The Only Succulent Fertilizer Guidebook You Need

Thick, supple, and firm leaves are the ultimate features of a healthy succulent. Watering your succulents and keeping them out of too much sun will enhance their growth. Keeping it thriving is the ultimate goal. To achieve that, it helps if you feed your succulent with the best succulent fertilizers.

The key is to balance the fertilizer for your succulents and the water you feed them. Excessive watering will flush out all the nutrients within the fertilizer. Too little water and you may create problems with the roots and leaves from the fertilizer.

And watering is only one thing to care for. There are many more to notice. Should you use succulent fertilizers? What makes a well-rounded fertilizer for succulents? How to apply it? When, how much, and how often? … This article has everything sorted out. Let’s dive in!

What Happens If You Don’t Use Succulent Fertilizers?

If you plan on having terrariums or a garden of cute little succulents, you should avoid fertilizers. The only necessary thing is the right soil mix. The good news is we can make our soil mix at home. That’s enough for succulents’ growth.

For succulent fertilizer components, you will only need to know the succulent fertilizer ratio of N (nitrogen) – P (phosphorous) – K (potassium). The ratio of NPK is usually stated clearly on commercial fertilizers’ packaging. For example, 10-10-10 or 5-10-10. The best succulent fertilizer ratio will be 2-7-7 or, more commonly, 5-10-10. This means it’s easier to find a 5-10-10 fertilizer package out there than the 2-7-7 one. But if you can, pick the 2-7-7 as succulents love low-nitrogen fertilizers:

Last update on 2023-12-08 / Amazon

How To Fertilize Succulents

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When To Fertilize Succulents? How Much & How Often To Fertilize Succulents?

Timing for fertilizing succulents is essential. Not every season is suitable for this activity. If you fertilize in winter, when most succulents are dormant, there will be no progress. The best time to do it is springtime or, more generally, the succulent’s growth season. When the daytime temperature reaches 15 degrees Celsius (~ 59 degrees Fahrenheit), it’s the best time to perform the technique.

You should only use half the amount written on the package for liquid fertilizers. If you use succulent fertilizer pellets, spread them evenly in small amounts and then water them thoroughly. Using too much diluted fertilizer or too many pellets can cause succulent burns. So, how often should you fertilize succulents during their growth season? It’s recommended to fertilize succulents once in their growth season. You can do that bi-monthly or quarterly using organic fertilizers like manure tea for succulents with extended growth season. No fertilizer when it’s not the season.

An interesting read: 199+ Positive Succulent Quotes For Succulent Lovers (A Collection).

Easily-Bought But Adequate Commercial Fertilizers

Now, you know how to deal with commonly manufactured fertilizers. Here are my 2 recommendations for easily-bought commercial fertilizers at fine quality:

#1. Leaves & Soul Succulent Fertilizer Pellet

Last update on 2023-12-08 / Amazon

#2. EarthPod Premium Bio-organic Cactus & Succulent Plant Food

Last update on 2023-12-08 / Amazon

Organic Alternatives For Succulent Fertilizers

Don’t want to feed your succulents with commercial fertilizers? We have organic options. The most common solution is manure tea. You must know how to prepare and use manure tea to do this. Worm casting is the less common method and is also harder to execute. Someone not a gardener doesn’t dare touch those creatures (even if they are dead). We have the topic covered here for succulent organic fertilizers: 5 Organic Succulent Fertilizers For Naturally Feeding Your Garden.

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Final Words

Fertilizers are a great addition to your succulent growth. Make sure you use the right time, the right way. Overfeeding your succulents will lead to leggy growth, leaf burn, or even the deadly root rot. Your succulents will take a break from the water during winter, so it makes sense to give them a break from fertilizer, too.

Thank you for reading! Leave a comment telling us which fertilizer works best in your experience. You should join us in our exclusive Facebook Group, “Succulent City Plant Lounge”, where succulent enthusiasts like yourself share experiences, tips, and photos to help inspire your inner- gardener. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletters and get access to the free ebooks from Succulent City!

Happy Planting!

Furthermore, I extend our topics a bit from succulents. We do mention cacti (which are basically succulent) and air plants as they share the same low-maintenance attribute. Here are the 2 related helpful reads that you don’t want to miss: