Succulent garden advice
by
Rose Smith
+14
Want to make a succulent garden in a cement birdbath. Do I need to drill holes in the bottom for it to drain? I know succulents do not like too much water.
Unless it doesn't hold water at all, you would need to put drainage holes in it.
yes and make sure to use succulent soil only
Well I have done this a number of times myself without drilling holes. I just add a good layer of gravel in the bottom before adding the potting medium. Caveat, I live in a very hot summer climate and they all flourished. If you live in a place where it rains often, then I would certainly drill holes so they do not get water logged and drown.
yes...holes are a have to.
I would think drainage exits would best.
In my zone 7 my potted sedums that hang and and surface potted survive the below freezing winter climate assault without any care or attention! Sadly I think my potted clematis died. But the sedums seem to get stronger every year and can spread.
I used an old metal fire pit with legs on it and drilled holes in the bottom
that is the soil you will need to purchase.Any Home Improvement store or Nursery sells it
Yes you will need drainage holes. A layer of pea gravel in the bottom of the container will help also.
If you're exposing them to rain, then yes - you need to drill drainage holes - otherwise the birdbath will flood and the succulents will not be able to survive that.
Hi Rose, succulents need good drainage, so yes you'll need to make some holes in your cement birdbath. We have a huge collection of succulents and they are so rewarding. You can get a whole bunch of tips on growing, propagating or identifying here - - https://acraftymix.com/blog/tips-identifying-growing-succulents/
You can see it, some tips and care guides:
https://succulentsbox.com/blogs/blog/how-to-create-a-succulent-garden
I grew my succulents in an old wheelbarow tipped on it's side and they did well, the drainage system was a gravity feed with stones in place to stop some of the erosion.
They do well with very little water, so I would recommend holes for drainage in a birdbath.
You can get around having to drill drainage holes if you put a good deal of rocks/gravel in the birdbath and then use a separate container with drainage holes in it placed on the layer of gravel. Use a good soil for succulents (available at big box/nurseries) to plant the succulents in. You can grow them easily and divide them by simply pinching off a leaf and placing in the soil.