How to Collect Seeds From Hens and Chicks + Propagating Tips!

Last Updated on October 26, 2022 by Griselda M.

So how to collect seeds from hens and chicks? As you may know, hens and chick plants don’t just grow from stem cuttings. You can also grow them from seeds. If you are a first-timer and you want to propagate them via seeds, you can collect seeds from your mature plants.

It’s always a gamble to grow or propagate succulents using seeds. You never know for sure if you get empty flats and a complete crop failure. But it can be done. If you have hens and chicks in your garden and you have grown them for a while, in the sense that you already have a variety of mature plants, you can start propagating from seeds.

The good side of seed propagation is that it is the most economical way to propagate your succulents. Although it takes the longest, you can eventually grow great plants when you know the technique.

How To Collect Seeds From Hens and Chicks

You can buy seeds from many succulent nurseries. Oftentimes, mainstream plant catalogs will have them but you can also join the tirade of succulent business by having your own succulent seeds business. Or you can collect seeds from hens and chicks to create a beautiful succulent garden.

Generally, you can collect seeds from the chick’s and hens’ flowers. If you successfully grow hens and chicks succulents, you would notice some of them develop flowering stalks. You can cut these stalks and leave them out to dry.

Learn more about: How Often Do Succulents Bloom?

The stalls of the hens and chicks are quite surprising though as they are big. They can grow flowers in shades of pink, cream, peach, and sometimes red. They can attract many bees and are naturally pollinated. During pollination, the seeds can fall grown and develop into new rosettes.

But once you cut the stalks, you can keep them in a safe place. They may continue to grow but as soon as they wither, the seeds will eventually separate from the stalks. 

In many cases, you can cut the seed head and put them upside down in a paper bag. Do not use plastic or rubber containers as they can gather moisture and make your seeds rot.

Note that hens and chicks bloom can continue to grow even when you have already cut them. In this case, just leave them as they are because they will die out real soon. 

Caring For The Seeds in a Paper Bag

 Make sure you have secured a paper bag for your hen’s and chicks’ bloom stalks. Then keep them in a dry place and out of direct exposure to sunlight. Also, make sure that doesn’t get damp as they may develop moisture that can promote mold growth.

We suggest that your silica gel prevent moisture from getting in. You don’t have to buy this though. Your pill bottles and shoes should come with a free silica gel, which you can reuse for your succulent seeds. Shake the bag periodically to remove the seeds from the stalks. The paper bag will catch them as they are so tiny.

Now that you have your seeds, don’t expect them to grow right away. It may take a couple of tries before you can successfully grow them, especially if you are a first-timer. You can always check on how to grow hens and chicks here.

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How To Propagate Chicks and Hens Successfully

Propagating hens and chicks is quite simple. There are two ways how to propagate this type of succulent: by seeds or by cuttings. When propagating from seeds, you can simply get the seeds you have collected and sprinkle them on the seed tray. 

Using a seed tray can help protect your seeds from getting blown by the wind. Use well-draining soil for your seeds and water them accordingly. Succulents need a lot of water at the beginning for the seeds to grow. You can keep the seed tray in a safe spot with enough sunlight.

Your seed should sprout in a couple of weeks. Take note that not all of your seeds will grow successfully. But once they develop into tiny rosettes, you have to ensure that they have developed a strong root system before transferring them. 

Propagating Hens and Chicks From Cuttings

For hens and chicks that branch, take stem cuttings in spring. Wipe a couple of sharp pruning shears with a cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol. Pick a branch and cut the stem so there are 1 to 2 creeps of stem underneath the head of the leaves. Lay the cutting on its side in the shade for about seven days so the cut end mends.

 Then, embed the stem end in a 2-inch pot loaded up with desert flora and a delicious preparing blend or equivalent pieces of peat and perlite. Again, make sure to utilize a pot with a good drainage system. Hens and chicks can better propagate when the water can drain.

How To Collect Seeds From Hens and Chicks and Grow Them 

While it is easy to collect seeds from hens and chicks, growing them is a win-win situation. Again, you cannot always expect your hens and chicks to grow successfully from seeds. 

Nevertheless, you can always use this guide to propagate them using seeds. In any case, you can always just leave your succulent plants to grow. Hens and chicks can grow on neglect. That means you can just leave them on the landscape. The seeds can simply fall off from the stalks and grow on the ground. As long as you have the best spot they can gradually develop into tiny rosettes. 

There you go, as we have said the steps on how to collect seeds from hens and chicks are quite easy. As long as you have the perfect combination of factors, you can grow healthy hens and chicks. Whether you are growing them indoors or outdoors, you can always use this guide in handy. 

Read more about: How Long Do Succulents Take To Grow From Seeds