An Overview Of How To Propagate Succulents: Introducing Different Methods Succulents naturally come equipped with a fantastic ability to regrow from leaves or branches… and that means free plants! There are four primary methods of succulent propagation (with honey as a rooting aid). To successfully propagate a succulent, we must prepare all the essentials, knowing which method to perform, when, and more. This article will guide you through everything you need about succulent propagation. First, here is our introduction video about succulent propagation: What To Know Before You Start Propagating Succulents #1. Some Succulents Are Easier To Propagate Than Others There are so many species of succulents, and they all differ in difficulty when it comes to propagating. Three of the easiest succulents to succeed with are Kalanchoe daigremontiana (alligator plant), Sedum morganianum (burro’s tail), and Sedum rubrotinctum (the pork and beans succulent). Burro’s Tail Succulent Image: @done.by_hand_concrete We recommend starting your propagation journey with these species if you’re a beginner! A lot of the time, the leaves of these succulents will fall on their own, and you can do the propagation process without accidentally cutting off too much of the leaf. #2. Patience Patience you must have my young “propagator.” Yoda from Star Wars Time to test your patience! How long does it take to propagate succulents? Succulent propagation can sometimes take up to four to eight weeks before the new leaf cuttings begin to root. Remember, great things don’t happen in a day. This process will be worth it. When it is time for the ends of your clippings to dry out and harden, this alone can sometimes take up to a week, so make sure you don’t rush the process! Remember that this can sometimes be a frustrating process. Not every single leaf will create a new plant. (Remember what Yoda said). Don’t get discouraged if you don’t have a 100% success rate. I usually only have the 50-70% success rate for all the leaves I propagate. Keep up with the process and try again! Practice makes perfect. Even the “experts” don’t succeed with the propagation process each time. #3. A Strict Watering Schedule After the leaf end has hardened, it’s time to water them! Every leaf hardens over at different times. This is important because if you water them when they haven’t fully hardened, too soon after cutting from the mother plant, they’ll sometimes turn mushy and yellowish. When propagating, we spritz the leaves once a day here at Succulent City. A quick spray over the top of all the leaves should be enough, not too close to them. Some leaves are going to look different than others, which is normal. If you want to learn more about when you should water your succulents check out our in-depth article here. #4. Prevent The Clippings From Direct Sunlight Succulents are desert plants; they all need to be in direct sunlight for most of the day. This is true, but not with succulent leaves during propagation. I always put my leaves by a window that’s protected with some shade. Once the new plant has grown from the leaves, it can be placed in direct sunlight. Succulent Buds Image: @peculiarshadelemontree External Conditions For Successful Propagation Weather status: It is advisable to propagate succulents during warmer, humid seasons. These conditions can either be artificial or natural, indoors or outdoors. Lighting: Adequate lighting – preferably sunlight – shortens the time it takes for your succulent to produce pups. Moisture retention: Cover the container at night to help preserve the plant’s moisture during extreme weather. Common Propagation Methods For Succulents #1. Leave Propagation If you’ve ever seen leaf propagation, you probably understand at least part of the fascination surrounding succulents. People love taking pictures of their leaf props – for a good reason! Nothing is more satisfying for a plant parent than seeing a whole new succulent grow from a leaf. It may seem that you need a green thumb to pull off this fantastic feat, but nothing could be further from the truth. Propagating succulents from leaves is very easy. For short, all you have to do is pull the leaf off, wait for it to dry and calloused, and replant. For a detailed guide (with our free ebook), check here >> Image by:@misucculents #2. Cutting Propagation Anyone with a modicum of gardening experience will have used this technique before. It’s a trick as old as plants themselves. You cut off a part of a succulent and stick it back into the dirt, and it just starts growing again. Succulents have an even easier time of this than other plants. You sometimes have to coax out new roots with herbs and veggies by putting the cutting in water first, but that is not so with succulents. The procedure will start with cutting the succulent at a specific position. Ensure you sterilize all the necessary cutting gears before performing a clean cut. Allow the cutting to grow the root and then replant it in another pot. For the in-depth step-by-step guide, you can view the article for this method: How To Propagate Succulents From Cuttings! #3. Propagate Succulents In Water Can you propagate succulents in water? If you wonder if you can propagate succulents in water, the answer is yes. Yes, most succulents can be propagated in water. To summarize this process: first, you must choose a stem to cut and let the cuttings dry for a few days. Use a mason jar and fill it with purified drinking water. After 4 weeks, small roots are expected to grow. You may wait another 2 weeks until your cuttings are ready to be transplanted. We have a detailed guide with clear steps for this method. You can check it here! Table could not be displayed. #4. Budding Propagation It’s finally time for Aloe to shine! 