How to Plant a Succulent Garden

Preparation

• 1

  Buy succulent plants from a nursery or garden store. Different species of succulents require different levels of light; choose plants that best suit the conditions of your garden. Succulents that like light are best suited to south-facing gardens, and succulents that prefer shade should be planted in a north-facing area. The nursery or store assistant can advise on the best species of succulents for your area.

• 2

  Find pots for each succulent that you don't want to plant directly into the garden. Both plastic and clay pots are suitable for succulent planting. Plastic pots are lighter and easier to move, and clay pots are stronger and more suitable for larger succulents. The size of the pot required depends on the size of the succulent. Shallow-rooted succulents grow well in small pots, but succulents such as jade need a bigger area.

• 3

  Create raised plant beds for succulents that you don't want to pot. Succulents need well-drained soil; planting them in raised beds can promote this. Raised plant beds can be bought from garden stores or made using planks of wood, which are jointed to form a shallow rectangle or square.

Planting

• 4

  Fill the pots or plant beds with compost, which promotes good drainage. Cactus compost is a good general medium for planting succulent plants, but each species has slightly different preferences. The most common planting mediums used are soil-based compost, peat-based mixtures, organically rich soils and sandy composts. Check the exact soil requirements of each species before planting.

• 5

  Hold the succulent plant in its container upside down and tap the base to loosen the soil. Gently pull the pot away from the roots and brush the old soil away. Wash the remaining soil off if it is poor quality or a different type than the soil you're planting with.

• 6

  Dig a planting hole in the plant beds, deep enough to cover the succulent's roots. Fill the pots you're planting in with soil, leaving enough space to plant the succulent to below root level. Leave a half-inch space around the edge of the pot, to give the succulent enough room to grow.

• 7

  Plant the succulent and cover the roots. Leave the plants for one week before watering, or wait for two weeks if the roots were damaged when being removed from their pots.