Why Succulents Die After Repotting- 6 Main Reasons

Repotting is an important part of succulents maintenance. But for many it can be a dreaded task as sometimes, succulents can die after repotting.
In this video we will explore the 6 main reasons succulents can start deteriorating after repotting.
Timeline
00:00 Intro
01:07 Change of scenery
02:28 Succulents indoors
03:09 Bad potting mix
04:17 Repotting too low
06:44 Sensitive succulents
07:43 Heatwaves
#repottingandreplanting #repottingsucculents #whysucculentsdie #succulentcare

[@mirarose2670]

I have watched so many videos trying to figure out why I keep killing succulents, you are the first to mention potting too low! And I have definitely been doing that because i had no idea, so thank you!!

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

So very glad i could help ☺ Hope it will make a difference 🤞

[@arthurma8072]

Interested in learning how to make human figures out of succulents and wire What plants and best soil and how to water them? Thanks

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

It very much depends on where you are in the world. If your climate has mild enough summers and cold winters you may want to go for Sempervivum and frost hardy Sedum- they grow low to the ground and are a great for making succulent art. They can also withstand freezing temperatures. If the winters are mild (no snow, mild frosts) Echeveria, Graptopetalum, Sedeveria can be good choice. If you want something that will survive indoors Haworthia or Rhipsalis can be a good choice. Hope this helps 🙂 @@arthurma8072

[@bobhopfner3812]

You see it all the time on Facebook, people repot and they use just straight potting soil and don't even think to use an actual cactus and succulent mix. Even that isn't good enough. The cactus soil should be mixed 50/50 with pumice. I prefer terra cotta pots but with a well draining soil a plastic pot will do just fine. In drier climes or extensive collections this could be preferable because clay pots are heavy. Now if I can just fix my Dudliya...

[@cindycarlson1824]

This is the best and most informative video on succulent growing I’ve found. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing your knowledge and excellent tips!! Now I don’t feel so guilty or discouraged that the plants not really meant for indoors that looked gorgeous at the store are dying - even under grow lights.

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Oh my gosh, thank you so much 💚 Really appreciate your kind comment ☺

[@DanielFiorella]

Your succulents are absolutely stunning! U can tell they are so happy

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Thank you so much☺ 💚💚💚

[@brassteeth3355]

I've killed many plants in my twenty years of succulent/cactus enthusiasm. I'd have done well with this info from the jump. Thanks

[@julidekavak5639]

Thank you !!! I was actually very upset and puzzled as some of my succulents thrive and some die no matter what I do! Now I feel more relaxed. They are just not meant to be 😅

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Sometimes there is very little you can do for various reasons. I used to persist and spend a lot of time on certain succulents but now i simply don't grow them. They're not worth the hassle 🙂

[@LilDirt12]

Awesome video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. And thank you for not being condescending. Your plants are BEAUTIFUL! ❤

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Aw, thank you so much for your kind comment- greatly appreciated ☺💚💚💚

[@StaceyHerewegrowagain]

Great video❤ I love succulents and they're beauty but your right, some just don't like being touched lol

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

They can be so fickle sometimes 😅 But so worth it 💚🌵

[@tucklohanan8409]

My potting mix for succulents are equally parts of coir, sand, vermiculite and perlite and I also add slow releases at repotted time. Any suggestions, Thanks . Newcastle AU.

[@nadiadete]

Thank you. So helpful!

[@mariaesther2588]

Well done video. Your lessons are worth revisiting, simply to make sure nothing was overlooked. Thank you.

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Thank you so much- i appreciate your kind comment🙂💚

[@soponlorkhong5255]

Great advice. Thank you.

