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.
Can succulents grow roots in liquid?
In water, most succulents can be multiplied. If you have a succulent that is stretched out, you can take stem cuttings and root those, or you can create roots from healthy single leaves.
The most successful succulents are those with thick, meaty leaves, like the Echeveria plant. So when you first try your hand at succulent propagation, these are an excellent option.
It makes sense to multiply a few leaves at once. By doing this, you increase the likelihood that there will be survivors. While others may decay or just wilt and wither away, certain succulent leaves will only produce roots and no new plant.
Can a broken succulent grow again?
Succulents are a preferred option for many individuals due to their hardiness as a plant. Given the correct conditions, it can develop new roots, and it is much simpler to propagate than other plants. In fact, succulents can develop on their own if the soil is sufficiently damp! Sadly, it doesn’t always happen, therefore you have to foster a favorable climate for it to flourish.
Succulents are tough plants, but it doesn’t make them unbreakable or immune to damage. There are many things that can harm these plants; anything from neglect to over-care can result in fading, tension, or injury. Since I’m very certain that you already have a broken succulent on your hands, let’s fix it first before moving on.
Method #1: Leaves Falling Off
When leaves begin to fall, for example, we can say that a succulent is broken. There are a number of causes behind it, but that doesn’t mean you can’t save your plant. Falling leaves are actually just the beginning for a new succulent—how it’s they spread. It will develop into a new plant if you simply provide the right conditions for it to flourish.
Gather the leaves as soon as you notice them starting to fall from the plant and store them away for three days. The only way for the leaves to establish roots is through this process, which makes it essential. To place these leaves, you’ll also need a fresh pot and cactus soil. As long as it has adequate drainage to drain excess water from the soil, any container will work.
Succulents require moisture in the soil to flourish, so keep that in mind. However, this does not obligate you to water the plant in the pot to the same extent as you would other plants. Injurious amounts of water can inhibit new roots from forming on leaves. You only need a tiny bit of moisture. It should be sufficient to spray the surface every other day to produce the ideal conditions for succulents to flourish.
Here is a simple instruction to showing you how to use a damaged succulent’s dropping leaves to salvage it:
Unfortunately, not all succulents are created equal, and not all of them can be multiplied using leaves. Only those who possess a Stonecrop or Copperleaf can use this technique. You cannot utilize fallen leaves to grow Aeoniums or Sansevieria. You must remove a fresh leaf from the stalk if these are the plants you have. You can just plant it on a cup filled with damp soil rather than letting it dry out.
The steps are the same, but you’ll employ the leaves in a different way. Some succulents must get callused before they can develop roots, while others are resilient enough to continue to thrive even after being cut and replanted. Making sure that the soil has the right amount of moisture—neither too little nor too much—is essential if you want to effectively propagate succulents.
The leaves will drop off even with careful maintenance. Because certain succulents need it for reproduction, it is typical. You don’t need to worry about it, but it would be better to take good care of it to promote its development. Simply check that the soil can absorb enough moisture, the container you’re using has sufficient drainage, and you’re only giving it little quantities of water every few days.
Method #2: Stem Decapitated
You can’t always utilize fallen leaves to keep a succulent branch from breaking off. Even some plants cannot spread through the leaves. If you’re taking care of a succulent that looks similar, you might need to cut off a stem from the plant and utilize it to sprout another one. However, it won’t enough to just remove the stem and plant it in a new container.
If your plant utilizes a stem to reproduce, you must first cut off a portion of the stem and store it until it becomes calloused. The new roots will form in this area. Even in the ideal conditions for succulents to develop, your stem will just wither away without this callused portion.
The stem will develop a callus in just three days, at which point you can bury it in cactus soil. Unfortunately, establishing roots from a succulent that has had its head taken off takes time. It moves at an agonizingly slow pace. It requires a lot of patience because you could not even see effects for a few weeks, and some things might even take months to take root!
