Why Are My Propagated Succulents Dying

Cuttings from succulent stems won’t take root if

Before being planted in soil, the cuttings weren’t given a chance to scab or dry out.
Either the growing medium has insufficient drainage or the improper sort of soil was employed.
Overwatering or an extended period of damp soil led to decay before roots could take root.
The stems dried out and eventually died off due to underwatering or very dry soil.
The soil dries out too quickly and burns stem cuttings before roots have a chance to form due to excessive heat or sun exposure.
propagating in the incorrect time of year or when dormant.

The majority of people should typically start noticing rooting in three to six weeks. If by then you haven’t noticed any roots forming, it might be because of one or more of the aforementioned factors.

Are there Succulent Species that Won’t Propagate Through Stems?

Stem cuttings can be used to multiply the majority of succulents. There are some species that cannot be multiplied by stems, including:

Agaves
Aloes
Hens with chicks, or Sempervivums
Haworthias

Instead of using leaf or stem cuttings for reproduction, the majority of the aforementioned species produce pups or offsets.

Does the length of the stem cuttings matter?

The stem cuttings’ length or size don’t really matter. Getting cuttings from a healthy plant and during its active growing season is very important. In this manner, you can be sure to achieve more success more quickly.

Why keep dying my succulent cuttings?

A succulent that is dying is typically the result of overwatering or excessively moist soil. Succulents are drought-tolerant plants that need the soil to get completely dry in between waterings. Succulents rot from the roots up if the soil is too wet, turning brown, yellow, or black.

Succulents are drought-tolerant plants that have adapted to life in rocky, well-draining soils with high temperatures and infrequent rainfall in their original environment. They flourish in harsh situations where other plants find it difficult to survive.

Due to their predilection for dry surroundings, succulents cannot withstand excessive soil moisture or frequent watering because these conditions can lead to root rot, which will eventually cause the plant to wither and die.

The most typical mistakes made when taking care of a succulent at home or in the garden are:

Frequently watering your succulent or…
Instead of using special succulent and cactus soil, which retains too much moisture, plant the succulent in regular potting soil.

Even if you water succulents once every two weeks as recommended by experts, the soil may remain overly wet after watering, causing the leaves to become brown, yellow, or black and the roots to rot.

Succulents require specially designed succulent and cacti soil that closely resembles the well-draining, grit-filled soil of their natural habitat and considerably lowers the danger of root rot.

When a succulent is overwatered, the first indicators of stress are:

stems or leaves that become brown, yellow, transparent, or black.
Overwatering causes some succulents, like jade plants, to frequently lose their leaves.
a wilted or drooping aspect.
Succulents that receive too much water might actually rupture and develop wrinkled leaves.
Instead of being lush and healthy, the leaves feel mushy and soft.

Your succulent plant will die if you water it more frequently than once a week. This is known as overwatering.

It’s crucial to mimic some of the growing conditions of the succulent’s native habitat with the right well-draining soil and to water your succulent in a cycle of a thorough watering once every two weeks or so if you want to effectively grow succulents and prevent root rot.

To keep the plant healthy, lavishly watering succulents simulates the cycle of watering that succulent plants often experience in their original environment, which includes a deluge of rainfall followed by a time of drought.

(To learn how to determine when to water succulents so they stay healthy and avoid root rot, read my post How Often to Water Succulents.)

Save Succulents Dying of Root Rot From Overwatering

The first thing to do if your succulent is exhibiting any signs of stress due to overwatering or root rot is to…

Reduce the amount of water you give the succulent plant and let the soil surrounding its roots to totally dry up. Only water succulents when the soil surrounding their roots is dry. Succulents can usually be watered once every two weeks, which resembles their natural watering cycle.
By feeling the soil at the pot’s base, you may determine how frequently you should water your succulent. If the soil is wet, wait a few days before watering; if the soil is dry, now is the time to water deeply so that the soil is evenly saturated.
Replant your succulent in well-draining soil made specifically for cacti and succulents that is porous, allows for good drainage, and mimics the normal soil conditions found in a succulent’s native habitat.
To make sure the succulent is not in standing water, always plant succulents in containers with drainage holes in the base and routinely empty saucers, trays, and ornamental pots of excess water. The use of saucers and trays can help to keep water from overflowing around the house, but you need watch out for water collecting around the roots of your succulent to guarantee adequate soil drainage and the avoidance of root rot.

I must reiterate the significance of succulent and cactus soil to help prevent root rot because succulents are likely to die if they are in regular potting soil owing to how long it stays damp.

The succulent should start to show symptoms of recovery with the darkening of the leaves diminishing and eventually returning to a healthier green appearance using adequate potting soil and allowing for the soil to dry out before watering again.

The rot can kill the succulent, thus more serious measures are needed to save it if the leaves continue to become brown, yellow, or black and the mushy portion of the leaves is growing.

If this is the case, the only method to salvage the succulent is to strategically prune the plant’s sick areas and collect cuttings of leaves and stems from any healthy tissue that is still there.

Since this is one of the primary processes used by succulents in their natural environment for reproduction, propagating them is relatively simple. The following YouTube video will teach you how to grow succulents.

How is a propagated succulent kept alive?

It’s not quite as simple to grow succulents as everyone claims. Here are a few ideas that can guarantee your success.

Do you hang your head in shame if we claim that succulents are the easiest plants to grow? I promise you’re not alone. Succulents follow their own set of rules but are nonetheless quite simple to take care of because they are plants that have evolved to thrive in severe conditions and for extended periods without much water. To maintain your succulent kids healthy and living, use the advice in the following section.

