Those of us that put stones on the bottom of our pots are not being cheap. That is how we were taught to do it. It is to help keep the roots from sitting in any water that may have collected at the bottom of the pot, not to help with drainage, or skimp on soil.
I'm 75 and I've always put rocks or shards of terracotta pots in my pots, and so did my Mom. I add it to prevent soil from escaping from the pot and not for drainage. I've never had a problem with plants dying or roots rotting. I think the idea that it causes water to pool in the bottom of the pot is nonsense.
Girl, you have no idea how much I enjoy your videos and how much you have helped me in this newfound hobby of mine. Growing succulents and taking care of them helps me find so much peace in an otherwise stressful life and I love teaching my little boy about all the stuff I have learned. And I enjoy it most when he tries to teach his little friends the same. Keep on making your awesome videos
Wow...I'm blown away by what you said about not adding gravel to the bottom of your pot. That's all I ever learned including from diagrams in houseplant books. The gravel is supposed to help keep the roots out of any pooling water in the bottom and stops the soil from washing out through the drainage hole. I've been doing it this way for years quite successfully. Huh!
leslie nikulka -your water shouldn't be pooling in he bottom period. Because you're not suppose to give succulent plants much water. I actually spray my plants with a spray bottle. Succulent plants hold the water in their leaves for a long time. Maybe you're over watering.
I'm really grateful for stumbling upon this video and all your helpful info! I know very little; however, I've learned from my dad and others that the reason to put rocks in the bottom of container is for poorly designed pots. Example, one heavy clay pot with only one whole. Taking a few small river rocks (not gravel) and layering them at the bottom (or pieces of broken ceramic pots) can help force the water down if the hole is more concave. I just use it as a diverter. Sometimes the big hole or holes get clogged and especially outdoor plants. It seems to really help to keep plants from getting moldy if you accidentally overwater them (which I tend to do a lot). Thanks again!
the syringe idea is gonna be super handy, Ive always been looking for a new way to water the plants and so far I would dip the pot in a container filled with water and let water go in from the bottom. I also add some volcanic rocks at the bottom to improve drainage when I first started growing cacti and succulents but after some time I felt its not really necessary but not like it affects anything anyway so... oh well, no point to remove them.
It is so refreshing to watch your information-packed videos. Other videos can be so tedious just because there are unnecessary comments that take up too much time. Your videos are concise, direct and fun. Kudos to you! And yes, I am now a subscriber. Thank you so much!
I made the mistake of adding gravel to a palm as one of my first plants. I was so upset Bc I had listened to someone’s “advice” it died so quickly. never again. I’m so glad you talked about that!
thank you for your wonderful videos. I work in the garden center at our local Lowe's and I am always getting questions that I feel the need to research the answers! You are now my go-to for answers.
Laura you're channel is my haven! I am a total newbie to anything garden based (and I don't have the greenest thumb!) and your videos have kept most of my succulents alive! Thankyou!!
I read that indoor succulents don’t necessarily go dormant. Since they are in more consistent conditions usually they will just grow and grow. Of course there are some exceptions with different species
Laura~The succulent container in the dough bowl turned out really nice. I gasped when I saw you hold the cacti with your bare hands. I steer clear from most cacti because of the shark needles BUT do have a few. Most of mine are the many, many varieties of soft succulents. Anyhow, useful information.
I just received a BOX with 20 tiny containers and a beautiful variety of small succulent plants. All is new to me, but I’m excited to learn! Thank you for your information!
Well, actually the gravel or "expanded clay balls" (I don't know how it's called in English) at the bottom of the pot is pretty effective and important, at least when it's combined with a "synthetic drainage tissue" (I'm not sure either if it's called so), because it avoids the roots to be in contact with the water that's accumulated on the soil at the bottom (water doesn't run out of the pot instantly) and avoid them to rot.
hi I am from the UK and I also make and sell succulent planters on the side of a full time job at a plant nursery. I am not an expert but love succulents so I keep learning more and more and your video is very interesting. Its great to see someone else doing something similar. Keep up the videos - they're really cool.