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Thanks- glad i could help 🙂💚💚💚

[@Gardeningjourneywithedz]

I am so jealous with all the succulents you have!❤❤❤

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

hehe, i've amassed quite a few! 😂 It's a full blown addiction. Started with a couple 10yrs ago and when we're at full capacity now, i have 100k 😅😅😅

[@Gardeningjourneywithedz]

@@SucculentGrowingTips wish I can do that too! I Started with couple too and started to multiply them ,but I have limited space and limited varieties here where I am!

[@Gardeningjourneywithedz]

Very informative channel! Thanks for sharing! ❤

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Thank you-glad it's helpful 🙂💚

[@danieoberholzer5373]

This was a really useful video! I'm adding a selection of succulents to my nursery, and haven't had much experience with them before. This helps a lot!

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

That is great- you'll love them! Most are very hardy and you shouldn't have any problems. Hope they fly off the shelves ☺💚

[@LimaLima-bl4gs]

Thanks for all the info

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Most welcome 💚

[@bookmouse2719]

Over watering over watering over watering.

[@remaeburney832]

I've owned a succulent for almost 10 years. I water it from the bottom maybe once a month or month and a half.

[@RooeyG]

Great lessons. Good teacher! I have been growing for years. Learning new tips from your videos.

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Thank you so much- greatly appreciate your kind comment 💚

[@swatigokhale9495]

Another good,informative video.

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Thank you so much- greatly appreciate your comment 💚

[@pirut1]

Super helpful, thank you.

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Thank you 💚

[@georgeschannel6168]

Very nice, super informative video!!

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Thank you! 😀💚

[@carolyncegielski2062]

I spent more than I meant to on the succulents I bought today and after your post, I think I learned a few things about keeping them alive 😊

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Ahaha, i tend to spend wayyy too much on plants too- they are just too irresistible 😅😅 So glad i could help though 💚🙂

[@erikm8372]

So, in my experience, and it might sound crazy, but I guarantee you - plain sphagnum moss works so well. We have to rethink our understanding of plants with succulents, and even with some houseplants. Have you seen the succulent-topped pumpkins? Decorations for Halloween, all over KZbin. Basically, if you glue some dried sphagnum moss to any object, whether a pumpkin, driftwood, a wreath, etc., and hot-glue (or otherwise securely attach) succulent cuttings to it, they grow incredibly well. The aeration, the drainage, and the way the moss stays moist but dries out quickly. I’ve done it many times, which led me to try potting succulents in ONLY sphagnum moss, and guess what! Those plants do SO much better. I’ll then put a top layer of gravel to keep the moisture in. Overall, I feel like sphagnum moss as a substrate is highly underrated for succulents. Soil tends to be just too wet, too rich and too nutritious, really. I mean, don’t get me wrong, soil is of course good, I use it all the time! But for most plants, even non succulents, you need to add more rocky, inert drainage materials. Any soil mix bought from the store needs to be amended, in my opinion. Unless you’re extremely diligent with watering & making sure it’s not staying wet, but even so. I like to see water drain quickly. I always add more inert drainage ingredients to all my soils. Perlite, pumice, charcoal, lava rock, zeolite, LECA clay balls, some sand, even decomposed granite is good, too... anything to lighten the soil. Visually, if your soil appears to be more like chocolate or mud, it needs more white and lighter colored materials added. Succulents barely require any nutrition at all. The little bit of soil is just fine for them to thrive on. If you’re worried there’s not enough nutrition, s pinch of Osmocote or pelleted fertilizer in the substrate is more than sufficient for an entire year. Instead of adding drainage to my soil mix, I think of it the opposite way-adding a little soil to my drainage mix!

