One of the most thrilling things about growing plants is rooting a new plant from an existing one. I grew up in the south and neighbors, friends, and relatives always had plant cuttings to share. I learned to root everything in water. Most tender plant cuttings were easy to root in water, but not all would be successful.
Propagation is a cost-effective way to grow new plants from existing plants. It produces a new plant that is identical to the original one, and it’s so enjoyable to root a tiny cutting that will grow into another grown plant to add to your collection or give to a friend.
Succulents are one of the easiest to root from an existing plant. We’ll look at a couple of different ways to propagate them:
Propagating a Leaf or Stem Cutting in Soil
1. It’s usually easy to remove leaves or pups from mature plants such as sedum, aloe, and echeveria. You can also take stem cuttings with a pair of sharp scissors or garden shears, making sure to disinfect the blades to avoid contamination. Place the cuttings on a paper towel in a warm, bright place for a few days, or up to 1 week to allow the wound to produce a callus.
2. Once the cuttings have calllused, lay them on top of a tray filled with moistened, well-draining soil like cactus and succulent mix, or you can mix perlite and course sand to your potting mix.
3. Place the tray in a warm spot where it receives bright, indirect light. You will begin to see small roots growing from the callus after 3-4 weeks, after that you will see the new plant growing from the base of the leaf. You can water the roots lightly with a spray bottle, waiting until the soil is dry between waterings.
4. In a few more weeks, your new succulent will have established its root system and will be ready to transfer to a new pot.
5. Plant the succulent into a small pot and press the soil firmly around the base of the new plant. You can move the succulent to a new location, gradually increasing the amount of direct sunlight your plant receives over time, so its leaves do not burn.
How to Root Succulents in Water
You can successfully propagate certain succulents in water such as jade plant, haworthia, aloes, sedums, and echeveria.
1. Using scissors or small garden shears that have been disinfected, cut several 2″ to 4″ stem pieces from a mature plant, or remove leaf cuttings by gently pulling the leaf away at the base. Place the cuttings on a paper towel in a warm, bright place for a few days, or up to 1 week to allow the wound to produce a callus.
2. You can use a bottle with a small opening that will support your cutting, or you can fill a larger glass jar or container up to 2/3 full of distilled water, and tightly cover the top with plastic wrap. Poke small holes in the plastic wrap and insert the cutting into the holes until the callused end is just touching the water.
3. Place the container in a warm and bright location for 3-6 weeks, adding water when necessary. You should change the water once a week.
4. Once you see several strong roots, your new succulent is ready to plant in soil. Refer to section 5 above for instructions in caring for your new plant.
Practical Tips for Expanding Your Succulent Collection:
1. Choose healthy leaves from a mature plant to give your propagation the best chance at success.
2. Make sure your tools, containers, and plant pots have been disinfected to kill disease pathogens.
3. Be sure to let the cutting dry and produce a scab or callus before rooting.
4. You can use rooting hormone to accelerate root formation. If rooting in water, add 1/8 teaspoon rooting hormone for 8 oz of water, or if using a rooting tray, first dip the cutting into water, then into the rooting hormone before placing the cutting in the tray.
5. Keep cuttings and new succulents in a warm, bright location, changing to brighter locations gradually as your new plant matures.
No matter which method you choose, propagating plants is a cost-effective way to expand your collection and multiply your favorite plants. It is an easy process compared to growing plants from seed, and it produces an exact replica or clone of your original, mature plant.
Propagating is one of my favorite things to do. I love to share new plants with family and friends.