- slicing shears
- gardening mitts (for handling spiny varieties)
- a little trowel
- potting soil for cacti and succulents
- jars with sufficient drainage holes
Remove Some Leaves or Behead
Take a few leaves at random from your succulent plant, gently twisting each one off the stem without breaking it.
These can be cut off the bottom of the stem, which will be discarded, when it begins to grow lanky.
To remove a specific leaf from a plant, such as a Christmas cactus, you might need to use scissors.
If you’re “beheading,” cut the stem of the plant head cleanly with your scissors or clippers about an inch below the lower leaves.
Plant
When roots start to form, either choose a site in your garden that is ideal for planting or fill well-draining containers of your choosing with potting material.
Sunshine and well-drained soil are ideal for succulent growth. They get paler in the absence of sunlight, and they decompose in excess moisture.
When the sun is less powerful, such as in the early morning or late afternoon, plant in a sunny location.
To lift the cuttings above the edge of your container or garden surface, pile dirt higher. To stabilize the roots, gently tamp the earth down; do not water.
Water and Feed
It’s time to buy a succulent/cactus food at this stage, such as Miracle-Gro Succulent Plant Food, which is sold on Amazon. administer as directed by the manufacturer.
Succulents can also be propagated via cuttings that are placed on top of potting soil and allowed to callus off so they can root themselves in the soil.
How are succulent farms grown?
We are not exaggerating when we state that succulents are simple to maintain. Better Homes & Gardens actually states that “Succulents thrive on a touch of neglect. Additionally, you can grow succulents from cuttings in five simple stages, unlike many other houseplants.
Step 1: Remove Succulent Leaf
Take a fallen leaf from an existing succulent plant or delicately remove a leaf. Avoid taking too many leaves from the top of the plant; a small amount of stem coming off with the leaf is preferable. Make sure the leaf is tidy, dried, and placed aside.
Step 2: Add Drainage
To give your new plant plenty of drainage (succulents love drainage! ), add a single layer of gravel or rocks to the bottom of the container of your choice (upcycling an Eminence Organic Skin Care jar is a terrific alternative!).
Step 5: Lightly Water
Water the ground just outside the leaf bud lightly. Before you rewater the soil, let it totally dry out. Don’t water your plant excessively. In a few weeks, your succulent should begin to grow!
Is it lucrative to plant succulents?
Let’s start by discussing how we cultivate and spread succulents, along with the kind I’ve had luck with and perhaps a couple that I fervently desire.
Growing
Succulents appear to enjoy the fluorescent lighting I use to grow them in my basement. They don’t stretch as they always do when I have one just outside in my living room, but I imagine they would also maintain their tight rosette shape if you have a window that receives a lot of sunlight. Early in the spring, I start my annuals and perennials with T5 fixtures that are set on a timer to provide the plants a 16-hour day.
Succulents were first being grown in 2-inch nursery pots, the kind that fit 32 on a typical tray. Since succulents have rather shallow roots, even though these pots are quite deep, I discovered that nearly half of the dirt was not being utilized. So I started arranging them in blocks when I acquired my new soil blocker. People adore it! In my opinion, they develop more quickly. According to the label directions, I mix an all-purpose organic fertilizer into the soil before planting, but in the past, I’ve also planted them in plain dirt with nothing at all, and they were OK. In our extremely dry area, I don’t use a specific quick-draining cactus soil; instead, I just use whatever potting soil we have on hand for our usual starts. You might need a quick-draining soil if you reside in a humid location.
It should be dry, warm, and bright for succulents. When I see that the plants are a touch floppy or that the leaves are not as firm as they should be, I water the plants. I don’t water on a regular basis; instead, I go by how often the plants need water. I water my new baby plants much more frequently than my larger plants, which appear to handle lengthy periods without water just well. I believe I could go 10 to 14 days without watering. Because my water is so hard and causes mineral stains on the leaves that don’t wash off, I only ever bottom water my succulents because I can’t have that on the plants I use for weddings. I add an organic liquid fertilizer to the water around once a month and let them absorb it. I make an effort to use fertilizer that is high in nitrogen and low in potassium since I don’t really want the succulents to flower because those stalks would ruin the exquisite spiral shape. But the flowers are gorgeous and have a tropical appearance, and they may really enhance a corsage or boutonniere. They also endure eternally.
A plant will occasionally grow much further than I can use it. If this occurs, I just behead it and plant it again. I simply snip off the top where it still resembles a rosette and place it back into a pot with new, moist soil. Within a few weeks, it will begin to grow roots. The surviving leaves will then be removed from the stem and placed somewhere to begin producing new offspring. The severed stem will begin to produce new plants if I leave it in the soil. My “zombie mothers” are these people.