How can a succulent stem be revived?

Symptoms. Succulents’ leaves can become soft and mushy and become brown or black, but the intensity of the cold damage will determine the exact symptoms.
Causes. Although some succulent plants may endure a light frost, this is uncommon because most succulents are native to hot climes and normally suffer in temperatures lower than 50F (10C).

The majority of succulent types are not cold tolerant and will perish if left in temps below 50F (10C) for an extended period of time.

The majority of succulent species thrive in a standard room temperature environment, with a range of 55F-80F (13C-27C) being ideal for aloe vera.

Succulents’ leaves and stems may become mushy in texture and appear dark or black if they are subjected to chilly weather or even frost.

How to Revive Cold Damaged Succulents

Place your succulent in a location in your home or garden where the temperature is consistently between 55F and 80F (13C and 27C). Make sure that none of the leaves are directly in contact with windows, as these areas of the house can get much colder than the rest of the house. Reduce watering for the time being.

The cold damage should not likely worsen once the succulent is in a more stable environment.

Wait a few days, if not weeks, and the succulent’s mushy, cold-damaged section should dry out and callus over if the leaves feel gooey.

Cut the leaf back to below the injured section once the mushy portion has dried out. Cold-damaged succulent areas normally do not recover, but the succulent plant as a whole can recover.

In order to avoid additional potential issues, you should only restart watering the succulent once the callus of the leaf cut has completely healed over. Cold damage increases the danger of root rot.

The succulent can ultimately sprout new leaves and begin to regain its usual appearance after being damaged by the cold, but it takes a lot of persistence.

Key Takeaways:

The most frequent cause of succulent death is root rot brought on by over watering and poorly draining soils. Plants that can withstand drought, succulents need the soil to dry out between waterings. A succulent that has mushy, brown, yellow, or black leaves is withering because the soil is excessively wet.
Overwatering or sunburn cause succulents to turn brown. Brown, mushy succulent leaves are a sign of excessive moisture around the roots. Due to a rapid rise in sunshine intensity, scorched-looking brown succulent leaves may be the result of sunburn.
Because of excessive moisture around the roots brought on by frequent watering, wet soils, or pots without drainage holes, succulent leaves turn yellow. The soil needs to dry out between waterings for succulents. Yellow and mushy succulent leaves may be a sign of root rot brought on by over watering.
If succulents are exposed to too much shade, they become tall and lanky. Succulent leaves grow tall in the direction of the strongest light since the majority of succulents need bright, indirect light or full sun. Tall succulent leaves can droop under their own weight and often have weaker, withering leaves at the base.
Due to inadequate or excessive watering, succulent plants experience drought stress, which causes their leaves to shrivel. As a means of survival, succulents store moisture in their leaves. Underwatering your succulent causes it to draw on the moisture reserves in the leaves, giving it a shriveled appearance.
Recreate the circumstances of the succulents’ natural environment by planting them in well-draining, rocky soil with the appropriate amount of sunshine, and watering them when the soil becomes dry. To preserve the succulent, take cuttings from healthy areas of the plant.

Why aren’t my germinations growing?

Both a high air porosity and strong water holding capacity are necessary in a suitable growing medium. Numerous growing medium types can be used, but misting and fogging must be modified to work with the growing medium chosen. Misting or fogging too frequently or excessively keeps the growing media moist, causing extra water to run off the bottom of the trays and delaying roots. Applying mist or fog too seldom will cause cuttings to lose their turgidity and possibly perish from drying out as a result of increased leaf transpiration.

Peat should be present in the growing medium to help it retain water, and material like perlite or vermiculite should be added to boost air porosity. To further increase air porosity and prevent compaction, Premier Tech has created solutions like PRO-MIX FPX BIO-FUNGICIDE, which is mixed with fine Canadian Sphagnum peat moss, fine perlite, or fine vermiculite. Wetting agent, limestone, a beginning fertilizer charge, and BIO-FUNGICIDE are all included in PRO-MIX FPX BIO-FUNGICIDE to help prevent the occurrence of certain root diseases like Fusarium, Pythium, and Rhizoctonia.

Should I spray cuttings of succulents?

Because you probably already own one or many succulents, for many people, propagating them can be the simplest method to get started.

If a succulent is starting to get a little leggy, which means the succulent starts to grow long and the leaves become widely separated, remove the lower leaves. Make sure to completely separate the leaf from the stalk. It won’t establish new roots if you rip it.

The only thing left is a succulent perched atop a lengthy stem. To quickly get the succulent to root again, make a cut between the base of the succulent and the stem’s midpoint.

Then, it’s crucial that you allow the ends to callus over and dry out. Your cuttings may rot and perish if you plant them straight in the soil because they will absorb too much moisture. To allow ends to dry, Tiger advises finding a shaded, dry area on the patio or even indoors. Some people want to expose them to the sun, but he claims that doing so will just bake them. Be tolerant. This procedure can take a few days to more than a week.

When the cuttings are dry, set them on top of cactus or succulent soil that drains well and plant them in a position that gets a lot of indirect light. Only water if the leaves seem particularly dry.

Several weeks later, young plants begin to emerge. Using a spray bottle, spritz the plants once daily, being cautious not to drench the soil.

The leaf will ultimately fall off naturally, at which point you can pot up the young succulent.

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.