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Thanks for sharing your experience 🙂I'm glad you found a way of growing that works for you. From personal experience, i'll have to disagree on the sphagnum moss and potting mix front. Please know that i'm not trying to discredit what you wrote, it clearly works for you and that is awesome. It's common to have different experience with growing plants as so much will depend on the climate, weather, overall growing conditions, types of succulents you're growing etc. I'm just going to explain why, personally, i'm not a fan. I've been a grower for over 10 years and know other nursery owners that do grow this way/import succulents in sphagnum moss. Their succulents are strictly grown in climate controlled greenhouses and fertilized with a liquid formula, specially tailored for succulents. Because they import new cultivars, i sometimes buy from them and these succulents in moss cannot be grown outdoors, in our climate as the moss stays incredibly soggy when it rains. To grow ok, they need a greenhouse and i always rip as much of the moss off as i can. I'm also aware of the succulent art using moss and while it's great, eventually those succulents will need some nutrition/repotting otherwise they can start losing leaves, and are likely to grow slow. My nursery produces somewhere between 200-400k succulents every year. To date, i've grown over 2 million succulents. I strictly use succulent potting mix with fertilizer (i have tried other potting media and succulent mix works best for us). We grow around 300 different cultivars and it works for all of them. I'm an outdoor production nursery and most of our succulents are grown outdoors year round even if it rains a lot. They do well, look great and we don't have to amend the potting mix. Having said all of this, my way is not the only correct way. Many people have different methods of growing that work well. I'm just sharing mine :)

[@user-xu7ey1qo8s]

❤❤❤ thanks for your help today ❤ I LV flowers so sometimes it dye so I'm happy u give us a light ❤

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Thank you 💚💚💚☺

[@jasemiester]

Very good.....to the point awesome 😊

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Thank you ☺💚

[@SkyeGenaroAuthor]

This is awesome, thank you.

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Thank you so much ☺💚

[@ratnesh8182]

Thank you so much💖. I just bought a new succulent and didn't know what to do as I'm a new beginner but thanks to you, now I know how to take great care of them. Thank you again🌷

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Thank you for your kind comment ❤ Wishing you the best of luck on your succulent journey 🙂💚🌵

[@Netchick41]

I have a Chocolate Soldier and it was bought from the mark down bin at the store. It was so drenched in water I knew that it needed help. I re potted it in nice well draining soil and use very small watering. It seems to be doing much better. I hope it will be ok.

[@Skyler-lc3in]

Thanks 4 the tips!! Got my first rosette succulents grouped with other succulents that i want to repot into their own pots. This was very helpful ad i only know about jade and cacti

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

That's great- i'm so glad the video was helpful. Best of luck with the repotting :)

[@kerrymccarthy4226]

Thank you. See some of my mistakes !!😮🌿

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

I made them ALL once upon a time 😅😅

[@CleoGravel]

Thank you so much for this information 😊now I know how to repot my succulents properly 😊

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

So glad i could help 🙂💚💚💚

[@AlphaGeekgirl]

3:44 you mentioned that you will put a link in the description… But I can’t see it

[@maggiejohnson5891]

Very good. I don’t see link to what good potting mix looks like

[@Julia-jz5wt]

I have bad luck with purple and dark red succulents like "echeveria black prince" do you know if these need different care ?

[@susanengle8061]

Im looking for the link for potting soil.

[@dianestatham8606]

Where is the link to the ideal soil mix you mentioned?

[@LaurieC6482]

Newbie here - love the video and all the information! Where is the link with the soil information?

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Hi, thank you :) The video should appear right at the very end along with 3 other vids. Here's a link kzbin.info/www/bejne/oou9n3R4nZJ1f7csi=werj3wmLJdoRY8V6 Apologies for the bad audio on this video- i'll have to re-do this one 😅

[@silviap4478]

Thank you for your video, it was so informative. I fell in love with Echeverias but hearing that they are not suitable for indoors broke my heart. I have a south-west to westfacing window and it would get sun from 2 pm to 6 pm in summer. Would that not be enough? 😢

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

You're not alone 💔 I'd so love to have them inside as well 😭 Technically, you could be ok as that is good amount of sun but they may still turn and stretch towards the window. You can try with one or two and see how you go. I'd recommend something hardy such as E elegans or Violet Queen to start off with. If you notice them going bad you can get grow lights or move them outdoors...🙂

[@BarryVedros]

Thank you for the great tips! What is the soil mix you are using in the video?