🙂 Ever notice how some plants grow more of themselves? Sempervivum is famous for it, so they’re commonly called Hens and Chicks. Haworthia does it, too, as does Sansevieria. It’s widespread propagation and not at all unique to succulents. It’s how grass gets around, too. The baby plants are called “buds,” “pups,” or “offshoots.” They usually grow from the mother plant’s base and share a connected root system. Propagating plants that reproduce through budding is a double-edged sword – on the one hand, you don’t have to do anything at all, but on the other hand, you have to wait for the plant to propagate on its own. Being at the whim of your plants isn’t so bad, though. Keep them happy and healthy; buds should constantly grow throughout their growing season. Removing and replanting them is very similar to the process of taking a cutting: First, you have to wait until they’re big enough to remove. It varies from species to species, but once they’re at least an inch or two in diameter (or several inches tall for the sheer variety of succulents). Find where the pup connects to the parent. It is probably either at the base of the primary stem or connected through a thick root called a “runner.” It’s okay to unpot the plant while you’re propagating it. Using the same technique we used for cutting propagations, make a clean cut where the bud meets the mother plant. If they share roots, give a generous portion to the baby when separating them. The mother plant can make it more easily. Move the bud directly into a new pot—no need to wait for callusing this time. Still, you shouldn’t water it for a few days while it heals. Budding also propagates succulents like cacti, so you can use this method on them too! Honey As A Rooting Aid Thanks to their scant care and few needs, succulents attract a diverse group of growers. For many of them, growing succulents may be their first experience with growing any plant in general. Consequently, some tips and tricks have emerged that other gardeners may not be familiar with, such as using honey as a rooting aid for succulents (this is pure experience, there is no official certification of this method). Honey has healing properties and is used as a rooting hormone for plants. Honey contains antiseptic and anti-fungal elements that can keep bacteria and fungi away from the succulent leaves and stems during propagation. Many growers claim that dipping the succulent propagation pieces in honey stimulates the roots and new leaves on the stems. It’s recommended to use as pure & raw honey as possible. Due to pasteurization, many derived products are closer to syrup than honey. To avoid confusion or inconvenience, carefully read the list of ingredients before using any product to test this peculiar theory. First, you must prepare the cuttings and the pot with their respective substrate. The cuttings we choose from the plant should be 6 to 12 inches long and cut at a slant angle of about 45°. After this, we must submerge each cut in the honey mixture and then paste them directly on the substrate prepared in our pots. Use the entire leaf of the plant. When propagating from cuttings, keep it right side up. Related post: Goldfish Plant Propagation – How To Propagate A Goldfish Plant. When planting our leaves or stems, we must submerge them adequately in, or on top of, our soil. It is best if it is sandy and moist but not wet. Place our cuttings in a location covered with abundant bright light, but they mustn’t be in direct sunlight. Keep them outside when temperatures are warm or indoors during colder temperatures. Taking care of our cuttings from temperature damage is essential, especially in winter and cold and humid areas. Transplanting Your New Succulents Now that the roots have developed, you must support the propagated succulents to form their tiny leaves. It’s time to transplant each new succulent baby to its container to grow independently. Ensure your new planter has drainage holes, be it a vase, pot, or wooden box, at the base. The holes will help prevent water logging that may lead to root rot. Nasty business that root-rot. Note: Read more about root-rot and the danger of water logging in this informative article by Succulent City. Choose a container wide enough to allow future root expansion. Fill it with pre-mixed cactus soil. Succulents do not require daily watering. Their natural habitat is an arid or semi-arid area. Therefore they are used to minimal rainfall by design. Just occasional watering once a week is required. Place your succulents in a place with adequate sunlight. Outdoor plants shouldn’t concern you much about sunlight, but indoor succulents will need a decent amount of light, preferably on the window sill. Read more: Choosing the Right Pot for Succulents. We hope you have some pointers on keeping your plant family healthy! If you did, please share on Facebook or PIN US on Pinterest with the social buttons below! Have you enjoyed learning about Propagating Succulents? If so, you’ll enjoy our ebook, The Right Way to Propagating Succulents Successfully! With this ebook, you’ll find more detailed answers that’ll have tremendous success with propagating! With thousands of succulent lovers enjoying our ebooks, you don’t want to miss out on what works best to grow your succulents. Do you have any propagation tips or tricks? Please share them with us in the comments below! Thanks for reading! Don’t leave soon … If you enjoyed reading our blog about succulent propagation, check out our other articles! Enhance your succulent knowledge about indoor succulent plants, edible succulents, or household items that are cheap & easy you can use as succulent planters. Are you looking for more propagation guides? You may look at our new ebook: The Right Way to Propagating Succulents Successfully! Related TweetPin1KShare5382K Shares ABOUT ME Richard Miller Salute everyone. It's Richard, the author of this Succulent & Xeriscaping blog. I am a traveler and a nature lover looking for a connection with the wild green. In my journey, I found a love for succulents and xeriscaping. What attracts me is the long-lasting & unique beauty of every plant I have the chance to see with my own eyes. Welcome to my little blog and let's enjoy a good time together! Contact me: richard.succulentcity@gmail.com 33 thoughts on “An Overview