Hey Laura, thank you SO much for this video! I have been procrastenating to plant my succulents into a glass bowl because I thought it is so much work, I need to buy 5 different stones and sands. Thank you so much for lifting this myth and lots of love all the way from Germany!
I'm sharing this with my whole family. We have been taught to add gravel the day we start helping in the garden as toddlers. I have always hated losing pot space. Especially when I pay money for a large decorative ceramic pot.
Ok I am currently repotting all my succulents. I'm removing all the rocks. It's a new year trying new things..... Better work!! Lol! thanks for the tip.
thank you for this video. :D I put my succulents on my roof top and in a day they got sun burn lol now i have to bring them all in due to the rooftop being fully exposed to sunlight. thanks again :D
Thank you so much on the info about drainage. I was always taught to add rocks or gravel to the base of my planters. What you explained made so much sense. No more gravel pits for my containers from now on! And i too had also wondered about containers without drain holes. Love your videos!
Hai Aaron,found yr channel n thot I'd let u know tt yr knowledge, enthusiasm N honesty is quite infectious n I find myself getting more n more interested to grow more plants.Your ideas n suggestions r really helpful😁
Thanks SO MUCH for this. I am a succulent newbie and have been looking for answers on basic care, and you answered my two prominent questions here (how to water without getting the leaves wet and can they all survive in the packed pot they came in. Now I've off to look for one of those watering syringes. Again, THANKS! You've made a big pot of hen and chicks happy.
Hi Laura! Thank you for this video. It is exactly what I needed. I love my succulents but I'm definitely still a newby when it comes to succulent care, this helped a lot. Always love watching your videos.
Hi! Great video!!! Four burning questions I hope you can help me with 🙏 (1) why does water pool in gravel more than it does soil? This is in the context of not putting gravel or plastic bottles in the bottom of the pot. (2) Doesn't it hurt the plants if you're constantly sticking in a water meter (or chop-stick) to check for dryness? (3) If you put sand on top (around the edges) how do you keep the soil from percolating up when you water it, and ruining the lool? I know we've supposed to just water around the roots but in some arrangements the bottom of the plants is visible) (4) if you can't provide adequate (or any) light for an arrangement (say if you want to put it on an entry-way table), would it work to rotate it inside and outside a week or more at a time? E.g, maybe you have two arrangements so you rotate 1, 2, or 3 weeks inside/out. Oh my gosh if you could help me with these questions it will be so wonderful! And thank you for all you do! Your videos are addictive!
Thanks for sharing this video. This video was very helpful for me when I started collecting succulents 2 years ago and I still come back to this video every now and then. 2 years after I became one crazy succulent plant lady and started my own greenhouse as well as my own youtube video channel. You are an inspiration :)
I disagreed about gravel bottom containers. Your cacti and succulents will retain too much moisture if placed in large pot and lead to root rot if you don't provide this. I have all mine growing just fine with gravel at bottom.
And not to mention the cost of gravel isnt cheap unless u have some laying around from a fish tank or collected some outside for plants.. I had to buy a bag for my tank and used the leftover for my plant and a medium bag cost around 20 bucks. Rough. I think its useful in my homemade cermamic pots that I forgot to add drainage holes to when creating and I dont see a problem as long as u have enough soil to provide nutrients.. plus on top of fertilizing? How can it really be a negative thing.. imo its a extra step people take; not really a lazier, cheaper option people approach as an alternative on saving soil.
She's right. There's no need for gravel or stones in the bottom and it more likely will hurt than help your plants, especially succulents. It just raises the point of saturation higher in the pot, which makes it more likely for your roots to sit in water causing root rot.
Here is a RU-vid record on water movement in the soil. See experiment No 3 "Sand layer in a loam", 5:26, water goes down in a loam, but side ways when meeting the sand layer. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ego2FkuQwxc.html Laura was right.
