I simply pulled each leaf from the plant with my fingers, then placed each leaf upside down on a paper towel.
The leaves are visible in the shot above, and they were placed directly in front of my terrarium, which was lighted with an LED grow lamp.
I put it here for convenience, but it turned out to be an excellent position because my basement is always warm, and the lighting was ideal for this job.
I could easily have positioned the leaves near a window with plenty of bright, indirect light.
An hour or two of direct sunlight would also suffice.
Just don’t let your leaves out in the sun for the entire day!
My initial intention was to simply let the leaves callous for a few days before planting them in soil.
When propagating succulents from leaves or stem cuttings, you should allow them to air dry for a few days.
This enables the wound to dry and harden into a tissue.
This is done to avoid rotting as well as the spread of pests and illnesses that could harm the plant.
My plan was to let the leaves callous for about a week before continuing with my procedure.
I put them on the paper towel for weeks due to procrastination.
After a few weeks, I discovered that roots and small plantlets were growing on their own, with no assistance from me!
They basically sat there for 6 or 7 weeks before beginning to grow.
Place Your Jade Leaves in a Growing Tray
To continue the propagation process, I produced a mixture of half cactus soil and half perlite.
When you see the plantlets and roots begin to form, don’t wait too long to place them in a growing medium since they will desiccate and die if they go too long without any moisture.
I pre-moistened the mix after mixing the 50/50 cactus soil and perlite mixture together to make it simpler to work with.
Then I arranged the leaves along the edge and on an angle in a plastic Thai carryout container, as seen below, so that the roots made touch with the dirt.
I closed the container with the transparent plastic lid and kept it under grow lights once I had arranged the leaves to my preference.
I would remove the lid once or twice a week to enable the contents to air out.
It’s critical to maintain the potting mix moist at this stage of succulent development to facilitate rooted.
After the resulting plants have begun to grow, you can begin to back off.
I permanently removed the clear lid and left everything open to the air after I saw good growth on the plantlets.
I began leaving the soil to dry on the surface before watering again at this point.
Don’t be scared to keep the mix moist while they’re rooted up until this point.
Although it may seem paradoxical, this is necessary in the propagation of succulents until they are large enough and mature enough to tolerate drying out.
Simply ensure that you have a beautiful airy mix (50/50 cactus soil and perlite).
After around 6 months of pulling the leaves off my initial plant, this is the result.
Note that I did not add any drainage holes to the carryout container.
However, I ALWAYS advocate drainage holes when potting these up in suitable pots.
I was careful when watering this stage, making sure that I saturated the soil without allowing any water to sit at the bottom.
It was simple to accomplish this because the tray was shallow.
I merely tipped the container a little to drain any water that had gathered.
Pot Up Your Jade Babies!
I potted up my plants in a variety of pots, all with drainage holes, at this point. 2 parts cactus soil, 1 part perlite, and 1 part 1/4 pumice were mixed together. This is a very well-draining mix for succulents in general.
Mix everything together until it’s homogeneous, then pot everything up!
I turned the tray with the plants upside down, supporting the plants with the other hand, and it all came out in one piece.
Then I divided the plants into clusters and potted them.
I planted a few in each pot, dumped everything into the sink, and gave them a good bath.
At this time, I returned them to my grow lamp stand, where I was working on a variety of projects.
I’ll probably give away the majority of the plants once they’ve established themselves.
Are you looking for a unique Jade Plant? Etsy is one of my favorite and most convenient one-stop-shops for buying almost any plant. Today, have a look at the Jade Plant collection (link to Etsy)!
I hope you enjoyed this article on how to propagate jade plant leaves.
You may use this technique on a variety of succulents as well!
Don’t miss my in-depth jade plant care blog post, where I go over all of the plant’s care requirements as well as answers to the most often asked questions.
Can I grow a jade plant from a leaf?
- Because jade plants have a tendency to grow top-heavy and topple over, choose a broad, durable pot with a moderate depth.
- Use a soil that drains well, as too much moisture can lead to fungal illnesses like root rot. You can use any all-purpose potting mix, but you’ll need to add more perlite to promote drainage. A 2:1 potting mix to perlite ratio is ideal. Use a pre-made succulent or cactus potting mix instead.