I didn’t have any issues with pests up until recently. I have had a few succulents die from root worms, and I do see little insects breeding in the dirt around their roots, but not many. One day I’ll merely notice the plant is dying, and when I take it out a little, sure enough, the decaying stem easily falls out of the ground. Simply throw away the tainted dirt, wash the container with bleach, and start over. Some kinds appear to be more prone to this issue than others.
But a plague of monsters! Aphids have recently been a problem for me, consuming both old plants and brand-new sprouts. It is unpleasant! They can damage the leaves, leave behind disgusting sticky material (honeydew), and prevent the plant from growing. They are little blue-gray spots that reappear every time I believe I’ve destroyed them. LAME. Since I started using Safer brand bug soap, it does kill them, but because they are so cunning, some always manage to escape. Next may be neem oil or lady bugs. Has anyone ever had to deal with aphids on their succulent plants?
There’s really not much to worry about with these hardy, lovely creatures—they just keep growing and giving—aside from the aphids.
Propagating
All succulents want to do is rule the world! All I have to do to propagate seems to be to establish the ideal conditions and quicken the process because it appears that every section of the plant will develop a new one given the chance. A leaf-propagated succulent takes between 9 months and a year to grow 4-5 inches in diameter, depending on the variety. In order to reproduce my succulents, I employ three different methods.
Leaf technique: I begin with the mother plant and select a fat, robust bottom leaf (or, I choose many fat healthy bottom leaves all at once). Larger leaves typically result in larger, more rapid plantlets. I wiggle the leaf back and forth until it comes free from the stem without harming it or the stem itself. Some types are more docile than others, but occasionally I mess up and harm the leaf or stem. When I have my collection of leaves, I throw them into an empty apartment and give them a little light—they don’t require much—to keep them alive. I’ll apply rooting hormone in accordance with the directions on the package if I’m trying to propagate a highly prized or challenging-to-sprout type.
The development of the leaves’ tiny, scarlet roots begins at least two weeks later. Some plants begin producing new growth before they develop roots, while others never get around to doing so. Still other plants develop roots but never produce new growth. You should aim for both. I add some moist soil to the flat where the leaves are growing roots once they begin to do so, giving the roots something to hold onto while I wait for the plantlets to emerge. Once I can see there are lots of roots on a leaf with a sizable plantlet, I place the leaf into a soil block and simply nestle the roots down and snug them in. Until I can pull on the plant and feel resistance from the roots, I keep these flats well-watered. After that, they are essentially free to go home!
Stump method: I employ this technique for plants that are challenging to multiply via leaves since, on occasion, they just refuse to form roots or new plants. This technique was developed when we had enormous pack rats terrorizing our basement and biting the heads off of my most exquisite succulent plants before carrying them off to their dark den. However, shortly after being guillotined, the stumps of these succulents would start to produce small new plantlets. I only waited for these babies to reach a size where I could clip them off, and then I tucked them into a fresh soil block. This technique, along with the following one, creates clones the fastest since they are already ready to survive and have had the mother plant’s assistance throughout their growth, unlike leaves, which only have contact with a small portion of the mother plant. To remove a new plantlet, clean your cutting tool (I like needle-nosed snips or trimming shears with extremely thin tips), then cut the plant close to the mother plant’s stem. Create a small opening in the dirt block or other material, then carefully insert the stem in while pressing the soil tightly around it to ensure good contact.
The easiest method, the sucker method, yields excellent clones. Once they reach a particular size, the majority of succulents will start to produce suckers, sometimes from the main stem and frequently from below the soil line. Lifting up the bottom leaves of your elder succulents will reveal some babies likely hiding under their mothers’ skirts, simply waiting for a new home and some time in the sun. Simply cut them off and plant them in a fresh block of soil. They’ll start growing right away. As they lack roots to support any height, be sure to only plant the rosette and not the extended stem. In addition to producing numerous plants, new succulent clones from leaves frequently produce additional plants that can be divided to increase your stock. When the plants are sufficiently large, cut off the biggest sister first because she has a lot of energy and can still assist the other sister with the roots she has already established.
Varieties
Echeverias and Sempervivums are the greatest rosette succulents, but there are many other species that create wonderful succulents for gifts and simply plain enjoyment. The zebra plant is actually my favorite, although it grows slowly and isn’t the best for propagation.