@@gardenanswer I have a overgrown aloe vera plant about 6years old. Mother plant is still.growing with new growth but her pups are maturing and have grown about 1 or 2feet from mother plant there are black areas on the leaves of the original pups. What do I do with this overgrown plant
Thankyou kindly, very educational indeed as I was just about to put a couple of handfuls of gravel, believing it was necessary for drainage. Thanks again.🪴
We live in the north of Germany... And we have a south facing window where they get mid-day sun but no morning or afternoon light and it works out really well.
learning so much about how to maintain my succulents! being in so Cal where we experience a lot of hot sun, it's good to know where to place them when it gets colder here and how to measure my watering
+Cheryl Bassett Thanks so much for watching, Cheryl! I would love to live in a place where succulents would survive the winter! They don't get quite as glorious, when they are confined to pots and indoor climates. :)
recommendation for future video::: I suggest that you find a gardener from different states such as one from Florida yes I'm prejudiced one from the making it short northeast southeast northwest Southwest and you have the different zones covered. and then ask them to give you a tutorial on how to grow succulents for real. your opinion is well valued but succulents is really Regional and I see people asking you questions that's so depends on where they're going to keep their succulents and where they live is Extreme. I would enjoy seeing the interaction between you and someone else like you not expert per se but someone who's knowledgeable of their area as you are so knowledgeable in yours. much love from an old lady in Tampa Florida.
Nice show, you would like it here in Florida, there's a lot of plants such as what you describe here that grow wild, this time of year I keep mine in an easy facing window and water once a month, I love plants and shows like this, please keep up the good work !!
I have a fish tank and whenever I clean it or do a water change I save and use it to water my plants including all my succulents and air plants. They love it! Also I find that I have to soak my succulent pots in water sometimes because I find over time the earth in the pots becomes very compact and solid and if I top water them the water just runs down the sides and out the bottom.
I have finally graduated to a rock looking, South African, super cool succulent... my “rock plant”. It took about 20 years to get here, but succulents are worth it and fun, so many different kinds. Why even have a cactus that can make you bleed when you can grow succulents? FYI. Just like she was saying, They do like to be crowded in a shallow pot, crowding each other out or being crowded by rocks (on top). Mine all seem very happy like this. Best way to kill them is to overwater that’s for sure. Good info! Thanks for vid! 😀
Thanks for your video. Your arrangements are beautiful. :) Where I live (France) we don't use gravel but pozzolana or expanded clay beads at the bottom of the pot in order to drain the water, you can use also a special felt between the pozzolan and the cactus mix in order to increase drainage. So far it's been working great for my little babies.
I love your videos and everything you do! I thought your temps and a lot of what you say about your area is so much like where I live and you do live by me! I'm right outside of the Boise, Idaho area! You inspire me to start gardening again! It's my true love!i have bad health the past several years and can't do it as I've been mostly bedridden. I'm excited!
I was taught that you have to use gravel at the base of your pot, so it prevents root tip rot and all the other things that excess water does, thank you for your tip / advice - I will definitely remove all the gravel in my pots! :)
Those are nutrients, not eggs I believe. I have miracle grow cactus soil, and I agree it SUCKS at drainage! There's wood pieces that actually absorb water, I've killed 1 succulent from over watering. I only water once a month or so with that soil since.
Thank You soo much for these youtube videos about the succulents and other plants & caring for them. Just bought my first few succs and appreciate your information. You have a very pleasant personality and are well spoken. That makes it easy for me to follow along and learn. I am about a mile from the beach not far from Bandon, Oregon on the coast. If you are ever visiting our area, it would be nice to meet you or attend a presentation should you do one over here. Bandon Dunes Golf might be interested in your gardening/succulent gardens. Tax deductable work/vacation? Thanks again.. love your beautiful projects presented on youtube!
Thanks for a great video. I owned a professional landscape company for years,and I gotta tell you that your attitude is awesome. I always said the same thing,do what you like and keep in tune with your plants. I am from Colo and am new to indoor succulents so this is helpful. New subscriber here!
