- 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.
Can cuttings be used to propagate succulents?
Aeoniums can grow enormous and get “weary,” and the best course of action is to remove them and transplant some cuttings. Make sure the offcuts from pruning succulents like aeoniums are long enough to allow them to stand upright when replanted.
- Starting with the tips, trim the stem, leaving at least 15–20 centimeters of stem.
- After removing the parent plant, set the cuttings aside. These plants have relatively shallow roots, making it simple to pull them out of the ground.
- About 20 cm of a trench should be dug, into which the cuttings should be placed and then backfilled to support them.
- In the summer, the cuttings can be planted straight in the ground. For about a week, don’t water the cuttings to let the base dry up. Before planting them during the cooler months, let them sit out of the ground for a week.
- The cuttings will begin to take root in about a month, and then the tops of the cuttings will begin to grow.
Leaf cuttings can be used to multiply Pachyveria. By removing a lower leaf, you can tell if the plant will grow from leaf cuttings. It might be able to produce new plants if it comes off without damaging anything. The leaf won’t grow if it breaks, creating a “fleshy cut.”
- Prepare a tray with a combination of succulent and cactus.
- Starting at the base and working outward, carefully remove the leaves while holding the rosette by the stem. You may also plant this rosette as a cutting, so leave a few leaves on it.
- Make sure there is enough of airflow around the leaves as you arrange them on top of the soil. Make sure the dish-side up is towards the bud (where the leaf joined the stem), which should be left above the soil.
- The bud end will begin to develop a small rosette cluster in two to three weeks. As the roots will grow from this end, make sure to maintain it close to the ground.
- The buds can be removed from the tray and placed in a container or planted directly into the ground after they are big enough to pluck out (and have many leaves).
Can stems be used to propagate succulents?
All plants can be propagated using these techniques, not just succulents. Stem cutting propagation is the simplest technique that works with the most succulent kinds. We’ll concentrate on this approach today. Leaf division and propagation have been discussed in previous posts.
Propagating Succulents from Stem Cuttings
Certain stem tissues of succulent plants have a sort of mystical quality. Some of the plant’s cells, namely those found where the stem and leaf meet, have extraordinary abilities. Depending on the needs of the plant, these cells can create various forms of growth. These cells develop roots if the need for water is the greatest. These cells create leaves if the plant needs to capture sunlight in order to convert it into nutrition. These immature cells constitute the “meristem.” Plants’ meristem tissue, pronounced mehr-i-stem, comprises identical plant tissue. Meristem cells in plants resemble stem cells in animals in certain ways.
What happens if a branch from a plant that is growing in nature breaks off and falls to the ground? When a succulent branch falls, it frequently sprouts roots from its meristem tissues that penetrate the earth to hydrate the surviving leaves. It eventually develops into a whole new, self-sustaining plant. The practice of propagating plants via stem cuttings makes use of this trait. It takes a piece of a plant’s stem that was producing leaves and convinces it to produce roots instead.
Taking Stem Cuttings for Succulent Propagation
One of my favorite succulents is Portulacaria afra, along with several of its variegated relatives. Additionally, they are excellent for showing off stem cutting propagation! Check out how many of the stems have their own little stems. This provides you with numerous chances to get stem cuttings to take root.
When taking your cuttings, make sure to use clean, sharp pruners. It aids in preventing bacterial contamination and unneeded stress for the cutting process. Any excellent, sharp pair of trimming scissors will do; but, my titanium coated ones are my absolute favorite.
Any one of these cuttings can be rooted. The meristem tissue and a whole, healthy leaf are all that are really required. But you’ll discover that cuttings between 2 and 4 inches long with two sets of nodes for rooting and two sets of leaves will root most quickly and easily. By removing the leaves from the stem, you can reveal a node or see one:
Are the two sets of nodes on this cutting visible to you? Every node is a location where new roots can grow. So you will have at least 4 roots locations with 2 sets of nodes (assuming each set has a node on each side of the stem, which is how this portulacaria grows). This new plant will have a sufficient amount of roots at four rooting locations to absorb moisture and secure the plant in place. It’s crucial to maintain the rooting zone’s proportionality with the area of your cutting that will become the next plant’s top growth. The cutting will continue to receive moisture and nutrients from the strong leaves as it starts to root.
Remember to root the end of your cuttings that was lower on the plant when it was growing as well. It is crucial to root the cutting from the point that was lower than the end that would keep its leaves since plants have a rigorous sense of up from down. This is simple to determine with a single stem. When a plant has developed several branches, you will refer to the end of the stem that is closest to the stem from which it originated as the main stem “down. The direction of the leaves typically indicates which portion of the stem should be pointed “to root, one must go down. As you collect your cuttings, observe if the plant you are getting cuttings from is unclear.
Lay the cuttings out in the proper orientation as you take them. Leaves you remove should be saved for leaf reproduction! After I cut my cuttings, I place them on a flat of quickly draining succulent soil out of the sun for a few days. This increases their risk of developing calluses, which lowers the possibility of rot in the future.