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Thank you- glad the video was useful 🙂 I use succulent potting mix from a company called Debco/ AGS. They supply most of the nurseries in the area and make the potting mix based on your requirements. I believe they do sell to garden centres but the mix may not be exactly the same.

[@katytata4063]

I looked for the tag in the description for your recipe for succulent potting mix. I can’t find it. Can you please give me your recipe?

[@suhashnimoodley5502]

Very informative...im from Siuth Africa. Would like to know about potting succulents into glass containers

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Thank you- glad it was helpful. I will definitely be doing a video on succulents in glass, in the near future 🙂

[@amy_ambrosio]

I once repotted a type of haworthia, I didn't put water and the next day it looked like the poor one was a baloon without air 😢 I still feel kinda sad about it, I had it for some time and it was beautiful 02:33 what is an average house? Because I have most of these and they're doing very well so far 😅 I'm just worried because now in winter I've had way less sun This was super informative and helpful, tysm

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Oh no, sorry about your little Haworthia 😥 That seems so strange. By average house i mean a house that has small-ish windows that only get a couple of hours of sun per day. Great to hear your plants are doing well inside! 👍🙂 Do you have plants like Echeveria as well?

[@Houseofmanuela]

Hi there! Thank you for the informative video. May I please ask the names of the succulents pictured (3:02) suitable for growing indoors? I'm a newbie. Thank you so much :)

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Hello :) Sure thing- all of these are from a genus called Haworthia. Starting from top left- Ice city, tessellata, bayeri, cooperi v. truncata, limifolia. Hope this helps ☺

[@MalaikuZ]

Great video! What is the succulent at 3:25? Would love to procure some leaves 😬😬😬😬😬

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Thank you! That one is Echeveria Violet Queen ☺💕

[@brianfraser7438]

I rescued some horribly abused succulents from Home Depot last summer and much to my surprise they flourished! I brought them inside and under lights in the fall and they surprised me again by continuing to grow. I heat with would and the humidity is quite low. They get twelve hours of grow light everyday. What kind of precautions should I take reintroducing them to the outside in May / June? I live in the extreme North of US.

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

I love that you rescued them and they're thanking you by flourishing 🥰 To be on the safe side, it may be best to start with morning sun-afternoon shade and then gradually increase the sun exposure by a couple of hours every 3 or so days. Alternatively, you can get 30% shadecloth that will bounce off harmful UV and you can just plonk them underneath. It also very much depends on how hot your summer is- if you rarely get over 30C/ 86F you don't need to worry too much as it is unlikely the sun will be strong enough to do damage. Hope this helps :)

[@carmenavila8294]

I live Sacramento, California., and it rained very hard yesterday…should I pull out my succulents and put them in dryer soil in a covered area away from rain and storms?

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

My apologies for not replying sooner. In my personal opinion you should be fine just leaving them as long as they have well enough draining potting mix. If it rains non stop for a few days i'd pull them under cover and let them dry out, just to be on the safe side.. But a couple of days of rain or isolated storms should not be enough to cause any damage. Hope this helps 🙂

[@rikyntipyngrope5260]

What kind of soil that is black colour mam

[@dorisolsen4342]

Thank you for all of your recommendations they have been very helpful 😊 1 question have you ever grown miniature succulents? I would like to grow some and would you know where I can purchase some , it’s for a gift thank you in advance hope to hear from you soon . Doris

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Thank you, so glad the video was helpful. ☺ There are a few species and cultivars of succulents that do not grow very big such as Echeveria minima, Echeveria Vincent Catto, Echeveria halbingeri, most Haworthia will stay small and then succulents such as Lithops. You may have seen people sell 'Mini' succulents but they are usually just 'babies' and will eventually grow full size. If you need them to stay small, you'll need to get specific plants that naturally don't grow much. Hope this helps :)

[@j.c4007]

Adromischus cooperi

[@hao316]

I'm using a wide bonsai pot for succulent, I think they would have better drainage because they are wide and shallow. Am I correct?