First, got to say your videos are wonderful teaching sessions but not less important - so pleasant to watch! Thanks for that :-) Wondering about the no gravel 'rule'. I'm planting in very deep whiskey barrels. They are super deep and my secure to are mostly small. I was planning to fill half with lava rocks and than put a garden fabric and fill up half with soil. Than plant. Not a good idea?... I've drilled holes for drainage but they are so so so deep I thought I needed to shorten them up. Not good?......
+Noa Beharav It depends on exactly how deep your planter is and what type of plants you are planting. If they are succulents, you may be able to get away with it because succulents are shallow-rooted plants. I like the idea of using landscape fabric between the rock and soil, because that should take care of the problem of root tip rot, since your roots wouldn't be growing down into the rocks. Also, the fact the the container has drainage makes it okay as well. It's more of a problem when you plant in a non-draining pot. I've seen it become more of a problem when people are planting annuals/perennials/shrubs in containers. Those types of plants need all the nutrients they can get, and in my area, it gets so hot that having extra soil helps with moisture retention. That's why I don't particularly like the rocks in the bottom idea, for the most part. :) ~Laura
Greetings from the Philippines! Your arrangements are so beautiful. I get new ideas watching them. My faves are the ones with the antique dough bowl and the triple urn challenges. I'm excited to see and learn from your next videos.
Great vid, but she is VERY wrong about putting gravel (specialized for succs) at the bottom of the pot.....First off, its not because people are being cheap, thats just insulting. I owned a greenhouse throughout college and one thing we always did with our succs is mix the soil with the gravel as it allows for less moisture to build up in the soil. putting it at the bottom (where the roots are) is a similar way to achieve this without scattering gravel throughout your whole pot. The gravel aerates the soil, most succs and cacti grow in areas with a lot of gravel and sand in the soil (THINK DESSERT CLIMATES)....When was the last time you saw a cactus in the wild growing in super rich black soil? It doesn't happen naturally so why would you replicate it in your pots?
What is most important is that the plant has really good drainage. I like to add gravel & sand as well as Perlite or vermiculite to my cacti or succulents. I think what Laura is talking about is using larger rocks or gravel in the bottom of the plant. This used to be a very popular way that people thought that it would help with drainage, they would put either shards of broken pots or shells or rocks in the bottom of pots of all kinds of flowers. Unfortunately, it didn't work. I do sometimes add rocks in the bottom of my plants to keep them bottom heavy though.
Cacti have very shallow roots, so do most succulents, that's why they can grow in cracks and crevices in rock walls and in the desert. With sporadic water available in arid climates and in rockeries, they soak up rain as soon as it hits the shallow roots at the surface before it has a chance to evaporate or run off and conserves it in its thick fleshy bodies and leaves. That's why you can't water too often or too wet. It'll rot.
She is VERY wrong about putting gravel (specialized for succs) at the bottom of the pot.....First off, its not because people are being cheap, thats just insulting. I owned a greenhouse throughout college and one thing we always did with our succs is mix the soil with the gravel as it allows for less moisture to build up in the soil. putting it at the bottom (where the roots are) is a similar way to achieve this without scattering gravel throughout your whole pot. The gravel aerates the soil, most succs and cacti grow in areas with a lot of gravel and sand in the soil (THINK DESSERT CLIMATES)....When was the last time you saw a cactus in the wild growing in super rich black soil? It doesn't happen naturally so why would you replicate it in your pots?
@@catharticmemefairy2088🤗 thanks because that's what I kept thinking! It makes sense to keep in mind where they naturally are found. A friend gifted me a gorgeous succulent mini garden for the table and they all died off even the replacements. I finally poured out the dirt and realized it's reg potting soil for like pathos or ivy not succulents 🤔 I'm gonna get the proper soil and start anew
I have always found that my succulents do better with smaller, much more frequent waterings. I'll mist my air plants twice daily (it's super dry where I live), and water my succulents once daily with small amounts of water, then once a week with a larger amount, but never more than a few tablespoons.
Thank you so much for the awesome video. I am one of the guilty ones for putting rocks at the bottom of pots. No More now tho. I just bought a bag of soil to replant some and will NOT put rocks in pots this time.
