Is salt safe for succulents?

by Jade Bloom
(sa, tx)

Haworthia with Pebble Mulch

I made some colored "sand" with salt and chalk shavings. I am pretty sure the chalk is ok, but is the salt ok? I just want to use the "sand" for decorating on the top part of the soil... a very small amount at that. Will I kill my babies if I chance this?

thanks for your time

Comments for Is salt safe for succulents?

Click here to add your own comments

Feb 21, 2017

Salt Kills
by: Jacki

Most succulents, with very few exceptions, dislike salt in all forms, including fertilizer.

A mulch, with even a tiny amount of salt, will be the death of them.

You need to use some kind of mineral mulch (fine gravel, lava rock or pebbles) without any salt in it.

Hopefully you can find an alternative that still looks great, but doesn't pose the health risk to the plants.

Can you substitute sand for the salt? That would be safe for them, as long as it's rinsed first, if it's beach sand. Playground sand or builders sand is usually salt free.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Ask the Horticulturist.