Another essential step when using a cut-off stem is to ensure that it doesn’t receive direct sunlight—instead, it needs indirect sunlight. In addition, you should wait three weeks before watering or spraying anything into the soil’s surface. To begin forming roots, the stem must go through this procedure.
You can repot the plant in a better container with sufficient drainage after the stem begins to develop roots. You have now successfully salvaged a broken-off succulent and can resume your regular succulent maintenance. There are still some things you can do to save the old plant, so don’t worry.
Method #3: Leaves Cut in Half
What if the leaf is sliced in half? is the most frequent query I receive. Yes, a fallen leaf with the portion still attached to the stem can develop roots. Roots can also form on the plant stem that has been severed. But if the portion of the leaf attached to the stem is already rotting or has entirely dried out, will it still be able to produce roots?
As you are aware, succulents have a special quality that enables them to develop roots even when the stem-connected portion is already decomposing. Although you must get rid of the rotten component, the procedure is identical to producing roots from leaves. It may even take a month or two for the leaf to begin producing roots because of how long this process takes.
The quickest approach to save your succulent, no matter how long it takes, is to create a new one from the pieces of a broken one. At initially, these new succulents won’t need a lot of maintenance. It will be simple for you to save a broken-off succulent if your soil meets the requirements. Some people are even starting farms utilizing the methods I’ve shared with you!
Method #4: Repotting the Old Plant
The first three techniques are the ones that people use the most frequently to rescue a broken-off succulent. They are able to have more as a result of these techniques in addition to salvaging what little of their plant is still there. Repotting a damaged succulent is another approach to salvage it, and any issues your plant is having may simply be a sign that it needs a little extra care.
You can check its health and the soil’s quality by repotting. A number of factors can negatively impact the health of your plant, but the best method to save it is to remove rotten roots and make sure the soil you’re using is suitable for it.
What about propagating leaf cuttings?
Some soft succulents will re-root from leaves, though it is typically more difficult. Pick thick, healthy leaves that are close to the base. Take off the leaves and allow them to dry for 4 to 7 days inside or in the shade. once the calloused cut cease,
Plant the leaves cut side down, vertically, in a bed of loose soil. Watch for new growth over the next months and water as you would a stem cutting.
Can I plant cuttings outdoors?
Because of the more unpredictable climatic circumstances, repotting cuttings outside is difficult. You can try planting a clipping of a succulent outside during the growing season if you live in the appropriate hardiness zone. Choose a spot that gets some sun, either direct or indirect. Observe the aforementioned recommendations and pay close attention to moisture levels. Be mindful that not all cuttings will thrive.
Do I need to fertilize?
There is no need for fertilizer, and using too much will harm young or unrooted succulents. In the spring growing season, mature, rooted succulents may withstand low-nitrogen, slow-release fertilizer.
Succulents can they generate new stems?
In case you wished to propagate your own plants, we will start by explaining how to cut your succulents or cacti. What kind of cuttings you take will depend on the kind of succulent or cactus that you are cutting. While some plants can spread by a leaf, others require real cuttings to increase their size.
It’s crucial to obtain the full leaf, all the way up to the stem, if you’re trying to propagate utilizing a leaf. Your leaf will probably die if it is chopped or breaks off before the stem. Just twist the leaf to remove it from the stem; be sure to remove the entire leaf.
Use sharp scissors or pruning shears if you’re taking a full cutting to propagate your succulent. Just above a leaf, cut the stem. You have a choice of taking your cutting from the succulent’s stem or an offshoot.
What you cut for cactus cuttings depends depend on the kind of cactus you have. If the pads on your cactus are growing, pick a mature pad—not a tiny one at the top—and clip it. You should clip a columnar cactus a few inches from the top if you have one. Try to select a thinner stem for columnar cacti as they will root more quickly than thicker ones. You should make your cut as straight as you can.
What You’ll Need:
- 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.