- Don’t water a jade plant right away after it’s been planted. Allowing the roots to settle and heal from any damage can take anywhere from a few days to a week before watering.
Jade plants that are older may have a thick, scaly trunk, giving them a tree-like look. trambler58/Shutterstock photo
How to Start a Jade Plant from a Leaf or Stem Cutting
Jade plants are easy to grow from single leaves or cuttings as a succulent. Here’s how to do it:
- Take a stem cutting or a leaf from a well-established plant. A perfect stem cutting would be 23 inches long and have two pairs of leaves. Allow your leaf or cutting to sit in a warm place for several days; a callous will grow over the cut region, preventing decay and encouraging roots.
- Collect your pot and a potting mix that drains properly. Use a fairly damp, but not soggy, soil.
- Take the leaf and set it horizontally on top of the soil, covering the cut end with some soil. Place a stem cutting upright in the soil (if it won’t stand on its own, prop it up with a few small rocks or toothpicks).
- The leaf or cutting will begin to send out roots within a week or two. Give the plant a gentle poke or tug after a week or so to determine whether it has roots itself in situ. If it hasn’t, give it a few more days and test it (gently!) every few days.
- Water the plant deeply and carefully after it appears to be well planted. Gently water the plant with something like a turkey baster to avoid disturbing the roots too much. You want to encourage the roots to grow downward for water, not towards the surface, so make sure you don’t only wet the top layer of the soil.
- Allow the soil to dry between waterings and keep the plant away from direct sunshine until it has established itself.
Can you grow a plant from a single leaf?
Plants can be grown from simply a leaf or a part of a leaf in some cases, but not all. Most plant leaf cuttings do not yield a new plant; instead, they produce a few roots or die. Because leaf cuttings don’t have an axillary bud, they can only be utilized on plants that can generate adventitious buds. For propagating some indoor plants, leaf cuttings are virtually solely employed. Leaf cuttings come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Can I root a jade leaf in water?
You should notice roots developing in the water after a few weeks; once a handful have grown, pot the stem up. If you gently tug on the stem in the soil while rooting it and it resists, roots have grown.
You can also propagate a jade by putting one of its leaves in potting mix or moist sand, stem end down. It will eventually withstand a mild tug. A little jade plant will emerge from the base of the leaf after some time. I’ve tried all of these approaches, and rooted a stem takes significantly longer.
Can you propagate jade leaves?
Stem or leaf cuttings can be used to grow jade plants. Keep in mind that growing a nice-sized jade plant from leaf cuttings takes time.
So, instead of propagating jade plant leaves, I recommend propagating jade plant stem cuttings if you want to get a head start and don’t want to wait as long.
However, either strategy is simple and effective. I’ll walk you through both jade plant propagation methods in detail below.
Can a single leaf be propagated?
Houseplants can be propagated in a variety of ways. Stem cuttings are the most popular method of propagation for indoor plants. (Stem cuttings are shoots with several leaves connected.) Some plants, on the other hand, may be grown from a single leaf.
Leaf-petiole cuttings are a simple way to cultivate African violets (Saintpaulia ionantha).
A leaf with its leaf stalk, or petiole, make up a leaf-petiole cutting.
Choose a strong, healthy leaf and remove it with a sharp knife.
1 to 1 1/2 inches of petiole should remain attached to the leaf blade.
Dip the petiole’s end in a rooting hormone.
Coarse sand, vermiculite, or a 50:50 mix of perlite and sphagnum peat moss should be used to fill a pot.
Soak the rooting media in water.
At a 45-degree angle, insert the petiole of each leaf cutting into the rooting media.
Firm the rooting medium around each leaf cutting’s petiole.
After you’ve inserted all of the cuttings, moisten the rooting media and let it drip for a few minutes.
Cover the cuttings with a clear plastic bag after that.
Using tape or a rubber band, secure the plastic bag to the pot.
(The enclosed enclosure protects the leaf cuttings from withering and dying before they have an opportunity to root by substantially reducing water loss.)
Place the pot in a highly lit area.
