When to transplant succulents? A Beginner's Guide (2023)

Transplanting succulents, or indeed any plant we like, is daunting for most gardeners, even the most experienced ones.

Do you have this beautiful aloe that you love to see in the afternoon sun and you have to dig it out of the ground and maybe kill it in the process?

Things really aren't that dramatic and with a little knowledge and following the instructions, replanting will become one of those regular maintenance tasks you need to do on your plants.

In this article, we will seehow to transplantsucculents. I'm sharing my best practices below.

When to transplant succulents?

You'll know it's time to repot your succulent when it's evidently outgrown its pot size. When the roots start to come out through the drainage hole in the pot, it means that there will be no more room for them to grow. Succulents should be transplanted just before the start of the growing season, either in early spring or early fall. That way, they have plenty of time to recover from the transplant.

What to transplant your succulents into?

Majoritysucculentsthey grow slowly when grown indoors, but eventually they will overgrow and need to be repotted to a larger size than before.

Fresh, new soil will give the plant a boost and encourage vigorous growth.

use afree draining mixwhich is low in nutrients and contains a lot of pine bark, coarse sand and/or perlite.

Why Transplant Succulents?

1. Your succulent will eventually grow beyond the pot. Although most succulents grown indoors grow slowly, they do. The better conditions you provide, the faster they will fill the pot with roots. Leaving the plant in a pot that is too small restricts its growth, but does not make it happy, and this can be reflected in the color of its leaves, brightness or shape.
2. Your succulent is slowly but surely depleting your soil of nutrients. One of the main reasons for transplanting is to replace the soil mix with fresh, nutrient-rich soil.
3. Many succulents grow offset or babies. Transplanting is the time to separate them from the parent plants and propagate your succulent with lots of offspring.
4. Changing the pot may sometimes be necessary. For starters, every new succulent you bring in from the garden center comes in a flimsy little pot and generic soil. Such a pot must be replaced immediately with a decent one, filled with a suitable mixture of fresh soil. Don't wait for it for more than a week or two.
5. Your succulents are not only living things in your home, but also a piece of natural beauty that should be in harmony with the rest of your decor. You'll want to transplant them into the nice new pot you found would work perfectly in your library or office.

Signs It's Time to Transplant Succulents

These signs indicate that it's time to transplant your succulents:

1. When watering your succulent, you notice that the water does not soak the entire vase or the water drains too quickly. This is the sign that there are more roots than soil in the pot.
2. The roots come out of the pot's drainage hole, or you can see them circling the pot on the surface.
3. The plant stops growing. If your succulent is healthy but not growing even though it's the growing season, it's probably not getting enough nutrients from the old soil or the roots don't have room to grow anymore.
4. Your succulent looks unhealthy even if you give it enough light and water. Repotting your succulent and giving it fresh soil would give it a boost and encourage better health.
5. The plant becomes unsteady in the pot and falls on its side. For starters, some succulents are very heavy. If the soil in the pot is depleted and the pot is too light, it may topple over and be damaged.
6. You have no idea when you last transplanted it. Don't take advantage of the fact that succulents are so forgiving. If you can't remember when was the last time you transplanted your plant, check the roots and if there's too much and too little soil left, transplant your plant.

How often should succulents be transplanted?

If you've had your succulent for a while and are familiar with its habits, appearance, and occasional changes, you'll develop a sense of its needs.

It is impossible to create a rule that works for all succulents regarding how often to repot succulents.

Some guiding principles:

1. Younger plants grow faster and are still developing their root systems. They will fill the root pot in less than a year and will need to be transplanted to continue growing.
2. Mature plants with well-established root systems do not grow quickly and will be content to repot every two to three years.
3. Some succulents grow quickly and quickly outgrow their place in your home. By leaving them lightly rooted, you slow down their growth so you can enjoy them a little longer. Don't overdo it, or the plant will suffer.

In general, most succulents could transplant every 18 months to two years without suffering. But be good to your plant, keep an eye on its needs, and repot it when needed.

The best time to transplant succulents

Repotting is a traumatic experience for your succulents, and you want to give them the best chance of recovery as soon as possible.

Most succulents go through a dormant period, and the best time to transplant them is just before they are ready to begin their vigorous growing season.

Most succulents fall into one of two categories: those that go dormant in the summer and those that go dormant in the winter..

Succulents that go dormant in winter are those that grow vigorously in spring and summer.

