Repotting Succulents: How To Repot Succulents Indoors & Outdoors

Succulents, especially the smaller ones, don’t have an extensive root system. They’re happy to stay in the same pot for a while, but at some point will need to be transplanted into a new pot. This guide to repotting succulents will give you details including why, when, how, and more.

I’m talking about moving one plant from one pot to another one, most often times a bigger pot. These same principles apply when you plant multiple succulents into one or more planters as well as when you plant rooted succulent cuttings.

Succulents do best in a special potting mix. The mix you use should have good drainage, be well aerated, and light in weight to ensure a healthy succulent.

Here’s a post dedicated to Succulent Soil with all the details you need to know.

Table of Contents

Repotting Succulents Guide

2 hands hold an empty plant grow pot & a miniature pine tree succulent in a pot — *When repotting succulents, I almost always go up 1 pot size. My Miniature Pine Tree is in a 4″ pot, & it’s going into a 6″ grow pot.*

Reasons To Repot Succulents

The pot your succulent is growing in is too small. The roots may be coming out of the drain hole, it’s root bound, and/or the plant is showing signs of stress.

The succulent has fallen or been knocked over and has come out of the pot.

It’s growing in old soil. The succulent has been in the original pot for years, and although it may not need a bigger pot, it would appreciate a fresh soil mix.

The soil mixture is no longer holding water. An example would be a Low Planter Bowl full of succulents that have grown tightly and is not able to absorb the water.

The succulent has been overwatered and it’s not drying out. Often it can be saved by planting in a new mix.

The succulent is out of scale with the current pot and needs a bigger base. Taller growing succulents get top-heavy and can lean.

The new succulent you’ve just brought home is in a heavy mix and you want to repot it into a succulent mix to prevent overwatering.

The cuttings have rooted and need a new home.

Want to learn more about how to care for succulents indoors? Check out these guides!

close up of chunky succulent soil mix — *The succulent mix I use is very chunky, light, & aerated.* *You want to use a well-draining soil mix to ensure your succulent’s roots dry out in between waterings & don’t stay consistently wet. Damp soil will do a succulent in!*

When To Repot Succulents

The best time is spring and summer. Early spring through early fall is fine if you’re in a climate with mild winters.

That being said, I repotted a succulent in January because it fell and the pot broke. It grew just fine; just know that the warmer months are optimum.

What Size Pot To Use

Unless I’m planting multiple plants into 1 pot to create Succulent Garden, I go up one size to a slightly larger pot as a general rule of thumb. For example, from a 2″ or 3″ to a 4″ pot and from a 4″ to a 6″ pot.

This doesn’t have anything to do with size, but it’s best to have drainage holes on the bottom of the container so the water can readily flow out.

How Often To Repot

Succulent plants don’t need yearly repotting. Every 3 – 6 years will be fine, depending on how the succulent is growing and the pot size.

Repotting Succulents Into Pots With No Drain Holes

I did a post on this subject a few years ago. It has recently been updated with a new video added.

You’ll find our guide on Repotting & Caring For Succulents In Pots Without Drain Holes to be helpful if you find that special container that doesn’t have any.

Materials Needed

New container, usually a larger one.
Succulent soil mix. Here’s the DIY Succulent Mix Recipe I use. Bonsai Jack is a very popular mix you can buy online, as well as the Succulent Cult, Superfly Bonsai, & Dr. Earth.
Trowel, cup, or plastic container for scooping the mix.
Paper to cover drain holes if they’re large or there are a lot of them.
Amendments. These organic materials are optional but I always add a small amount of compost & worm compost when planting my succulents.

a dancing bones succulent in a patterned terra cotta pot sits next to an empty red ceramic pot — My Dancing Bones Cactus was planted in the red ceramic with no drainage holes for 3 years. It was time to get it in a bigger pot with a drain hole. I’ve since planted a lovely Mistletoe Cactus in the red pot.

Steps To Repotting Succulents

Water the succulent 5-7 days before repotting. You don’t want bone-dry soil or to have it soaking wet.

Put a thin layer of paper over the drain hole(s). I used old coffee filters until they ran out and now use a layer of newspaper. This keeps the light mix from leaking out the bottom.

Have the new soil all ready to go. I keep my Succulent And Cactus Mix in a low bin with handles. It’s a portable potting station I can move around to wherever I’m doing the repotting.

Loosen the root ball from the old pot by pressing on the sides. This works for me when working with smaller succulents. If it’s stubborn and not coming out due to being rootbound, then run a knife around the perimeter of the pot. In case that doesn’t do the job, cut the plastic grow pot to get the rootball out. I’ve only had to break a terra cotta pot one time because I couldn’t get the dang plant out – last resort!