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Drainage-wise, bonsai pots are definitely a good choice. You may want to have a look at the video below where i discuss deep vs shallow pots for succulents. You are likely to get a different type of growth in bonsai pots, which is fine- your succulents will be beautiful and compact but may not produce a lot of growth once they settle into the pot. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXfNZI2nbquKe9ksi=3SpTlslLuSCEXJJe

[@sabrinarest7383]

What is the succulent at :38? Thank you!

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Echeveria runyonii 'Topsy Turvy' 🙂

[@daym8]

Kat,I hope this is not a crazy question but I would still like to ask the best person who will know. What is the ideal time for soil to dry to be deemed well draining soil mix?(ie,bone dry till next watering) Say in a warm climatic conditions lwith indirect bright sunlight as the condition.

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Not crazy at all 🙂 Say you completely drenched a plastic pot on a warm, sunny day- a good potting mix should retain water for about 3-4 hrs, so the plant can actually have a drink, and then start drying while still retaining a bit of moisture (dark colour) for a couple of days. So bone dry on day 2-3. Ideally, what you don't want is the potting mix staying really soggy for more than a day or two. Having said that, most succulents should still tolerate that. I'll see if i can do a video on this as well- there's just too many variables to answer this properly 😅

[@daym8]

Thank you 🙏 Kat for your great advice. You definitely have given us the idea of what soil should be like and we really appreciate it.

[@darlynedahn4542]

What ones are the best for indoors. Thank you

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

The best ones are plants in Haworthia, Gasteria, Rhipsalis, Draceana/Sansevieria, Ceropegia, Aloe, Peperomia genera. If you're interested, i have a video where i name a few 🙂👇 kzbin.info/www/bejne/pH_XimuwZsysZrcsi=lByEtjqUcCYQWO7Z

[@Julia007ablle]

❤❤❤

[@ericshingles]

Lots of succulents grow easy inside, most varieties of Crassula and Portulacaria, they like it as most houses are dry and warm.

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Yes, lots but definitely not the most. Portulacaria only has like 7 species (+plus som variegated cultivars). But even the others such as Haworthia, Gasteria, Rhipsalis , Crassula etc. that will tolerate it indoors are in the minority. I still stand by what i said in the video- unless you have a decent size, super bright window, most succulents will struggle indoors.

[@beckimacdonald-haig1571]

What is the ideal PH for the soil?

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

The ideal is about 5.5 but anything between 4.5-6.5 is fine. When i get potting mix it's usually around 6.. Hope this helps 🙂

[@leeannmansfield5254]

I bought 1 suckulant and 15 years later i have over 100.I planted them in my garden.someyimes i water thrm and sometimes not.They have tall flowers off them in the summer...

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

That is brilliant- just amazing how one little succulent can give so many more 💚💚💚

[@patricehendricks4266]

What is the name of the cabbage looking succulent at beginning of video?

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

If you mean the one at 01:07 that would be Echeveria shaviana 🙂💚

[@patricehendricks4266]

@@SucculentGrowingTips Thank you😊

[@airamcoleen]

if i may ask, is it normal for my succulent to be a little unsteady after repotting it?

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

It should be fine- they tend to settle in after a couple of weeks though, if they are moving about too much, some types can snap when the top is heavy. If they look like they're leaning quite a bit, you can help them stay in place by staking them 🙂 Hope this helps

[@airamcoleen]

@@SucculentGrowingTips yes, thank you for responding!

[@sureshhsn1]

I am from India, and here the temperature ranges between 18 to 35 degrees. Can you suggest a potting mix?