Insert the root end of the stem cuttings into the dry succulent soil after two to three days have passed. Give them some room, but don’t worry about crowding them because they won’t mature here. After placing them in the dry soil, bring them back to a location that is not in the direct sun but receives indirect light. After about two weeks, thoroughly spray the soil. Continue misting the well once a week going forward.
Most succulent cultivars can be multiplied successfully from stem cuttings. This aeonium kiwi branch can be divided into several cuttings, one for each rosette. Rooting many plants from which you want to obtain cuttings in the same flat is simple.
Another cultivar that grows well from stem cuttings is Crassula ovata. The nodes are still extremely visible despite having a very different appearance from that of the aeonium and portulacaria. At each node point are the lines encircling the stem. You can separate this branch into multiple stem cuttings.
You have now collected all of your cuts. They were left for two to three days on top of dry, sun-free succulent soil. After placing them in the ground, you let them dry for an additional two weeks. The earth was then thoroughly misted. For a while, keep thoroughly misting the soil once a week. Make sure to examine your cuttings carefully each time. You’ll notice that the leaves are starting to wrinkle and dry out a little bit. The succulent plant needs water because of this. This encourages the growth of roots when the succulent needs water. The leaves will eventually look better and swell out a little more. They can now take up water, which indicates that they have started to root. Yay! It’s so thrilling! When a cutting is gently pulled and there is resistance, it has roots. Here, a forked root is visible, and new, tiny roots are also growing. This little one needs to be planted and gradually exposed to more light.
How Long Does Succulent Propagation Take?
Most of the year, propagating succulents from stem cuttings can be done successfully. The length of time from cutting to rooting depends on the season, amount of daylight, temperature, type of succulent, etc. This process takes time. But it is trustworthy. Plan to get them if you know you will require a certain quantity of succulent plants at a specific period. However, propagating them is a terrific method to grow your collection. If you don’t mind getting cuttings instead of rooted plants, you can also find some great deals online. Succulent cuttings are available from certain top-notch suppliers, and they can be used in crafts or as a less expensive alternative to buying plants.
I have dabbled with plant propagation on numerous occasions over the past 25 years. Aspirin, willow bark water, rooting hormones, and nothing at all have all been utilized by me. The hormone powder is helpful for my particularly obstinate, woody plants. But from what I can gather, it just does not appear to matter for succulents. Why spend money on something you don’t really need?
The vast majority of succulent species, including Echeveria, Aeonium, Graptoveria, Crassula, Kalanchoe, Delosperma, Euophorbia, Portulacaria, Sedum, Senecio, Peperomia, and more, can be propagated from stem cuttings. Essentially, this method can be used to successfully propagate any succulent that is made up of a stem and leaves. What plant will you start with first now that you are knowledgeable about reproducing succulents from stem cuttings? I hope you can’t wait to get going. Please let me know if you have any questions; I’m happy to help!
P.S. Subscribe if you’d like my free course, “7 Steps to Succulent Success”! Thanks a lot!
P.P.S. Would you consider joining my Facebook group for cactus lovers? We discuss design, identification, propagation, and care of succulents. They’re a friendly bunch who would love to meet you!
Can succulent cuttings be planted directly in the ground?
What is there to love other than a succulent? Obviously, a full garden of succulents! Fortunately for us, it’s simple to propagate a variety of these resilient, vibrant plants at home. We can’t wait to see succulents growing all year long in containers around the house and garden; there are various easy ways to reproduce them.
Propagating by Division: Plants that have gotten too leggy perform best with this method, which produces new succulents from cuttings. Start by delicately removing any leaves that may be attached to the stem below the rosette; be sure to preserve the leaf’s base while you do so. After all the leaves have been eliminated, cut the rosette with shears, leaving a brief stem intact. The cuttings should be let to dry in an empty tray for a few days until the raw ends have calloused. The cuttings can then be rooted in either water or soil.
Soil: After the stems have calloused, set the cuttings on top of a shallow tray filled with well-draining cactus/succulent soil. From the base of the cuttings, roots and little plants will start to emerge in a few weeks. Once the roots start to show, water sparingly once a week; take care not to overwater. The parent leaf will eventually wither; carefully remove it while taking care not to harm the young roots. Your propagated succulents can be replanted once they have established roots. As soon as the plants are established, keep them out of direct sunlight.
Water: After the stem has calloused, place a cutting with the end barely visible above the water’s surface on the lip of a glass or jar filled with water. Pick a sunny location for your glass. The incision will eventually produce roots that extend toward the water. Once roots have sprouted, your new succulent can either be replanted in succulent potting soil or allowed to remain submerged in water as illustrated above.
Offsets are little plants that develop at the base of the main specimen, and many species of succulents, such as aloe, hens and chicks, and some cacti, will generate them. Check for root growth after an offset has developed for two to three weeks before carefully twisting, cutting, or using a sharp knife to separate it from the main stem. Be cautious to prevent destroying any already-formed roots. Follow the directions above for propagating in soil or water, letting the offsets dry, establish roots, and then repot when they have had time to callus any exposed regions. Removing offsets has the added benefit of enhancing the health of your current succulents and redirecting energy into the growth of the primary plant.