Choosing a pot or planter to grow your succulents in can not only make it look good it can also help with plant health.
The designs for succulent pots will be important, and from cute pots through to hand painted classical pots, they are all available.
The look of the pot is up to you however four very important factors are involved in selecting the right pot.
Choosing the best Succulent Pots for your plant.
Succulent Pots have different requirements to other garden pots, These include :
- Good sized drainage holes.
- Pot height to suit root system
- Feet on the pot to improve drainage
- The right pot size for the succulent.
- Made from a material that does not retain moisture.
Drainage
All succulents require good drainage, so the size of the holes in the pot need to be considered.
The material the pot is made from can also affect drainage with terracotta being one of the best.
However if you choose the right growing medium and water the plant correctly the material will not matter that much, so glazed and PVC pots or metal containers are all OK.
Pot Feet
Pot feet improve the drainage and air flow as well as making some succulents easier to water.
Drainage hole size
Drainage hole size is also important, many are small and do not allow good drainage, some are large and can let the soil fall through.
Go for lager holes and place some wire mesh over the hole to stop the soil falling through.
You can also make drainage holes larger in most pots if you have the right drill bits and a little knowhow.
Pot Size
The trick is to choose the right size pot for the size of the plant. If the pot is too large, the extra potting soil can hold too much moisture and cause problems.
Most succulents actually like a slightly contained root space. Also with large pots, the plant can spend to much energy growing roots rather than foliage.
If the pot is too small the plant will not have enough room to grow.
Size and type of the succulent.
Some succulents are large, others small, some have deeper root systems than others, so this effects pot size, and as they grow, you may need larger pots each time you repot.
Temperature
Put simply, some materials heat up more quickly than other, metal and glass are two. So if you are growing succulents in a sunny position, the extra heat can be an issue for the roots of the plant.
For more information on succulent care see our Basic Succulent Care Guide