Are you wondering whether the succulent plants in your home and garden need to be fertilized?
Many gardeners are inclined to think that because a lot of succulent species are native to arid environments with lean soils that they don’t need supplemental feeding.
And it’s mostly true, they’ll do fine on their own with any fertilizer, but like most garden ornamentals, cacti and succulents benefit from some additional nutrients.
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Succulents are extremely diverse, and have an amazing array of textures, shapes, and sizes that are suitable for growing in the garden and as houseplants, and many also display bold, colorful flowers.
They’re adaptable to a variety of climates and thanks to their ability to retain moisture in their fleshy plant parts, they don’t need to be watered as often as other plants, making them a smart choice for water-wise gardens and xeriscapes.
You can learn more about how to grow succulents as houseplants and outdoors in our guides.
While they are not heavy feeders, a regular application of nutrients helps to produce healthy, attractive plants.
Feeding your succulents also encourages abundant bud set, with many varieties providing a stellar display of showy flowers in saturated shades of mauve, orange, pink, red, white, and yellow.
Are you ready for vibrant, showy succulents? Then let’s learn about how and when to fertilize!
Here’s a peek at what’s ahead:
When to Fertilize Succulents
The active growth period for most species happens over spring and summer, with plants entering a dormant period in late autumn and winter.
To give your plants the greatest benefits from fertilization, they’ll do best when fed in spring – this is when they have the highest need for additional nutrition.
For maximum effectiveness, wait until overnight temperatures consistently stay above 50°F before feeding established plants.
However, because of their relatively slow growth and delicate roots, new succulent plantings shouldn’t be fed with fast release products for their first six months.
This is to prevent overloading the delicate root system and potentially causing fertilizer burn. More on how to feed new plantings in a bit.
If your plants are fed with organic materials or slow release compounds that break down gradually, a second application can be made in midsummer, if desired – but as a rule of thumb, avoid feeding plants after the end of July.
Container-grown outdoor varieties do best when fed monthly during the growing season with a half-strength solution of a water soluble feed, or you can apply slow release granules or spikes in spring and once again in early to midsummer.
For houseplants, apply liquid or slow release feeds starting in spring. Use liquid fertilizer on a monthly basis or apply slow release pellets or spikes in spring and again in midsummer, following the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Winter Dormancy
Along with knowing the right timing for feeding succulents, it’s equally important to know when not to feed them, which is during their dormant or inactive period.
Outdoor succulents may or may not go into dormancy, depending on variables such as temperature, hours of daylight, and the species you are growing.
But in general, growth will slow or stop during the cold season.
And it’s because of the inactivity, along with their low nutritional needs, that feeding should be completely withheld for both indoor and outdoor plants over the fall and winter months.
If dormant plants are fertilized, it can create a buildup of excess nutrients and mineral salts in the soil, which can lead to toxicity and damage like rotting.
Also, if plants are producing new growth from a late season feeding, the tender tips can be susceptible to damage from cold weather.
You can learn more about how to care for succulents in winter in our guide.
Types of Feed
Succulents respond to a variety of fertilizers, including organic materials such as compost, fish emulsion, kelp emulsion, rotted manure, and worm castings plus commercial products like fast-acting liquid feeds and slow release granules or spikes.
Fish and seaweed emulsions come in a concentrated form that are diluted with water before application, releasing nutrients quickly.
I recommend Neptune’s Harvest Fish and Seaweed Fertilizer which has a 2-3-1 (NPK) ratio. It’s available at Burpee.
Neptune’s Harvest Fish and Seaweed
Organic matter like castings, compost, and manure can be applied as a top or side dressing to provide slow release nutrients.
If you opt to use commercial products, cacti and succulents do best with an NPK ratio that’s slightly lower in nitrogen such as 2-7-7 or 1-2-2, but they’ll also do fine with an all-purpose, balanced feed like 5-5-5.
Something like Burpee’s Enhanced All Purpose Plant Food, with a NPK ratio of 5-5-5 will do the job. You can find four-pound bags available at Burpee.
Burpee Enhanced All Purpose Plant Food
For houseplants, Jobe’s Organic Succulent Fertilizer Spikes release nutrients slowly and have an NPK ratio of 2-8-8.
Jobe’s Organic Fertilizer Spikes
You can find packets of 12 spikes available via Amazon.
Another option is Dr. Earth Succulence, a fast acting liquid concentrate with a 1-2-2 (NPK) ratio.
Dr. Earth Succulence
You can find this product in convenient pump-action 16-ounce bottles available at Arbico Organics.
How to Feed
Regardless of the type of fertilizer you choose to use, it’s helpful to water established plants before feeding them.
Moist soil helps to distribute the feed out more evenly, reducing the risk of burning the sensitive roots. In addition, the roots will absorb the water which makes the uptake of nutrients easy.
Organic materials can be applied as a two-inch layer over the root zone and gently worked into the surface of the soil with a hand cultivator, taking care not to disturb the shallow roots.
Or you can make an aerated tea from compost or castings for a fast acting liquid feed – you can learn more about how to make compost tea in our guide.
Liquid feeds of organic matter like fish or kelp emulsions need to be diluted before application – follow the manufacturer’s instructions for accurate dilution ratios, then dilute it again to half strength before feeding succulents.
Slow release granular pellets or spikes should be gently scratched into the soil’s surface or inserted into the root zone to gradually release nutrients as they slowly dissolve.
Commercial liquid or water soluble products are mixed with water before application. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for dilution ratios, then dilute again to half strength before feeding your plants.
Also, fast acting, water-soluble products should be avoided on new plantings until the roots are established, after at least three to six months.
The reason for diluting liquid feeds to half-strength, and not using them on new plantings, is to protect the shallow, specialized roots that have evolved for the fast uptake of moisture in arid environments – like during a flash flood in the desert.
Instead of using liquid feeds, it’s best to let young plants become established with a one-inch top dressing of compost, manure, worm castings, or other organic materials.
As the natural materials break down, they’ll provide young plants with plenty of slowly released nutrients without burning the roots or producing legginess.
All types of feed should be applied to the root zone, not on the leaves or stems. Should you accidentally splash liquids or pellets onto the fleshy parts, rinse gently with water to avoid scorching.
Above all, remember to use a light touch to avoid overfertilization – when feeding cacti and succulents, less really is more!
Vibrant, Waterwise Plants
To keep your water-wise cacti and succulents strong and healthy, it’s a good idea to adopt a regular fertilizing schedule.
Feed your plants in spring with organic materials or commercial products but go lightly to avoid problems like burnt roots and leggy plants.
Container and indoor plants can be fed on a monthly basis with a concentrated or water soluble feed, but at half strength. Or they can be fed once in spring and again in midsummer if needed with slow release pellets.
And be sure to withhold feeding during the dormant winter period for vibrant, water-wise plants!
What are your favorite feeding tips for fertilizing your succulents? Drop us a line in the comments section below.
And to learn more about cultivating ornamental succulents, be sure to add these guides to your reading list next:
