Last Updated on July 5, 2021 by Marco C.
You’re probably wondering when to plant propagated succulents. Do you repot baby succulents right away? Do you have enough succulents to propagate?
You may have read many articles telling you how it is easy to grow succulents. Generally, caring for succulents is easy. While it takes a while to get to know the different succulent varieties, knowing how to take care of them all becomes natural once you get used to it.
Likewise, propagating succulents is quite easy. Succulents can grow from stem or leaf cuttings.
That means you don’t have to undergo a complicated process like grafting to multiply them. So where does the challenge come from?
The challenge arises when factors like climate or temperature mix up with your efforts.
In this article, we will share some tips on how you can successfully propagate succulents.
Tools To Prepare For Succulent Propagation
- Sharp shears or scissors
- Garden gloves (for handling spiny varieties)
- Small trowel
- Potting medium for succulents and cacti
- Containers with adequate drainage holes
Propagating Succulents: Tips For Beginners
Succulents are indeed easy to propagate. The succulent is one of nature’s most efficient plants. It is a type of “xerophytes”, a shallow-rooted wonder. Succulents can thrive in dry climates and store water in their flat and fleshy leaves. Read on to learn some tips on how to propagate these wonders.
Removing A Leaf For Propagation
Before your “Project Propagation” begins, make sure you know the variety of succulents. This helps you determine the kind of cutting to take. For example, Sedums and Echeverias can be propagated with their leaves or cuttings.
But Aeoniums only work with cuttings. You can never grow them from just a leaf. To take a leaf for propagation, gently twist the leaf off the stem. Make sure it is a clean pull. Leave nothing on the stem.
To make sure you have a clean pull, you can use a scissor to cut the leaf. Leaves that are cut in the middle don’t grow often. So make sure you have a clear view of the base of the leaf before pulling it off.
Removing A Cutting For Propagation
To take a cutting you can use sharp scissors or pruning shears. Cut off a piece of the succulent stem. You can also position your scissors above a leaf on the stem. Or you can cut off a new offshoot.
Once you have taken your cutting or leaf, place them on tissue paper to dry. Leave it for a couple of days to fully absorb excess water. It is important for the leaves or cuttings to dry so they can scan over. If they don’t get a chance to scab over, they will absorb too much water the first time you water them. Eventually, your leaves and cuttings will die.
How To Plant Succulent Cuttings
When the leaves or cuttings have completely dried, transfer them to potting soil. Do not plant them. Just lay them on top of the soil. It is totally fine if the cutting starts to shrivel up a little. When this happens, you can start giving them a little water.
For leaves, give it filtered sunlight and mist it with water. For the cuttings, plant the base of it in the soil and water a few times a week. Apply water directly to the soil.
Watering Your Leaf Or Cutting
As you may know, full-grown succulents don’t need to be watered daily. But leaves and cuttings do! That said, you want to avoid over-watering to prevent them from rotting.
For leaves, position them on top of the soil. Make sure their ends don’t touch the soil at all. Then water them each time the soil dries out. A mist spray would be perfect to give them enough water they need to thrive.
For the cuttings, water them every day. Then wait for results. Once you get your watering pattern down, your cuttings can easily put off new roots and leaves within a few weeks.
Succulent Propagation: How Long Does It Take For New Shoots To Grow?
It takes a few weeks for new rosettes and roots to form on succulent leaves and cuttings. Temperature and lighting can affect the success rate of your propagation. Also depending on the time of year, it may take 3 to 4 weeks to notice progress.
It is normal for most of your leaves and cuttings to die. More than your first batch won’t make it. Every leaf and cutting is different that is why when asked when to plant propagated succulents, we highly suggest that you do when you already have enough succulents to propagate.
On your first attempt, you can pull off 10 to 20 leaves and separate them into different pots. If your first post doesn’t make it, you still have another pot. Sometimes, a few of the leaves or cuttings on your first pot will grow rosettes.
When this happens, wait for the old leaf to fully die down before repotting the new rosettes. For cuttings, make sure you keep the roots covered with soil.
Otherwise, they will dry out and your plants will stop growing.
Don’t be too excited at the sight of a new rosette. Most succulents also take several months to grow to normal size. This may not be a super-speedy process but it is worth it.
If you have lots of succulents in your garden, you can propagate as many leaves as you can. As result, you can have baby succulents at once.
Keep watering as your baby’s succulents start to grow. Cover the roots with soil as soon as new ones grow. Keep them cool and water as needed. The soil must stay damp but do not expose them to direct sunlight.
Conclusion: When To Plant Propagated Succulents
Once the roots of your succulents have stabilized it is time to report them. Waiting for the roots to stabilize before repotting can help with having healthy succulents as a result.
Succulents are indeed very easy to propagate. Although it may take a while to see the results, it can be worth it. You can sell your new succulents to earn some money.