Although I always advise patronizing your local nursery whenever feasible, FairyBlooms has a terrific assortment in their online shop and is a lovely Instagram account to follow. Additionally, they occasionally have the “Compton Carousel,” the most sought-after succulent of them all. However, you’ll pay a fortune for it – upwards to $50 for a 4-inch plant. It’s unusual!
Here are the succulents I now plant. I don’t know the names of many of my succulents, but I do know a couple.
I also develop, however I have no photos of:
How are succulents multiplied? What kinds do you prefer? What deity shall I invoke in order to be delivered from this aphid plague?
How do I launch a succulent company?
I originally believed I was going to create Sedum plugs for anyone wanting to put up a green roof when I first started selling my hardy succulents (because it was the only plant I could keep alive in my climate).
And I did, right up until the summer, when somebody wanted to buy a lot of Sedum cuttings so they could plant them on the roof themselves.
I cut and packaged hundreds of healthy and perhaps viable cuttings for the customer’s green roof over the course of several months. Since they swiftly got divorced and I never heard anything else about it, I have no idea how this turned out.
Steps for Starting a Succulent Plant Microbusiness;
- Pick a specialty first. And be willing to make changes if you receive criticism from clients or friends.
- Make a few prototypes to show yourself and others that this will be really amazing.
- Promote the prototypes by posting on social media and requesting comments, criticism, or feedback.
- Adjust the product.
- Go back to step three.
- Restart production while remaining open to modifying your specialty, procedures, and techniques.
The same year, I received multiple requests quickly one after another from brides who wanted to buy a lot of tiny succulents.
Although I had a lot of Sempervivum, which with their unique colors and shapes so appealed to me, I realized they probably preferred sensitive ones. I suggested it, and they leaped at the chance to cross it off their list.
The good thing about wedding favors is that they usually have a considerable lead time and a deadline.
I made the decision to try out the numerous 72 cell plug trays that I had purchased for the Sedum plugs on Sempervivum.
In the course of the following few years of making Sempervivum plugs, I discovered a couple of them that enjoyed having numerous families of uniformly sized chicks.
These mother hens were placed in my rock walls so that I could watch over them and pick them every few days in the late summer.
After harvesting them, I placed the chicks in the plug trays on top of the soil, gave them time to root in the greenhouse or in outdoor beds, and then let them to grow.
They would develop over the winter. To keep rabbits away, the only thing I would do is cover them with wire fence.
I would bring trays back into the greenhouse in April, which is when the wedding season starts, to get a jump start on the season.
They had a chance to dry off in advance by the time shipping time, which was two to three weeks before to the big event.
Drying them ensures that they won’t decay and won’t get stretched in the darkness of the box during shipping. The bride and her cheerful bridesmaids are then in charge of getting them watered, putting each one in a nice container, and getting them ready to serve to their guests.
A Bit About Pricing
Avoid underselling yourself. Again, this is market research. Look at what competitors are charging and adjust your product’s price accordingly.
I found that multiples of 72 (a full tray) or 36 (a half tray) worked nicely because a wedding frequently had hundreds of attendees. This provides the bride with a few additional plants in case there are too many centerpieces or table flowers.
Since the trays are just made of thin plastic, I found out a way to box them for shipping by cutting them in half (with scissors).
They fit exactly (covered by thick newspaper) into a box from a liquor store. Don’t waste your money on specialized single-use shipping boxes; instead, utilize what works!
Looking back, there are two things that particularly stick out to me: first, how crucial it is to conduct market research to determine whether potential customers will actually purchase your product. and the significance of maintaining flexibility and being receptive to market shifts.
The first brides sought me, and if I hadn’t listened, I would have missed out on a really wonderful (and lucrative) small side business that blossomed into so much more.
For instance, why not hold a seminar or workshop where people can make their own if you decide (after conducting your market research, of course) that you want to create wonderful succulent wreaths to sell but you keep receiving comments and criticisms about the price being too high?
You buy the materials in bulk, like you already do to make your own wreaths.
For your pupils, mark them up a little bit, they bring their own succulent cuttings or buy them from you, and you all have a great time making something lovely to take home.
The present that keeps giving is the kindness you receive. This might cause your company to change course in a way that makes you incredibly happy and satisfied.
Make sure to invite a journalist so they can cover it for the neighborhood paper as well!
Hire someone to record the session on video in order to use it as material for blog entries, social media posts, or as promotional material for other seminars. You might be onto something!
After three years of serving as the company’s backbone by giving brides wedding favors, I decided to sell it to someone who was already engaged in a related endeavor.
I was well-positioned thanks to the equity I had amassed, and the sale brought in some money. This is what I mean when I say that either I sell it to someone else or my heirs will have to do it.