A ‘top dressing’ refers to the light layer of decorative rocks or sand added on top of the soil in a plant arrangement. Top dressing your succulent planter adds a polished touch and makes them look super chic! This simple addition is often overlooked, but really makes any beautiful arrangement even better.
Benefits of Top Dressing Succulents
Beyond looking great, there are many benefits of trop dressing your succulents!
The additional layer of decorative rocks helps keep soil in place when watering your plants. If you are using a lightweight soil or well draining soil, you might find that it gets easily displaced and falls out of your pot. Top dressing will prevent this from happening.
Top dressing will make the colors in your succ pop! Try using rocks with the same tones or complimentary colors as your bb.
Decorative stones add a polished look to your arrangement! Professional succulent designers almost always add a top dressing to their arrangements. They most commonly will use various colored stones and moss. You could even add a few crystals and a geode rock! There are so many options, you will most definitely find something that fits the vibe of your succulent planter.
PRO TIP: Adding a top dressing to your pots will keep water from evaporating off of the soil as quickly. Be careful to not overwater bbs. Need a refresher on the proper succ watering technique? Breeze up on the subject by learning about the Drench + Dry Watering Method
How to Top Dress Succulents
Once you have your potted succulents, gently pour the stones on top of the soil! Try using tweezers or chopsticks to help get the stones into tight areas. Be careful not to damage your succulent’s leaves while adding the top dressing.
Looking for some stones? Bonsai Jack has great options, but you can always check out your local garden or hardware for decorative stones.
Pro Tip: When buying stones, remember they are often covered in dust from shipping. While shopping the colors might look dull, but give them a quick rinse before adding them to your pot and they’ll really pop.
Top Dressing Outdoor Succulents
Spread the love to your outdoor succs! Adding a top dressing to your bbs that live outside is a unique way to spruce up your landscaping. This is a great alternative to a traditional lawn and will save tons of $$$ on water!
