Most often than not, when you buy succulents you get them in a nursery pot. In 99% of cases the pot is made of plastic, simply because it is the cheapest material and sellers have no motivation to spend any extra money on the pot. Almost always you will want to transfer your new plants to nicer and bigger pot, fitting for their size and beauty.
When transferring any kind of plant to a new container, it is a general rule to use a pot that has a drainage hole to prevent your plant from drowning. So the question is, how transfer or plant succulents in a glass container, which typically has no drainage hole?
First of all, be mindful of the soil that you will use when you transfer your succulent to a glass container. Choose a high-end potting soil that will help you take care of your succulent with infrequent watering schedule. You can use glass bowls and jars that are fit for plants and have drainage holes in them. Anyway, let’s have a look at 6 steps of planting succulents in glass jars and pots.
Table of Contents
FIRST STEP: Make sure you have everything ready
Prepare your materials beforehand to avoid distractions later on, so you can work continuously. Imagine that you are a warrior getting ready for a battle :). Here’s the “arms” you will need:
- Succulent/s of your choice
- Glass pot, bowl or jar (with or without drainage hole)
- Potting soil of your choice
- Gardening trowel
- Mesh tape
- Water
- Moss
- Pebbles or any decorative materials
- Fertilizer
SECOND STEP: Remove your succulent from its nursery pot
A typical soil in nursery pots retains too much water, which is unhealthy for the plants So it is best to remove the nursery soil completely when you transfer the succulent to a new container. Gently remove the dead leaves, as well, to make your succulent look healthier and to prevent any further damage. Remember to handle your succulent very gently and with care.
THIRD STEP: Apply mesh tape on the drainage hole of your glass pot/bowl
This step is only applicable if your glass container has a drainage hole. You use the mesh tape to prevent soil from falling down, and at the same time to keep the water running and prevent drowning of your succulents, or root rot.
If you’ve never heard of a mesh tape, let me clarify it for you. A mesh tape is any tape that has very small holes in it–small enough so the soil particles won’t fall over, but at the same time big enough for the molecules of water to get through…
FOURTH STEP: Fill your glass container of choice with soil
Fill your pot with the soil of your choice; it may be a regular soil if you are using a glass container with drainage hole underneath, or a high-quality soil if you are using a glass container without any holes to let the water out. High-quality soils keep your succulent healthy without much need for water, as well. You can check my guide on preparing perfect succulent soil for more information.
Some succulent enthusiasts claim that organic potting soils are much healthier and usually suit the succulents better. A homemade potting soil, however, isn’t hard to make. You can use half of the regular potting soil, a quarter of perlite and another quarter of sand. Or check my guide more more in-detail instructions. Make sure to fill the glass jar only halfway first so you have enough space to put on your succulent/s and add more soil or decorative rocks later on.
FIFTH STEP: Put your succulent(s) in place
Choose the style of your arrangement. If you are transferring a single succulent to a glass jar, you can place it in the middle, at the sides or anywhere around the container that you feel it would look nice and comfortable.
However, if you are transferring more than two plants, you can experiment and style them in any way you like! You can compile them in a single place or corner or spread them out to your liking. You could also use different types (in terms of structure and height) of succulents to freely experiment in assembling them around your container.
The only thing is to make sure that your succulents have enough space to breathe and grow. Also do not forget to remove dead leaves before putting your succulent in place.
SIXTH STEP: Add another layer of soil and/or decorative materials
Once you put your succulent(s) in place, you can now add another layer of potting soil and fill it to the top (or however you want it to be), finishing things up with a top dressing of pebbles, small rocks, or whatever you like. Two things to remember with this step:
- Lightly bury the roots into the soil. Give it just enough support so it won’t bend or something similar.
- Make sure to keep the leaves of your succulent on top of the soil, instead of burying them beneath. It will help you prevent the rotting of your succulent.
After filling your container with potting soil, you can now add small rocks, pebbles, black or white sands, and other decorative materials of your choice. You can also design your glass container by pasting colorful and/or glittery papers. You can also let your imagination roam and paint and draw over the container. If you are aiming for a minimalist design, however, you can leave your glass container simply as it is…
Remember to water your succulents after transferring them to a glass jar
One of the main causes of succulent death is over-watering. Water your succulents once as week or even just every other week, since these plants have a thick fleshy leaves that store water inside, and they do not need to much of it.
You should always wait for a day or two before you water the plant in its new container. This allows the roots to adapt to the new environment.
Fertilizing succulents in glass containers
Experts suggest that you should fertilize your succulents at least once a year. You should base your fertilization strategy on the kind of succulent you grow. In my personal experience though, as long as you prepare the right soil mix and give your succulent enough sunlight and water it with rain water, fertilization isn’t necessary in the glass container.
Final thoughts
You can definitely plant succulents in glass containers. Maybe the properties of such a pot aren’t as good as properties of a ceramic pot, for example, or even a wooden pot, but as long as you stick to the advice from this article, and give your succulent all it needs, there’s no reason why it would not thrive in a glass jar.
Glass containers allow for options other pots do not–you can decorate them, you can plant the succulent just half in, you can cover the container with paint… It is great especially for children, so perhaps you have a good idea for a birthday gift :). That’s it for now, for more information do not forget to check my complete succulent growing guide. Thank you!