The time to transplant them is in early spring, just before they begin their growth phase.

Succulents that go dormant in the summer grow vigorously in the fall and winter. They must be transplanted in early autumn.

Succulents for all seasons.

There is a third category of succulents, those that do not go dormant.

Succulents go into dormancy to respond to unfavorable conditions, such as too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter.

In the home environment, it's easy to create the perfect year-round conditions.

With the grow lamp, you can guarantee 12 or more hours of bright light and the perfect constant temperature between65-75°F (18-24°C).

All you have to do is continue to water as needed whenever the soil dries out and fertilize every 4-6 months, and your succulent will have no reason to go dormant.

Your succulents won't know when it's winter and when it's summer!

emergency transplant

There are times when transplanting is necessary because your succulents look sick. With succulents, in most cases, this means overwatering androtten roots.

Emergency transplanting can save your plant's life if you act fast enough. Remove the plant from the pot and shake off all the soil.

Cut off any rotten roots and place the plant in the cool, succulent soil mix. If enough roots are intact, your plant should be able to recover.

If using the same pan, wash it thoroughly with water and bleach before using it again.

transplant for propagation

Most succulents areeasy to propagateof offsets or bulbils. If you give them good growing conditions they will produce lots of babies that you can easily remove from the mother plant and plant in their own pots.

Offset propagation is usually done during transplanting, but sometimes your plant will have so many young that there won't be room for them in the same pot.

Wait for the time when your plant is ready to end its dormant period and transplant it. When you remove your succulent from the pot, cut or twist off any offsets or babies from the mother.

Save those with a well-developed root system. Let them dry for a few days and then place them in their individual pots.

You can put the mother plant in the same pot, unless the roots get too big. Replace the soil with fresh soil mix.

Tips for transplanting succulents

1. If your succulent lives in perfect conditions and is flourishing, cherish and enjoy it. Even if it's falling out of the pot, it's not time to replant the plant. This would cause your plant to lose its buds and flowers.
2. When transplanting your succulent, shake off the old soil, do not wash the roots with water. If you do, dry the roots carefully.
3. After transplanting, water the succulent well, making sure all excess water is completely drained.

Wet roots are one of the easiest ways to kill your plant and succulents hate it!

1. Always wear gardening gloves when transplanting succulents. Some have sharp spines and others, like the agave, have irritating sap.

Frequently asked questions about transplanting succulents

Do succulents like to be rooted?

Succulents are very tolerant plants. They will stay in the same pot and look healthy even if they haven't been transplanted in years. But if you look at the roots, you'll see that they're all crumpled up in the pot and very little soil is left. Being root bound means your plant is not getting enough nutrients as all the soil has been used up. So your succulent isn't too happy about having roots, but it's pretty hard to complain. Imagine it living in its natural conditions, where it can take root in all directions.

Can you plant succulents in a regular potting mix?

Succulents need soil that drains very quickly. Water retention is not what you're looking for in a succulent potting mix. Regular potting mix has too much peat moss to be good for succulents. If you have no choice but to use a regular potting mix, add about 50% pine bark, coarse sand and/or perlite. They will allow excess water to drain out of the pot and the roots will be able to get enough air.

Should I water succulents before transplanting them?

Many gardeners like to water their plants before transplanting them, as this makes it easier for the plant to grow out of the pot. This is not a good idea with succulents because the water will soak the roots and it will be difficult to shake out the old soil. Brittle roots can break in the process. If you water your succulent before transplanting, wash the roots and dry them well before transplanting them into fresh soil.

Should I fertilize my succulent after transplanting it?

Succulents need very little fertilization in general. Fertilizing right after transplanting is not only not necessary, as you have transplanted it into fresh new soil, but it can also burn the roots. Wait at least a few months before fertilizing your succulent after transplanting.

Can I plant different succulents in the same pot?

Conclusion

Succulents are easy plants to grow and care for. But for some reason, many gardeners are apprehensive when it comes to transplanting.

Fortunately, there are few rules to follow and the transplant will go well in most cases.

And even if you forget to transplant your succulents.

All that will happen is your lovely houseplants will stop growing once the succulents take root.

The best way to know when to transplant your succulent is to observe it, learn its needs, watch for changes, and make sure the roots don't come out of the pot.

Learn more about your succulent. Find out if you are a winter or summer grower.

Transplant just before the start of the growing season and you'll give her a boost and encourage growth.

After a few successful transplants, you'll feel like a pro!