Roots normally take three to four weeks to form.
New plant leaves appear in six to eight weeks on average.
At the base of each petiole, many plants generally develop.
Carefully remove or cut the plants apart to separate them.
Individually put plants into containers using a well-drained potting mix.
Petioles are absent from the jade plant’s (and numerous other succulents’) thick, meaty leaves.
The leaves are linked to the stem immediately.
Breaking off a leaf, soaking the broken end in a rooting hormone, and placing the leaf (approximately one-third of its length) into perlite or coarse sand can be used to propagate the jade plant and similar plants.
Avoid putting the pot in a plastic bag.
Moisten the rooting media on a regular basis.
At the leaf’s base, roots and shoots will emerge.
Cutting the principal veins on the underside of a leaf, laying the leaf (lower side down) on the rooting medium, and pinning the leaf firmly to the rooting medium with hairpins or paper clips can be used to propagate the Rex begonia (Begonia rex-cultorum).
Place the container in a plastic bag and seal it.
Where the primary veins have been cut, little plantlets and roots will emerge.
Leaf section cuttings are often used to grow the snake plant, also known as mother-in-tongue law’s (Sansevieria trifasciata).
Remove a leaf from the stem and cut it into 3- to 4-inch-long portions.
The bottom of each segment is closest to the parent plant’s base, while the top is furthest away.
(If the parts are put upside down, no roots will form.)
A small notch can be formed in the top of each part as the leaf is cut into sections to ensure that the sections are put correctly.)
Each piece should be dipped in rooting hormone at the bottom and then inserted one to two inches deep into a moistened rooting media (perlite, coarse sand, or vermiculite).
Water the rooting media on a regular basis to keep it moist.
In two months, new shoots should appear.
Cutting a leaf into wedge-shaped portions can also be used to propagate the Rex begonia.
A significant vein should be present in each region.
In the rooting media, place the portion nearest to the parent plant.
Place the pot in a plastic bag and seal it.
At the base of each segment, new roots and leaves will emerge.
How do you grow a plant from a leaf in water?
I worked at a golf course with a 30 foot Monstera deliciosa when I was in my early twenties. 30 FEET! Yes, you read that correctly. That’s where my fascination with plants began. If you didn’t already know, it’s my favorite plant of all time. Anyway, some of the leaves were almost two feet wide and stunning! When no one was looking, I noticed this tiny leaf pop out of the soil, and when no one was looking, I wiped the dirt away from the shiny green stem and picked it out! I kept a wary eye over my shoulder, as if I was ready to commit a bank robbery or something. Technically, I suppose that was stealing. I, on the other hand, did not see it that way. I was spreading happiness! But let’s be clear about something: DOING IT IN A STORE IS STEALING, therefore don’t do it! I eventually told my supervisor (it was weighing heavily on my conscience), and he laughed, told me I was ridiculous, and assured me that everything was OK! All of this to say, I brought it home, planted it in water, and it grew roots, making me very pleased! I was completely enamored with this incredible way of reproduction. Let’s discuss about how to water-root plant cuttings.
Water may be used to propagate the majority of common house plants. My current project is a little little stem from a large Fiddle Leaf Fig. So yet, no roots have appeared, but there is a small green leaf!! If you’re unsure, give it a shot!
Let’s get started
- Determine where you want to snip your cutting from the main plant. Finding the root node on your plant is important since not all cuttings that will root in water have root nodes.
- With a clean sharp knife or scissors, carefully cut just below the node.
- About a quarter-inch below the node.
- In a clean glass, place the cutting.
- There wasn’t enough room temperature water to cover the cutting nodes.
- Keep an eye on your roots as they grow!
- Depending on the plant, this could take weeks or months.
- It’s time to plant the cutting in soil once the roots have grown to about 3-5 in length.
Need a visual? Watch my propagation tips on AM Northwest.
Place your roots plants in a bright, indirect light environment. You’ll need patience, too…a lot of patience! It’s not necessarily bad news if you’re attempting a new cutting and no roots appear after two weeks. I know someone who soaked a fiddle leaf fig leaf in water for three months and saw roots emerge.
