How to Grow a Succulent Garden That Thrives on Neglect

Succulents come in all types, shapes, sizes, and colors—and they're some of the easiest plants to care for. They can thrive both indoors and outdoors with minimal maintenance, making them a favorite for beginner gardeners (or anyone who's not so great at keeping up with watering schedules).

So, if you want to add a desert oasis feel to your yard or bring your interiors to life with a bit of low-effort greenery, then succulents are the plants for you. Learn how to create a succulent garden that you can enjoy all season long with these expert tips. 

What Is a Succulent Garden? 

A succulent garden primarily consists of various succulent plants, which can be grown in the ground or grouped together in containers. Before learning how to create a succulent garden, however, horticulturist and botanical designer Nathan Heinrich says it's important to learn more about the plants themselves.

Succulents are a unique group of plants that store water in their leaves, Heinrich explains, adding that these "otherworldly-looking plants" are typically native to arid climates and deserts.

"While they enjoy occasional watering and rain showers, succulents do not tolerate excessive humidity and overwatering, whether indoors or outdoors," he adds. "A minimum of three to five hours of bright midday sunlight is required for them to thrive."

How to Create a Succulent Garden

While succulents are less demanding plants, they still need to have ideal conditions to flourish. Follow these steps to create a succulent garden that will prosper with ease.

Choose the Right Spot

Finding the right location is the first step to creating a successful succulent garden.

"Whether you're planning an outdoor or indoor garden, succulents need plenty of light," expert gardener Jane Dobbs says. "Indoor gardens benefit from being near south- and east-facing windows, while outdoor gardens need full sun exposure."

Unlike most types of plants, succulents are incredibly low-maintenance and require very little attention when planted outdoors, Heinrich explains, "If you have a sunny, dry, rocky corner of your yard, you have the perfect spot to start a succulent garden," he says.

Prep the Soil

Soil also plays a big role in helping your succulents to thrive with little effort from you. Heinrich advises adding some cactus mix or all-purpose potting soil to your native soil. This will help sandy soils retain more moisture and also help clay soils drain better.

"It's important to mix your existing soil with the soil mix so that you end up with a balanced soil to plant your succulent plants in," Heinrich says. "Soil that has too much organic matter and not enough mineral content can lead your succulents to rot due to excess moisture retention." 

Plan Out Your Garden

Visually, you can't really go wrong with the succulents you choose, but it's still important to spend some time thinking about your garden layout. "Choose succulents based on their size and shape, and group them according to their watering and light needs," Dobbs says. "It's easy to create visually stunning displays when you mix textures and colors."

Before you plant, you can arrange the plants on top of the soil to see how they look. Make sure to plan for the amount of growing space you will need, too.

If you're growing your succulent garden in containers, make sure to choose the right vessels. "A container should have drainage holes to prevent waterlogging, which causes root rot," Dobbs explains.

Pick the Right Type of Succulents

If you're planting a succulent garden outdoors, the succulents types you choose should depend on your USDA growing zone. "Outdoor succulent gardens need varieties that can withstand different weather conditions," Dobbs says. Sempervivum and sedum, for example, are both hardy succulents that can withstand frost, so they'll be good choices for colder zones.

For indoor succulent gardens, Dobbs says "jade plants are popular houseplants with thick, fleshy leaves, and the zebra plant is an indoor succulent with striking white stripes on its leaves that is compact and easy to grow."

So, do your research before choosing which types of succulents to plant to ensure they have the ideal conditions to grow and will work for your space.

Transfer Succulent Cuttings and Plants

One of the special things about succulent plants, Heinrich says, is that they grow very easily from a cutting. "If you're visiting a friend who has a succulent in their garden, ask for a few cuttings, let them heal over for 24 hours, and place them on top of your newly amended soil," he recommends. "If they have a stem, bury them slightly, and within a few weeks, they will have rooted in and become established."

If you're patient enough, you could build your entire succulent garden from cuttings, without ever buying a single plant, Heinrich says. "There's something very rewarding about bringing home plant cuttings as souvenirs," he adds.

If you don't want to wait for a succulent garden to fill in from cuttings, however, you can find a wide range of succulents from your local garden center or nursery or online. And when you're ready to plant your succulents outdoors, Dobbs recommends digging holes a little bigger than the size of the root balls and gently place them in the ground. Make sure they're spaced apart so they can grow and get air. 

Water Accordingly

Intentional watering is key to keeping your succulents alive and thriving. “When you plant succulents, water them lightly and let the soil dry out before you water again,” Dobbs says.

If you transplant new cuttings, Heinrich says that you should lightly and gently water them just so there's some moisture in the soil. You want to make sure not to water so much that you wash your new cuttings away.

As far as how often you should water succulents once established, they don't have a regular watering schedule, and it depends on factors such as climate, temperature, weather conditions, soil type, and plant variety.

"If you live in a growing zone that gets weekly rain all year long, you may not need to ever water your succulents,” Heinrich says. “But if you live in a dry climate like California and Arizona that doesn't get any rain for many months of the year, you may need to water lightly once or twice a week to keep your succulents happy. During the winter and spring months, you often don't need to water at all.”

Dobbs warns that overwatering is a common problem in succulent gardening. "You should only water succulents when the soil is dry," she says. "Mushy leaves and root rot are signs of overwatering. However, underwatering can make the leaves shrivel. So, you should water your plants based on their needs."

How to Know if Your Succulent Garden Is Happy and Healthy

After you've worked hard to create your garden, you'll want to make sure you're succulents will thrive for a long time. Dobbs says it's easy to tell if your succulents are happy or not by watching out for these signs:

• A succulent that is well-hydrated will have firm and plump leaves. Shrunken leaves indicate the plant needs more water, while soft or mushy leaves may indicate overwatering.
• Healthy, vibrant colors mean a succulent is in good shape. Some succulents change color when stressed (like too much sun or cold), but a deep, rich color is generally good.
• Happy succulents often produce new leaves or offsets (baby plants) regularly. This means the plant gets enough light and nutrients to grow.
• Plants with a balanced, compact shape get the right amount of light. A succulent that's growing leggy or stretching out may need more light.
• Having a strong root system is key to a succulent's success. Poor soil conditions or improper watering might cause your succulent to wobble or come loose easily.
• Healthy succulents are generally pest-free. Keep an eye out for signs of infestation, like small bugs, webbing, or unusual spots on the leaves.
• Not all succulents bloom, so if your plant flowers, it's likely pretty happy. As the plant matures and receives the right balance of light, water, and nutrients, it will flower.