Of How To Propagate Succulents: Introducing Different Methods” Once again a informative and timely article. Log in to Reply Thanks Toni! So glad you enjoyed ? Log in to Reply I have taken Haworthia leaves and put them sticking up in good soil and they grew roots. Now they are plants. So, I’m sorry to say you are wrong. They can grow from cuttings. I just kept them pretty dry and lightly watered them maybe once a week. Try it! You will be surprised! Thank you for the tips! Log in to Reply Had some doubts, you made it easier for me now, thanks? Log in to Reply In italiano le piantine grasse mi piacciono moltissimo Log in to Reply We like big plants too! haha Log in to Reply This is the best article I have ever read on the subject and I have a much better understanding now. Great job! Log in to Reply My succulents are looking yellow. Am I watering too often? Log in to Reply That’s either root rot or burning from the sun. If it’s a good length away from the window, it’s probably root rot. Log in to Reply OMYGOD thank you SO much for this article!! I’ve read SO many articles and seen SO many videos on succulent propagation and your article is by far the best info ever in my opinion!! I’ve had some success in both methods but just this current batch of leaves I propagated, they did really well because I waited with any misting!! Can’t wait to propagate more leaves!!??? Log in to Reply Great to hear this! Thanks! Log in to Reply I literally do nothing to get new plants and plenty of them. A peddle falls off and eventually grows into a new plant. Log in to Reply Good signs! Log in to Reply When the leafs get their new growth how do you plant them next? Are the little leaves at the bottom the root? Log in to Reply About 3-4 weeks I think. Yes, there are little leaves at the bottom of the root. Log in to Reply Your articles are well written and clearly organized. I also appreciate the excellent photos that illustrate subjects up close. Thank you for sharing your experience with us! Log in to Reply Help Please I have sown succulent seeds in a mixture of fine washed granite chips, sand and about 40% potting soil. Nothing has popped its head out yet. I live in Cyprus which at this time of the year is hot. The seeds stay in the shade and I mist spray them a couple of times a day. Am I doing something wrong, is the soil mix possible wrong. Please help. Many Thanks Philip Log in to Reply How long have you been doing that? How is everything now? Log in to Reply Belo post!!! Log in to Reply Had some doubts, you made it easier for me now, thanks? Log in to Reply Once again a informative and timely article. Log in to Reply The article was really useful to me! Thank you! Log in to Reply My cat attacked the leaves I was trying to propagate from. One of the leaves was completely destroyed, while another has some small holes, and the last one was completely fine. Should I continue attempting to propagate from the leaf with holes in it? Log in to Reply Exploring ideas is always helpful! You could learn from it! Log in to Reply When they make tiny new plans can I pot them or wait until they grow bigger? Log in to Reply Either way is okay! Have you got any experience with tiny plants? Log in to Reply I love the article. Thank you for sharing! Log in to Reply Thank you 🙂 Log in to Reply Clear cut instructions. Thank you! Log in to Reply You’re welcome! Log in to Reply How can I BUY a book? Log in to Reply Kindly visit this page to order: https://shop.succulentcity.com/collections/ebooks Log in to Reply Hi, Here is the link: https://shop.succulentcity.com/collections/ebooks Please let me know if you find the topic you need here! Log in to Reply Leave a Reply Cancel replyYou must be logged in to post a comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Connect with us on social! Pinterest Instagram YouTube Facebook
I have taken Haworthia leaves and put them sticking up in good soil and they grew roots. Now they are plants. So, I’m sorry to say you are wrong. They can grow from cuttings. I just kept them pretty dry and lightly watered them maybe once a week. Try it! You will be surprised! Thank you for the tips! Log in to Reply
This is the best article I have ever read on the subject and I have a much better understanding now. Great job! Log in to Reply
That’s either root rot or burning from the sun. If it’s a good length away from the window, it’s probably root rot. Log in to Reply
OMYGOD thank you SO much for this article!! I’ve read SO many articles and seen SO many videos on succulent propagation and your article is by far the best info ever in my opinion!! I’ve had some success in both methods but just this current batch of leaves I propagated, they did really well because I waited with any misting!! Can’t wait to propagate more leaves!!??? Log in to Reply
I literally do nothing to get new plants and plenty of them. A peddle falls off and eventually grows into a new plant. Log in to Reply
When the leafs get their new growth how do you plant them next? Are the little leaves at the bottom the root? Log in to Reply
Your articles are well written and clearly organized. I also appreciate the excellent photos that illustrate subjects up close. Thank you for sharing your experience with us! Log in to Reply
Help Please I have sown succulent seeds in a mixture of fine washed granite chips, sand and about 40% potting soil. Nothing has popped its head out yet. I live in Cyprus which at this time of the year is hot. The seeds stay in the shade and I mist spray them a couple of times a day. Am I doing something wrong, is the soil mix possible wrong. Please help. Many Thanks Philip Log in to Reply
My cat attacked the leaves I was trying to propagate from. One of the leaves was completely destroyed, while another has some small holes, and the last one was completely fine. Should I continue attempting to propagate from the leaf with holes in it? Log in to Reply
Hi, Here is the link: https://shop.succulentcity.com/collections/ebooks Please let me know if you find the topic you need here! Log in to Reply