When you replace the water, give the roots a good rinse and a gentle rub with your fingertips.
You should scrape away any mucky film (that’s the scientific phrase) from the roots before placing them in fresh water.
That’s all there is to it!
It’s a piece of cake.
You can now grow your own plants and exchange them with your friends.
It’s one of my all-time favorite pastimes.
Check out my post on How to Repot a Houseplant when you’re ready to pot your rooted plant.
Although you won’t be repotting, there are some helpful hints on potting in general.
Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by!
Next time, I’ll see you!
Can jade plant survive in water?
You can directly root your jade plant stem cutting in soil. Because succulents are so hardy, this method almost always succeeds. The only drawback is that you won’t be able to keep track of your cutting’s progress until fresh leaf growth appears.
- Get a drainage-holed pot or tray. A regular nursery plastic planter will suffice.
- Fill the pot with loose, well-draining soil. Because jade plants aren’t fussy, you can just combine regular potting soil with a large scoop of perlite for drainage.
- Using water, moisten the soil. Just enough moisture to feel moist but not soggy.
- BONUS STEP: To encourage root formation, dip the cutting in rooting hormone powder if you have any on hand.
- Poke a hole in the earth with your finger or a stick. It only has to be deep enough for the stem cutting to stand on its own.
Tip: Stem cuttings that haven’t yet developed roots may begin to droop. This is typical, but if yours appears to be going to fall over, support it up with a stick or something similar. It will begin to grow erect once it has rooted.
The water method
Many people prefer the water technique of reproducing a jade plant since it is frequently faster and easier. And, perhaps most crucially, you can see the roots develop in real time!
Once your stem cutting has healed, just place it in a glass or vase of water using the water method. After that, bring everything into bright, indirect sunshine.
The only thing left to do is change the water once or twice a week after that. You can repot your new small jade plant once the roots have grown around two inches. Alternatively, for something a little different, you can keep it in water for as long as you wish.
How long does it take for jade plant cuttings to root?
Plants such as jade are extremely easy to reproduce. They’re so eager to reproduce that a leaf will frequently break off and begin to develop roots in the soil on its own. Jade plants can be grown from stem or leaf cuttings, albeit leaf cuttings take several years to produce a good-sized plant. All along the stem, a stem cutting will root from the leaf joints. Save the cuttings from pruning down your jade plant’s lanky growth or simply giving it a haircut for propagation. Here’s how to do it.
Step 1 Choose where you want to cut the stem to make a new plant as the first step in plant propagation. If you’re taking stem cuttings, make sure you acquire at least a few inches of stem to give yourself plenty of room to root. To cut the stem, use clean, sterile clippers or a knife. To sanitize your clippers, soak them in rubbing alcohol or wash them in hot, soapy water. Break off each leaf carefully if you intend to use it to propagate your jade plant.
Allow the ends of the cuttings to cure (dry out and callus over) for a few days before planting after taking a cutting from your jade. This will help keep the new jade start from decaying. Allow more time for the cutting to cure the larger it is. This is less of an issue in the summer, but it’s something you’ll want to consider if you’re propagating jade in the winter.
Step #3 Fill the container with a potting soil meant for growing seedlings, using a clean pot and sterile potting soil. This quick-draining soil is ideal for jade plants, as it allows them to root more quickly. You can also use a succulent mix that is based on sand. Make a hole in the earth for the cutting using a pencil or your finger. Place the new cutting gently into the hole to avoid rubbing off the rooting hormone. Then lightly compact the soil around the cutting’s base to keep it in place. The soil and the cutting should be in regular touch.
Step 4: Keep your newly planted cuttings out of direct sunlight. After you’ve moistened them, don’t water them again until they’ve established roots. If the air is dry, lightly spritz the cuttings with water on a daily basis. Roots are growing when new growth appears on each cutting. It takes around 3 weeks for most cuttings to show symptoms of rooting, followed by 4-6 weeks for established root growth.
Once the cutting has grown roots, water it as you would any other jade plant. Because jade plants don’t require much water, let the soil dry fully between waterings. Plant your jade in a clay container rather than a plastic pot if you have a habit of overwatering your plants.