Succulent Propagation Tips

Most articles in social media featuring succulents happily discuss how to propagate/grow your own plants. 

This can be confusing when first starting out as like with most topics it has two sides to the argument. In this week’s blog, I would love to make some sense of it for you and give you the confidence to start some on your own.

Imagine going to a friend’s house and you see a plant you would love to own but have been unsuccessful in locating one. Picture yourself confident enough to ask for a leaf or stem and growing your own.

Your succulents genus and species will determine what type of propagation piece to use. You can determine the method of dirt or water propagation. There are 4 main ways to start propagating. Some plants can be used in multiple ways, while others like aeoniums can not, you can only use stem propagation. Here are some examples:

1. Leaf —-Sedums, Echeverias

2. Offsets or dividing pups—-Sedum, Crassula, Sempervivum, kalanchoe, Aloes

3. Stem Cuttings—- Sedum, aeoniums, graptoveria, sempervivum, portulacaria afra

4. Seeds—- any plant you can find flowering and obtain seeds from.

No matter which method you choose like with most plants there is a success and failure rate.  Use the tactics and supplies that will make your plant in your zone and your home successful. A person in California will be able to grow a plant in a different way than a person in New York. Heck, I have had people in the same city that one person had great success and the person 10 minutes away didn’t. Factors like the type of water you use, the soil health, the amount and duration of light, and even the temperature partnered with humidity. Do not give up after one try. Continue to move your plants around until they tell you they are happy. They will grow and show you they like where they are located.

#1 LEAF PROPAGATION TIPS

Steps for leaf propagation all starts with gentle removal of the leaf. If you are picking up leaves that have already fallen check the plant end of the leaf, is it flat like it was forced off? You want a leaf that is tapered and you can see where it has connected to the stem of the plant. It is that tapered end that will sprout roots and a new plant baby for you. A tip broken off will not callous and will probably rot.

When picking leaves avoid wrinkled or damaged leaves as well as young immature leaves.

Once your leaf has been chosen it will need to callous over the separated tip edge. This is a vital step as it seals the end of the plant keeping out water and allowing a surface for the new baby to form.

To Callous it over simply allow the leaf to lie flat on a paper towel for 3 or 4 days. If your area is more humid make it a little longer. Make sure the area is out of the direct sun.

To propagate in soil- one way is to take dollar store tin foil pan that has a clear lid. Fill it with cactus/succulent soil. With a spray bottle filled with water spray the soil surface until it is evenly moist. Lay the leaf(s) flat on the surface and cover loosely with the plastic lid. Note for very humid areas cover won’t be needed. Most propagators don’t cover plants, those that do find it keeps the baby roots and new growth moist without overwatering.

For WATER propagation suspend leaf in a vial, jar, or other containers to hold it just above the water surface. Avoiding direct sunlight. For stems or larger pieces, you can cover a jar mouth with plastic wrap and make a small hole for succulent stems or tip of the leaf to poke through.

One important factor about water propagation is that the roots that form are not the same as soil roots. Once planted in the soil the plant will need to grow a new set of roots to adapt to the dirt.

The best candidate to try this method is an Echeveria or a Sempervivum. I personally do not use the method but many people have success with it. Regards of your chosen method getting roots will take time. In some cases weeks. Be patient!

The babies that come off of leaf tips are the cutest things on the planet. Once you see your first one you will hover over it like a new mother.

Many regular propagators will tell you the most success they have had growing a leaf is the one they found behind a plant stand on the ground. The leaf simply fell off the mother plant and in an effort to survive put off roots and began its own plant. some people will even use the words they place them on soil and neglect them. I think some people will call this method, survival of the fittest.  Watch your plant it will tell you what it needs.

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#2 OFFSETS OR PUPS TIPS

Offsets are small succulents that grow around the base of the mother plant. Gently remove offset from the soil and separate it from the main plant area. Shake off soil and allow it to callous for a day or so and then plant it in its own pot with soil.

Aloes and agaves are excellent choices for dividing pups.

                                                         Sometimes you may need to use water to loosen roots to allow removal. But make sure you get enough healthy root with the small plants. The larger the pup the higher the chance of success for it growing on its own and being healthy.

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#3 STEM CUTTING TIPS

For succulents like echeverias that have etiolated, i.e, grown leggy from the lack of sunlight, propagation from stem cuttings is the best solution. You will save the mother plant helping it to grow in full and healthy and you will get a second plant out of it.

When cutting the stem make sure you are using sterile cutters or knife. Having sharp tools will always help the health of the plant. Actually less trauma and the wound will callus over nicely. For a plant that has stretched go as low as you can just about where the bulk of healthy leaf group ends. and cut it. Carefully remove any random leaf pieces along the lower part of the stem. The leaf pieces you can propagate provided you carefully tugged them off intact. Allow the stem to the lay in a bright place with no direct sun for a day or two to callus. Then place the stem in a new pot with clean moist soil. Do not overwater but do not allow it to dehydrate.

For stems, you can also do the water propagation method. Many people have great success with it.

#propa #succulents