Essential Tools and Must-Haves for Succulent Care
Below are the tools and products that I personally curated. This list is frequently updated whenever I discover something new. Also, please let me know if there's something you like that is not included in the list.
Use the links below to navigate directly to specific sections, or scroll down to explore everything:
- Tools for Indoor Succulents
- Garden Tools
- Fertilizers & Plant Food
- Preventing and Treating Pest and Weed
- Soil and Potting Mixes
Tools for Indoor Succulents
Small Handheld Vacuum/Blower
A small handheld vacuum/blower has been really nice to have to keep things tidy when you're repotting and there's soil all over the place.
Horticultural Sieve
A horticultural sieve is used to filter out fines from your grit, such as perlite or pumice. It's definitely useful if you're trying to avoid adding overly fine amendments that might make your substrate too densely compact. Conversely, it can be used to filter out any fine perlite for use as a seed starting medium.
6 Inch Clay Pot for Plant with Saucer
This 4-pack of large terra cotta plant pots comes with drainage holes and saucers. Made of premium quality clay and baked at high temperature, these pots are durable and suitable for indoor or outdoor use. They're perfect for medium and large plants, succulents, cacti, and herbs. The permeable nature of terracotta keeps plants breathable, making them great for watering enthusiasts.
25Pcs Mini Succulent Tools Set
Comprehensive small garden tools kit for succulents, bonsai plants, cactus, and most indoor small plants. Includes a 39.4" thickened repotting mat, various hand tools, watering bottle, and plant tags. Perfect for potting, digging, watering, loosening soil, transplanting, cleaning, pruning, and weeding.
Garden Tools
Forceps (Clamps, Hemostats)
These tools are handy for tidying up dried or damaged leaves on aloes, agaves, and other succulents. By locking (clamping) the forceps—essentially surgical tools—onto the leaf, you can easily wiggle or pry it loose for removal.
Long Tweezers
When your fingers are too large, or a succulent has sharp points, opt for long tweezers (15 inches) to reach into tight spaces and remove fallen leaves and debris. Tweezers with serrated tips are particularly effective for this task.
Hori Hori Garden Knife
This versatile garden tool is perfect for various tasks, including digging, chopping, weeding, and cutting through roots. With its 6-inch stainless steel blade, it's ideal for planting succulents and cuttings. It comes with a sharpening stone and a leather sheath, making it a convenient and highly recommended gift for any gardener!
Protective Safety Goggles
"Why do we need safety goggles?" you might ask. Well, they protect your eyes when working around sharp agaves and other succulents, as well as those that might release toxic sap like euphorbias.
Soil pH Meter
Are you aware that watering succulents with water of the wrong pH can hinder their ability to absorb nutrients? This results in less robust growth and may lead to yellowing. Urban and residential water typically has an alkaline pH, exceeding 7, which is considered neutral. The optimal pH for succulents is slightly acidic. Using a pH meter provides reassurance.
Jeweler's Loupe / Microscope
A Jeweler's Loupe or microscope allows for detailed inspection of succulent plants, including their leaves, stems, and roots. This tool enables growers to closely examine their structure, aiding in the identification of pests (such as mealy bugs), diseases, or other issues that may not be visible to the naked eye. It's wild to see everything that's going on with my plants so close up.
Fertilizers & Plant Food
Osmocote Smart-Release Plant Food
Fertilizing the smart way means one application provides continuous feeding for up to 6 months. Simply sprinkle Osmocote® onto the soil around your succulents; there's no need to water it in. Reapply after 6 months according to the recommended application rates.
Preventing and Treating Pest and Weed
Sluggo Snail & Slug Killer
Tried Sluggo in my succulent garden for a snail problem. Despite concerns about plant safety, it worked well. Safe around pets and wildlife with its iron phosphate formula. Applied at the start of the season, and my garden has been snail-free for months. Happy with the results, no harm to my plants!
Sulfur Powder/Paste
Sulfur has many uses beyond being a plant nutrient. It comes in powder form and can be made into a paste. It effectively treats powdery mildew, mites, plant spiders, thrips, and other issues without repotting. Unlike alcohol, sulfur paste remains in place for up to a week, offering continuous treatment. It can also treat fleas and ticks on animals.
Soil and Potting Mixes
Bonsai Jack Succulent and Cactus Soil
This fast-draining gritty mix is optimized for succulents and cacti. It helps prevent root rot and overwatering with its perfect composition of Bonsai Block, Monto Clay, and Pine Coir. The soil has an optimized pH of 5.5 and is ideal for plants that require drier conditions between watering. Made in the USA and lab-tested for quality.