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Imo, it's best to buy a succulent potting mix as it will be especially formulated for succulents. You can also buy seed raising mix or indoor plant mix and add a bit of perlite/pumice (about 10%) to make it drain better. Hope this helps :)

[@sureshhsn1]

@@SucculentGrowingTips thank you

[@bhaskarchatterjee5249]

Try 60% perlite, 20% cows manure , 10% sand and 10% soil, works like wonders in east India

[@sayikaaykurt2574]

Merhaba bende yararlanmak isterdim ama türkçe altyazı yok😢

[@vgil1278]

Why do you use plastic pots? Unfinished terra cotta is best for their roots.

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Not necessarily- it gets too hot and dry in our climate for unsealed terracotta. They’d dry out way too fast in summer- i’d waste lots of water. Also it would be impractical as it’s bit hard getting 10’s of thousands of 5 different size terracotta pots and there’s no such things as terracotta plug trays. Terracotta don’t work in nursery production, i’m afraid. Hope that answers your question

[@MadAboutCichlids]

One of the largest private collection I know of in the Midwest uses plastic pots with no problem.

[@dad5draco]

7:59 What are these called?

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

They're Aeonium Mardi Gras 🙂

[@dad5draco]

@@SucculentGrowingTips I meant 8:03, my bad.

[@kerriefearby9542]

What is the succulent you are reporting at 2:07 minutes

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

That one is Echeveria nodulosa 'Maruba Benitsukasa' She's a real stunner ❤

[@kerriefearby9542]

@@SucculentGrowingTips thank you

[@zasgardens7465]

I am your new friend and subscriber from the Philippines. Thank you for sharing your repotting technique. Pls visit me sometimes in Zas Gardens when you have the chance.

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Thank you for subscribing 💚 I sure will visit when i get the opportunity 🙂

[@michellechapman6839]

I just killed my Topsy turvy ...im going to buy another one. I'll keep trying...😢

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Oh no, sorry to hear that 😔 Wishing you all the luck in the universe with the next one- i'm sure it will flourish 🙂💚

[@ericshingles]

I have Crassulas that havent been repotted for 30 years, they dont need to be repotted as much as trees.

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Yes, i do too- not quite 30 years but over 12. But Crassula is a very limited example. Not all succulent cultivars will grow well in the same pot for that long, especially if it's a smaller pot like 10x10cm. At the best, they will stop growing and lose many of their leaves. Much will also depend on your climate and weather. Here i can have succulents out all year round and they grow rapidly. Whereas, in cooler countries, where they need to overwinter indoors, the growing season is much shorter and, therefore, they will not grow as fast. Again, i still stand by what i said- most will benefit from repotting regularly.

[@sofiawils3829]

Succulents love the sun very much & can grow even without water.

[@NEnigma777]

They still need water. They can’t survive completely without water

[@sofiawils3829]

@@NEnigma777 why are they called succulents? Because their branches, stems and leaves contain as much water as they can hold. Do they need water on their roots which are as thick as a human hair? No!!! They rot in wet soil!!!

[@hanaahmed5670]

Can you translate it Arabic

[@user-je8po9rk3o]

So no string succulents huh🤡🤡🤡

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

So, first of, that's not what i said. I said some succulents can be less hardy than others, and Senecio string of succulents are temperamental. I've literally grown tens of thousands of these. I've also been selling to the public for a decade and get to talk to hundreds of people every year that grow succulents. Many have trouble growing string of succulents. Not everyone, but a lot. It's worth mentioning. Second, just because the 🤡 emoji is there doesn't mean you have to use it whenever you think you're right. I get you were trying to insult me but you just come across as rude. Maybe try elaborate your point next time and have a meaningful conversation rather than send childish emojis. Hope this helps 👍

[@bonnie1x]

takes too long to make her point.

[@SucculentGrowingTips]

Yep, and i make no apologies for explaining things thoroughly because there are SO many points to make. It's not black and white. Also, many people watching my videos are beginners and may need context to better understand the point.