Here’s a fun fact for you: plants can listen to other plants! They would make great spies!
Beyond that, many plants play favorites with their neighborhood. If a plant doesn’t like another plant, it will take all of the food, water, and light.
If the plants do like one another, they may even help each other grow!
Which brings us to the question we usually hear: can cacti & succulents grow together?
Yes, they can!
You will find that most cacti and succulents have similar needs and characteristics. And, honestly, they do look pretty cool sitting next to each other.
That said, plants don’t always enjoy each other’s company. You will need to find varieties of cacti and succulents that get along with each other.
To find out more about these two, keep reading!
Cacti and Succulents: A Brief Overview
Before we get into the specifics, let’s first go over how to distinguish the different plant types.
The positive side is that there are more similarities than differences. It only makes sense to plant them side-by-side.
Cacti
Here’s some fascinating news: did you know that all cacti are classified as succulents? Congratulations, I bet you didn’t see that one!
Cacti are not only fun to grow, but some cacti also flower in an array of colors, while others, like the cactus fig, produce succulent fruits of their own.
They are recognized by areoles, which are woolly pads that spikes grow from (okay, not all spikes, some cacti flowers come from areoles too). But what all cacti do not have are branches nor leaves.
Tip: This hardy plant prefers full sun for most of the year to almost year-round and survives better in dry areas instead of humid climates.
Succulents
Now, it gets tricky: no all succulents are cacti.
Why? Because some succulents do not contain the areoles mentioned above.
So they don’t have the spines. However, they are known to have fleshy, juicy stems. Some succulents have leaves and branches too.
Another variable is there are some plants that live in rainforests. They prefer humid conditions and partial sun.
The majority of them are native to hot, arid climates like cacti.
Planting Cacti and Succulents Together: What to Consider
We also included a short description of the main type of plant to give you a sense of how and why they work well together!
Both trees will add elegance and warmth to any location, both inside and outside.
One of their best characteristics is how hardy and resilient they are. They are typically recommended for beginners and people looking for plants that require minimal maintenance.
It’s very important from the outset to choose species that are compatible in terms of growth requirements.
This will dictate their water and sunlight requirements so that they grow well.
Light and Temperature
Cacti enjoy long periods of bright, direct light.
Succulents, however, prefer part sun. While they do not mind a few hours of direct light every so often – but mostly part sun.
To find a happy medium, put them in an area that has bright, indirect light for a good portion of the day which would keep both species happy.
They can live in high temps as long as there is proper airflow and ventilation.
Both species can tolerate temps down to 46 degree F in fall and winter.
Watering and Feeding
Watering is usually a juggle between planting your cacti with succulents.
Although they are tough plants, cacti will not stand up if watered too often. While on the other hand, succulents will start dropping their leaves if they are not watered enough.
One thing that you can do to avoid this issue is to plant both species in a pot with good drainage.
Alternatively, you can use a plastic syringe with a 10 to 50mls capacity to control the amount of water you give them.
In the summer, you can water your mixed pots every 10 to 14 days. Then if the weather cools down you can water less.
By the way: To support good growth, you can apply a liquid fertilizer about once a month in the summer, then in fall, forget about it while they are resting.
Potting Mix
Selecting the ideal soil type for your cacti or succulent arrangement is important.
It should be mentioned that both of these plant types take up their moisture from the air that surrounds them.
So, the best soil would be one that is porous and drains efficiently all the excess moisture. Most all cacti/succulent potting soils contain sand or grit type materials.
For best results, the materials should be no smaller than particles 5mm.
If you choose, you can make your own potting soil:
- 1/3 standard potting soil
- 1/3 perlite or pumice
- 1/3 other coarse material (coarse sand, composted bark, crushed granite, or turface).
Propagation and Repotting
When your plants have gotten settled to their new space, you’ll see them grow at different rates.
If you see one growing faster than the other(s), you’ll want to wait until spring to prune it:
- You just cut from the main cacti or succulent to propagate and create a new plant.
- Some cuttings will root in water, but most will root in soil.
- You can repot when you see roots coming out of the bottom of the pot.
The general rule is to repot every two to three years, and spring is best since they’ll be in growth mode.
Cacti and Succulents: Common Planting Methods
Watering is one of the key concerns when growing these two together.
Below you will find 2 common ways to deal with watering issues.
Contained Planting
Using this approach you can contain each type of plant in its own pot that has drainage holes in case you happen to overwater the plants.
After you have settled on how to arrange your plants, place the pots in a larger container.
This option is more stable and trustworthy, although there is more effort in making it look good.
One of the things you will need to consider is how to conceal the gaps between the pots:
- If you decide to place the pots in the same container you can add some gravel/pebbles around the plants to help undecorate the empty spaces. They will also help collect excess moisture from the soil.
- It may also be a good idea to add a layer of small stones or gravel at the bottom of the container since they will help prevent the water from pooling below the smaller pots.
Aggregate Planting
In this way of planting, you will plant succulents and cacti together in one large pot.
Be sure that the pot has enough drainage and that it has an appropriate potting mix.
Additionally, you will have to accommodate their different watering needs. Succulents can survive without water for up to ~10 days. Cacti, however, need to be watered every three weeks.
Try this: To get around the situation, you can always use the plastic syringe we mentioned earlier. Place it at the base of the succulents and water them once a week then when it is time to water the cacti you can water them together at once every month or so.
Conclusion
The question of whether or not cacti and succulents can be planted together is easily answered with, “Yes, of course!”
You have to be attentive to their light and watering needs when selecting your types. You can also think about which planting style you want to use.
You will have happy plants, which you can enjoy for many years, by replicating their environment.