I just bought a bunch of succulents for indoors and was about to plant them all wrong. I WAS a gravel in the bottom kind of girl until I watched this video. Thanks for the great info!
good to know about the gravel. was planning to put lots in mine. Although I'm thinking of only putting little bit like 1 cm tall for aesthetic/decoration purposes and then charcoal and lots of soil. my container is a no drainage type that is transparent so I'll know (I hope) that I'm not over watering.
I initially got into succulents mainly because I enjoyed the look of layering rocks and gravel. I used layers of white rocks, black rocks, etc mainly because I just liked the look of the layers. I put 2-3 mini succulents into tall mason jars.. Of course back then I knew nothing about succulents. I didn't have a drain hole and the bottom of the jar would pool up and then it turned green and nasty... I want to get back into succulents because I live in an apartment and they are relatively easy to maintain and don't take up too much space. I might attempt drilling holes to allow more drainage.. I know you said no to gravel, but it looks so much nicer (Since I use clear containers)! I might try my 2nd go at succulents, maybe I will make the gravel layers smaller and leave a lot more space for soil, since I do use the taller mason jars... compromise? haha One question: So my succulents started growing, and one of them even grew almost an entire foot tall... Is there a way to trim this? I want them to stay small and controlled like when you purchase them originally.
You mentioned, around 12:20, that you would post a link to an article about gravel and why you shouldn't use it. I'm not seeing it here. Could you pass it on?
Great video - thank you! Succulents are the ONLY kinds of plants that I have the time to comfortably and successfully keep - great job - very helpful! :)
Thank you so much! I have a succulent that I’ve been afraid to repot…. It has grown taller? Kinda top heavy , I now also see root hairs? On the rather tall stem…. It is still in the plastic pot insert with holes, and that is in a clay planter….. all still as I bought it two years ago…. I have no clue, but looks like an Echeveria? Lol all I know is it has become tall, and is alive, but top heavy….. it is on my West facing kitchen window, and I was being sire to rotate it each week too… haha this was a silly plant I liked and bought at my local Aldi
Uggghhhh! I just re potted all my succulents with a bit of gravel because I didn't want the soil to some out. Ran out of coffee filters. If I see any sign of stress I will repot ASAP!!
A jade plant is a succulent, right? If so, would you then let your cuttings heal over before planting them in soil and watering, or wait a week to water it if it's a fresh cut like you do with your other succulents? Thank you again for your informative videos. :)
I have a couple of questions ,, one of my succulents has gotten quite soggy leaves and I removed those leaves ,, can you propagate soggy leaves ?? And should you remove soggy leaves ?? The other question is ,, what should you do when your succulent starts to stretch ?? Does it mean it gets too little or too much sun ?? I have just gotten a bunch of plants and I haven't had the best experience with succulents even though they are my favourite plant ,, I want to get better with taking care of them ,, thank you for making this video it was really helpful ,, and any replies are welcome
A little confused re: overwintering. Do we treat our succulents the same as the cactus with regards to temperature. In Canada, so have to do things a little differently here at times. Some of my indoor plants need to be re-potted in Jan/Feb just so that I can keep them alive (give them a good boost). When transplanting at times I wait to water because the new moist soil is enough to keep them going without overwatering. Really easy to overwater because of cold (even inside the house sometimes). I have an Aloe Vera, Dragon-fruit plants, Horn Tree, Burro's Tail, Chinese Money plant to name a few. They are on a table inside my front door where it is a little cooler. Still worried it might be too cool. Also, planted the Burro's tail and the Horn Tree together. The Horn Tree was wrinkling so underwatered. The Burro's tail seems to have gotten more water than I wanted.. The Horn tree is not as bad now but still a little wrinkly. Did try to water solely on Horn Tree side of pot near edge but not sure it worked as intended. I might have to separate them.
After watching a few of your videos I pulled my plant out and noticed it had a ton off dead leaves underneath. I cleaned it out and noticed it’s very dry. I need to buy more dirt and now the steam is showing so I will add more dirty and water.
