.png)
Succulents are notoriously known for being very hardy plants. They usually require little or no care, making them the perfect plant companion. In fact, one of the best aspects of owning succulents is propagating them.
It's an easy and cheap way to grow more of your favorites, and even provide yourself with months of entertainment, watching them grow. There are quite a few ways to do this, but these two methods are, by far, the easiest.
Prepare the Cuttings
If your succulent has a few offshoots, you can use them for stem cutting propagation. It can take the original succulent a while to recover from this process so be sure to only take cuttings if your succulent has a few offshoots. Cutting the original can be risky, and you might lose the plant.
When cutting the stems, be sure to leave at least 3 inches of stem under the cutting's head so the succulent can properly root. Remove about 3 inches of leaves from the stem (you can save them for leaf propagation.) Leave the cuttings out to dry for a few days. When the end of the stem forms a callous, it's ready to be propagated!
Prepare the leaves
Using leaves for propagation is very easy if done right, and can produce a lot of new succulents since leaves are usually more plentiful than stems. But, there are a few things to be aware of before trying it. When choosing leaves, the ones at the base are usually healthiest and will work best for propagating. Although, I've used higher leaves before and they've grown successfully. Both types work but base leaves might be a better option for a higher success rate.
Remove the leaves by gently grabbing the base and twisting left and right until it loosens. If the leave rips it could affect it's chances of growing, but you can still try if the leaf is damaged. Leave them out to dry for a few days until they callous.
Soil Method
This is typically the most common method among succulent owners. It's cheap, simple, and effective. It may not be as fast as the other techniques, but it works!
What you'll need:
*Soil
*Container
*A Sunny Room or Grow Light
*Water (of course!)
First, fill a container with fast-draining soil. You can use any depth of container, if using a shallow container, you'll need to re-pot the leaves as they grow bigger so the roots will have more room.
Water until the soil is damp, but not over-watered. Next, place the leaves and cuttings on the soil, there's no need to bury them, just lay them on top. The leaves need access to sun to grow, but a grow light will also work. Water when the soil is completely dry, being sure to not get water on the leaves themselves. That can cause it to rot and fall off before the plant is fully developed. Continue to do so until the plants are ready to be potted.
Water Method
This is my personal favorite and is actually the fastest of both methods. The only downside is that you have to water them very frequently depending on how much your tray can hold.
What you'll need:
*Plastic Tray
*A Sunny Room or Grow Light
*Water
The container you use should have gaps to lay the leaves and cuttings so they aren't touching the water. Only the roots should make contact, if any other part of the leaf/cutting is submerged, rot will usually occur and can ruin the propagation process.
Alternatively, if you don't have a plastic tray, you can fill a bottle cap and prop a leaf or cutting against the side, the tip facing towards the water. I have tried both options and they work great! Continue watering when the container is dry, until the plants are ready to be potted. Although it's not necessary, I recommend using a water bottle with an angled nozzle to make watering easier and less messy.
Comments