Massage the rootball, if needed, to untighten the roots.

Measure the depth of the root ball by putting it in or next to the new pot. This way you know how much mix to put in that new pot to raise it up.

TIP: I raise the rootball up 1/2″ or so above the top of the new, larger container. Succulents store water in their leaves and stems so most have a bit of weight to them. This will eventually pull the plant down a bit in the light mix over time. A 6″ Aloe Vera is heavier than a 6″ String Of Pearls so I’d have the former up a bit higher. You don’t want the crown of the rootball to sink below the top of the soil.

Add more mix around the sides of the rootball. I add a bit of Compost And Worm Compost when the level gets up near the top. Easy does it, 1/4 – 1/2″ layer is fine for a 4″pot size.

Press down on the succulent potting mix as you go. You also may need to press at the top to get the succulent to stand up straight.

This doesn’t happen often, but if the plant is top-heavy, it’s a good idea to stake it while the roots take hold.

Here’s a post dedicated to Succulent Soil with all the details you need to know.

2 hands take a miniature pine tree succulent out of its grow pot over a bin of succulent soil mix — I squeezed on the pot & turned it upside down to get the rootball out.

2 hands in acton are repotting a miniature pine tree succulent — *Filling in with more mix. I gently press down on the mix as I repot because it’s very light*. At this point, I may need to raise the plant up a bit more.

Repotting Succulents Video Guide

Succulent Care After Repotting

Put your repotted succulents in a location with bright, natural light. That might be the spot they were growing in before the repotting.

Be sure to keep them out of hot, direct sunlight and out of cold or hot drafts.

Don’t water your repotted succulents right away. Keep the soil dry for up to a week while they settle in.

Water the mix thoroughly. If the mix is light and aerated as it should be, the excess water will immediately flow out the drain holes to prevent water retention.

Resume watering as you normally would.

Are you new to succulent gardening? Here’s our guide on How To Water Succulents Indoors that you’ll find helpful.

close up of a small calico hearts succulent plant in a patterned terra cotta pot — *You may not be able to tell here, but the root ball of this Calico Hearts sits a bit higher than the top of the soil. It’s a small plant, but those plump heart-shaped leaves add weight to the plant.*

Good To Know About Succulent Repotting

When repotting more delicate succulents, you have to be careful. Some of the leaves will easily fall off in the repotting process. I’ve done a post and video on this. Also, there’s information here about Propagating Succulents By Leaf Cuttings if you want to put those fallen leaves to good use.

Succulents do best in pots with drainage holes. This ensures that water flows out and doesn’t build up in the bottom which can lead to wet soil and ultimately root rot.

I like to plant succulents in pots with multiple drain holes. If there’s only one small drain hole, add a layer (an inch or two) of pebbles, charcoal, etc to prevent the bottom of the mix from staying too wet.

If there are multiple drain holes or 1 big drain hole, I like to cover them with paper to prevent the fresh mix from flowing out. I use a toothpick or the tip of a knife to puncture a small hole in the paper so the water runs out but the mix stays in.

Use succulent and cactus soil mix. This helps to ensure your succulents will grow successfully. Regular potting soil holds too much water and this could lead to root rot.

Many people ask when to repot succulents after buying. Unless the soil looks really bad or the pot is too small, I leave them be for a while.

Only go up one pot size when repotting, unless the succulent is tall or very heavy like a Pencil Cactus or a Jade Plant.

Don’t sink the root ball crown below the level of the soil mix. It’s best to plant it slightly above because the weight of the plant will eventually pull it down.

Let your succulents settle in the dry new mix for 3-7 days before watering. I’ll water a succulent with thin stems like String Of Pearls sooner than most of my succulents with more substantial stems.

looking down into a patterned terra cotta pot with clay pebbles in the bottom — If a pot has no drainage hole or is a bit deeper than I’d like it to be, I add clay pebbles on the bottom to facilitate drainage & keep the roots from hitting any water that might be building up in the bottom of the pot.

Repotting succulents isn’t hard at all. After you repot 1 or 2, you’ll have it down!

This post was originally published on 06/26/2021 & updated on 02/10/2023

Happy gardening,

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About the Author
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Nell Foster

Nell, the founder of Joy Us garden, was born into a gardening family and grew up in Connecticut’s countryside. After living in Boston, New York, San Francisco, & Santa Barbara, she now calls the Arizona desert home. She studied horticulture & garden design, working in the field all her life. Nell is a gardener, designer, blogger, Youtube creator, & author. She’s been gardening for a very long time & wants to share what she’s learned with you.