No matter what stage of the propagation journey you’re in, we’ve got you covered. Let’s start with the basics: What even is propagation?
Propagation is the process of creating a new plant from cuttings or leaf droppings of another plant.
How do I start? To start the propagation process, you have a couple of choices: 1) propagate a leaf, or 2) propagate a cutting/offshoot.
Leaf Propagation:
1. You’ll need a leaf (or two or three or four!) from a ‘parent’ succulent. You can either use healthy leaves that have already dropped, or gently twist and pull them off from the stem of your succulent.
2. Lay the leaves on a tray of cactus soil (you can also use a saucer or paper plate) and set somewhere it gets partial or indirect sunlight.
3. Wait 3 days for your leaves to form calluses where they were torn from the stem.
4. Use a spray bottle to spritz your leaves with water every other day.
5. After a few weeks, new roots and a rosette will start to grow!
6. Plant the propagated leaf: As soon as your leaf has roots, and the rosette has grown large enough to pot, nestle the new roots into cactus soil with the rosette sitting on top. (You can nestle the old leaf into the soil along with the roots, leave it on top with the rosette, OR gently twist and remove it altogether.)
7. Water lightly once planted. After a week or so, proceed with a normal watering schedule just like you would any other succulent!
Remember that propagation is tricky. Some of your leaves will grow roots right away but take a long time to grow a rosette, or vice versa. Some may not propagate at all. Don’t get frustrated, it’s all trial and error!
Cutting Propagation
1. Start by snipping a piece of stem or offshoot off the parent plant, like this:
2. Set the cutting (the part of the plant you just cut off) out for 3 days until it forms a callus where you cut it.
3. Then nestle your new plant in some dry cactus soil, like this:
4. Water very lightly once a week (just enough to get the top of the soil wet) for about 3-5 weeks.
5. During this time, new roots will sprout from the cutting and you have yourself a new plant. At this point, continue a normal watering routine.
*Pro tip: If you cut the top off your succulent to propagate it, leave the roots and stump with a few leaves on it! Water it just like a regular succulent, and new rosettes will start to grow on the stump, like this:
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us @sucstu or hello@succulent.studio!
Happy planting 🌱🌵💚
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