Do Succulents Like to be Crowded?

You’re here because you often lay awake at night wondering if succulents love the crowds.

Let me just tell ya now, they do indeed.

If succulents were human, they’d be the life of the party, at Coachella every year, and would most definitely be lifetime Disneyland annual passholders - they effing LOVE crowds.

There are only two plants I can think of that have them beat at the crowd-game: grass… and wheat. Anything else I missed? Outside of succulents, why lie, I am not well-versed on plants. :)

They aren’t allergic to social situations with crowds but they could use a little space if you want them to grow.

Let’s dive in a bit more on the subject..

Succulent Crowds by Seasons

Succulents have a few minor reactions to their crowded environments, most of which you won’t notice unless you planted one succulent in pot and a ton of succulents in a container next to it. It also really depends on seasons, as we’ll explain now.

Spring and Summer

No matter what season you’re in, planting a bunch of succulents close together always looks great.

The thing is - they are also going through their active growing phase - this is that fun period when roots and plants grow, new babies are created and blooms start blooming.

The crowding will actually stunt their growth.

The growing roots will grow and become tangled with other roots. Eventually the roots will take over the entire pot - we call this root-bound. This triggers the plant to stop growing.

Both of these are no big deal and won’t hurt the plant. But if your goal is to have them grow, crowding them will not help you achieve this goal.

The babies and the blooms will still come in - nature will always prevail. But the babies may be harder to spot. The blooms will be oblivious to all of it.

Fall and Winter

Most succulents will go through their dormant phase around this time.

Growing phases, babies and blooms are not really a thing you have to worry about at this time.

This is a great time to crowd your succulents in pots because nothing is really happening.

Will Succulents Grow Fast in Crowded Arrangements?

Succulents will not grow fast in crowded arrangements. The more space it has, the faster it will grow.

I don’t recommend planting a 2 inch succulents in a 1 gallon container. It’s too much space that can have a negative impact on the health of the plant - too much soil for not enough roots can keep a deep pot of soil too moist, resulting in root rot.

You want to baby step them into larger pots.

Taking a 2 inch plant into a 4 inch container will have much better results and produce healthier plants.

Once it fills the 4 inch container with plant or root growth, then re pot it into the next size.

Tips on Planting a Crowded Arrangement

Now that you know what to expect in the Spring and Summer months - active growing phase - I have a tip for you.

When planting your succulents into an arrangement, you can give them a little space between each plant to grow into.

Maybe a half inch to one inch space would be ideal and not so noticeable.

Between the empty spaces, you could add a decorative rock to make it look full.

Over the active phase of succulents, it could take 2 weeks to 3 months for it to fill in.

Doing this will help you achieve the aesthetic of a crowded arrangement, while also letting your plants grow and get bigger.

Planting a Crowded Succulent Landscape

The same rules apply to planting an outdoor succulent landscape.

I would give them a bit more space since outdoor succulents have the potential to grow faster because they are out in the open.

Give them 1 to 3 inch space between plants.

It may look funky at first, but when it fill in, trust me… you won’t regret the end result.

And that's about it, folks.  There really isn't much else to say.  If you have any questions feel free to reach out to us.  

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