Facebook, Pinterest & Instagram for more informative & interesting content about succulents & cacti 🙂 Happy planting, and live the moment, my friend!

Step 3: Removing & Replacing Potting Mix

Remove about ⅓ of the existing old potting mix. Pour a layer of the new soil you bought, packed with nutrients your succulents will love! Then place the plant on the new soil. Once you make sure it’s centered, add more mix around the base of the plant until it sits straight up without you holding it. Ensure you do not mix too much in the planter so the roots can breathe!

You also do not want to put the soil on the tippy top of the pot because it will overflow and make a mess when you try to water it. (It happens to the best of us). 

Step 4: Water your succulent

Make sure you water your succulent well! This is a significant problem if you don’t do it correctly. We wrote an article with over 2000 shares to help you understand how to water your succulents to be healthy and thriving.

Give it more water than usual. This is because it will drain through the entire pot and the soil.

ALSO READ:

• The Complete Guide On How To Plant Succulents In Pots
• Large VS Small Succulents
• Choosing the Right Pot for Succulents (Guide)

Final Words

There you have it! How to re-pot your succulent plants the right way. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out our other articles, you’ll probably get a kick out of the 12 minimalistic succulent planters we have too. Or check out Air Plants vs Succulent Plants and Why is My Succulent Rotting to enhance your succulent knowledge!

Feeling inspired to own every succulent, you can get your hands on?! (don’t feel bad, we do too) We have a fantastic opportunity to fulfill your succulent dreams. Have you heard of Succulents Box? They offer more than 200 varieties of succulents that are organically grown in California, along with monthly subscription boxes of fresh succulents and air plants! Starting at just $5/month, you could be on your way to creating a beautiful succulent garden from the comfort of shopping at home! Click this link to learn more about Succulents Box and start your subscription today!

Thanks for reading, be sure to share your re-potting photos in our exclusive Facebook group, Succulent City Plant Lounge, where thousands of succulent lovers would love to see them!

Enjoyed learning about Repotting Succulents? If so, you’ll enjoy the ebook about Replanting Practices to Keep Your Succulents Safe. This ebook will give you more detailed answers to help your succulent grow even better! With thousands of succulent lovers enjoying our ebooks, you don’t want to miss out on what works best to grow your succulents.

Happy planting!

ABOUT ME

Richard Miller

Salute everyone. It's Richard, the author of this Succulent & Xeriscaping blog. I am a traveler and a nature lover looking for a connection with the wild green. In my journey, I found a love for succulents and xeriscaping. What attracts me is the long-lasting & unique beauty of every plant I have the chance to see with my own eyes. Welcome to my little blog and let's enjoy a good time together!

Contact me: richard.succulentcity@gmail.com