Have you ever wondered why so many succulent arrangements have a layer of decorative pebbles on top? Have you heard people talking about top dressing for succulents and wondered what it is or what it’s used for? Using a layer of pebbles for succulents is more than just fashion — the pebbles serve several purposes. Read on to learn all about top dressing and why you should use it for your succulents.
Why Use Pebbles for Succulents
In this Post We'll Cover:
What Is Top Dressing?
Top dressing is used throughout gardening and agriculture. Generally, a top dressing is a fine, even layer of rich soil, compost, manure or worm castings applied on top of the soil of a garden bed, lawn or field just before planting. It is then tilled into the soil, ready to receive the seeds or plants. A top dressing for succulents is a layer of inorganic matter like pebbles, gravel, crushed rock or crushed seashells applied in an even layer over the top of the soil after the plants are in place. A succulent’s top dressing completely covers the soil to a depth of about a 1/3 inch, and is left in place. This provides many benefits for plants in containers or growing in the ground.
Benefits of Top Dressing for Succulents
Inorganic top dressing for succulents has several benefits:
- Top dressing for succulents helps to regulate the temperature of the soil, insulating the roots from wide temperature fluctuations.
- Dark pebbles or gravel absorb more heat, warming the soil and stimulating root development; while light colors reflect the heat — useful in hot climates.
- Pebbles break up the heavy force of water, either from rain or watering, preventing soil erosion. This keeps soil from splashing up to the leaves of your plants.
- At a layer of at least 1/3 of an inch, an inorganic top dressing prevents insects from laying their eggs in the damp, organic soil. This is the most reliable way to rid your home of pesky gnats.
- Top dressings act as a weed barrier.
- It adds weight to plastic pots and containers to keep them from blowing away.
- Top dressing can help to keep newly planted succulents upright until they fully root into the surrounding soil matrix.
And let’s face it — a layer of decorative pebbles looks more attractive than exposed soil. With all this value, is it any wonder I include adding top dressing in my guide to how to plant succulents?
Top Dressing for Succulents
Top dressings for succulents come in a wide array of colors, textures and sizes. We usually think in terms of decorative pebbles, but you can use sand, pebbles, gravel, crushed granite, crushed glass, fire glass, seashells, crushed coral, small stones, semi-precious gemstone chips like amethyst, tiger eye, quartz and more.
Take a little care with your choice of top dressings. If you use sand, take care it is clean or washed. Sand straight from the beach will have a high salt content that will damage your plants. And be sure the “colored rocks” you use are colorfast and are not just powder-coated. Some landscape rocks sold at home stores are coated with a color that comes off, staining the plants and making a mess. Use any labeled as “top dressing”, though you’ll also find great products in aquarium shops or even fire glass for decorative fire features. Check out the collection of succulent top dressings in my Amazon store for ideas! Each is safe to use for your succulent plants.
The colors of top dressings and pebbles for succulents run the gamut from dull to shiny, subdued earth tones to neon-bright shades of green, blue, yellow succulent and purple that are seldom found in nature. So — which should you use? The best answer is the one that looks good to you. Seriously. I will show you and describe what I consider when I choose top dressings, but who’s to say you’ll like my taste? I like a natural look that enhances the plant and pulls the colors and textures of the succulent and its container together. But if you love the look of DayGlo pink pebbles with a silvery-green succulent, rock on!
Choosing Top Dressing for Succulents
I think of top dressing for succulents like jewelry for an outfit. It should enhance the look, add interest, but not dominate it. Perhaps Debra Lee Baldwin says it best. She likens decorative pebbles for succulents to the mat for a painting. She considers the succulents the artwork, the container as the frame and the top dressing as the mat.
Above, I took a ceramic succulent pot planted with an Echeveria Perle von Nurnberg and photographed it with three different top dressings to show you the difference it makes. Because the pot has a black, glossy rim, I chose black sand with a bit of sparkle to it. The pot also has a glossy tan color lower down. I chose a matte finish tan pebbles and a caramel-colored sand. Isn’t it remarkable the difference each makes? Imagine the Echeveria PVN with a plum-toned top dressing.
As you consider your choice of top dressing, always keep in mind the effect you want to achieve. If the pot is super cool and you want to highlight that, your choice of pebbles, sand, rocks may be different than if you want to enhance the plant.
A Matter of Scale
When people discuss top dressing for succulents, they almost always mean pea gravel or decorative pebbles of approximately 1/5 – 1/4 -inch. That is the size of the tan pebbles I used, shown in the center of the trio above, with the Echeveria PVN. I really like the look of the sand, though, don’t you? It is more difficult to reuse for other plantings than the pebbles, but for a single planting, I think it looks great.
Most people would not consider using such a chunky to dressing as this, bit doesn’t it look magnificent? This is a handmade ceramic pot by Susan Aach. She planted it with a Ferocactus and used a rough-textured, chunky top dressing that really pulls the two together. I love this look!
This is another combo pairing a Susan Aach pot and a chunky-sized top dressing. Together, they enhance this gorgeous, variegated Echeveria Compton Carousel to perfection. She really brings her artist’s eye to pairing her pots, plants and top dressings. She balances the beauty of the plants and the pots to achieve a genuine synergy. Learn more about Susan Aach handmade pottery on her site, and check out my visit with her. Thanks, Susan, for the use of your beautiful images!
Are There Problems Using Top Dressing for Succulents?
If adding pebbles for succulents to your planters is a new idea, there are a few questions you may have:
Do the pebbles make the soil retain moisture? As regular readers know, choosing a fast-draining succulent soil is an absolute must for the health of your succulents. This is non-negotiable. So what about adding the pebbles? It’s true that top dressings for succulents prevent the soil losing water to the air through evaporation. But you want the water to travel down through the soil, past the plant’s roots, where it can be absorbed. The small amount of evaporation lost is more than compensated for by the value of the to dressing and a good soil.
Does the top dressing impair air circulation for the soil and roots? Succulent roots need oxygen for the plant to live. Small pockets of air in the gritty soil hold air, allowing the roots to access oxygen. A top dressing of gravel, pebbles or even sand does not prevent the air from reaching the soil and benefiting the plant’s roots. Too much water with insufficient drainage saturates the soil, driving out air pockets and “drowning” the plant. Top dressing in no way impairs your plant’s access to oxygen.
How to tell when your succulents need water if you can’t touch the soil? Many succulent growers determine when to water their plants based on when the soil feels dry. I certainly prefer this method to following a set schedule. Even better is to water when your succulents indicate they need water, and not before. If you truly need to judge the water content of your soil, a chopstick is my preferred “moisture meter”. Insert the chopstick into the soil. If it comes out feeling or looking wet or with soil particles sticking to it, do not water. When it comes out clean and dry — it’s time to water!
Where to Buy Pebbles for Succulents?
Now that you understand why and how to use top dressings for your succulents — where to buy them, right? I have a few, good resources to recommend. First, my Amazon store has a section devoted to top dressing for succulents. I’ve included a range of colors, styles and sizes from sand to gravel. Mountain Crest Gardens also has an excellent selection of sand and pebbles for succulents. Consider home stores, with the caveats above in mind as well as pet stores and aquarium supply shops. Get creative with your choices!
Now that you know all the benefits of finishing your succulent planters with top dressing, will you use it? I’d love to know! Please take a moment to leave me a comment and let me know what you think or if you have any questions!
Have fun planting your succulents!
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