How to Propagating Succulents Successfully: Step by Step Guide
Propagating succulents yourself is not difficult, although the methods may differ depending on the genus and species. Today I will share how to propagate succulent plants. There are generally three ways to propagate succulent plants: sowing, cutting and dividing.
We explain the different procedures.
As diverse as the appearance of succulents are, so are their propagation options
Photo: ©️ Plantjoy.de
Propagating succulents successfully by following steps:
Propagate succulents by sowing
Propagate succulents through cuttings
Propagate succulents with Kindel
Special cases of succulent propagation
If you want to propagate succulents yourself, you have to proceed differently depending on the genus and species. Possible methods include propagation by seeds, cuttings or by offshoots/side shoots (Kindel). The best time for this is from spring to summer. To propagate succulents, always use high-quality seeding soil or growing soil from specialist retailers. It is low in nutrients, structurally stable and has a high water holding capacity. In addition, it is germ-free, which you cannot guarantee if you put together a mixture yourself. The nursery pots must also be as clean as possible.
How to propagate succulents?
Many succulents can be propagated by seeds or cuttings. But the easiest way to grow offspring is when succulents form so-called children. These offshoots are removed from the plant, allowed to dry for a few hours and then placed in potting soil.
Propagate succulents by sowing
The length of time it takes for individual seeds to germinate can vary greatly. We recommend always using fresh seeds from the previous year when propagating succulents. Since not all succulents fruit reliably when grown indoors, you can also use purchased seeds.
Start sowing in spring when the light conditions are better and the days are longer again. Sow the seeds in small pots and press them lightly. Then add some seed soil over it, just a little and preferably in sifted form. Place the pots in a partially shaded location. The seeds of succulents should never dry out completely until they germinate, although experience has shown that it is better not to water them from above, but rather to place the pots in bowls filled with water. The most favorable germination temperature for succulents is between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius (a little cooler at night). They also require high humidity. To do this, we recommend placing the pots in a mini greenhouse or keeping them under foil. The only important thing is that you ventilate daily and remove the cover as soon as the seeds germinate.
Specific steps are as follows:
1. Prepare containers and soil. The particles of the sowing soil should be finer to ensure good air permeability, drainage, and a certain water retention capacity.
2. Paving stones. Lay a layer of foundation stones at the bottom of the container, just as thin as necessary, to facilitate water penetration and moisture retention. If there is no foundation stone, you can also use bark chips, pebbles, etc. instead.
3. Pretending to be earthy. Put the soil into the container, smooth it out, and water it thoroughly.
4． Spread red jade soil or vermiculite. Spread a layer of fine-grained red jade soil or vermiculite on the surface of the soil to better retain water and breathe.
Spread red jade soil or vermiculite. Spread a layer of fine-grained red jade soil or vermiculite on the surface of the soil to better retain water and breathe.
5. Soak basin. Soak the container of soil in water until the water leaches from the soil surface for half an hour.
Once the seedlings have grown well, the succulents are transplanted into individual pots
Photo: ©️ iStock/Zakharova_Natalia
Propagate succulents through cuttings
Many succulents can be propagated vegetatively through cuttings, including popular species such as the Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) or the prickly pear cactus (Opuntia). To do this, secondary shoots or individual leaves are separated from the mother plant.
Larger cuttings should be cut to a point at the cut point: this will prevent the tissue from drying out too much, which would make rooting unnecessarily difficult. When propagating succulents with milky sap, such as various Euphorbia species (spurge family), the procedure is slightly different. First of all, it is important that you protect yourself with gloves from the milky juice that escapes at the interfaces, which is sometimes toxic or at least irritating to the skin. The cuttings are then immersed in water at 40 degrees Celsius so that the sap coagulates before they are planted.
Basically, succulent cuttings should first be given some time to dry. Cactus cuttings can even be kept dry until the first roots appear. To do this, put them in a container that is so narrow that they do not touch the bottom. They are then placed in pots with potting soil, where they usually root quickly in warm ambient temperatures. Do not water the plants, only water them when roots have formed.
To propagate the Flaming Cat, you can simply separate individual leaves
Photo: ©️ MSG/Martin Staffler
Leaf succulents such as Crassula or Kalanchoe are propagated by leaf cuttings. Only use healthy and fully developed leaves that are not cut off but broken or torn off by hand. Let them dry and stick them with the top of the leaves in potting soil.
Leaf cutting method:
Succulents suitable for leaf inserts include Cuihua Palm, White Emperor, Sansevieria, Jade Palace, etc.
Leaf cutting is mainly divided into the following steps:
1. Prepare the leaves. Be careful not to damage the plant when removing leaves from the plant, and do not remove leaves from a plant that has just been watered. When picking, you should also avoid contamination of the roots of the leaves. If you accidentally get water or soil, wipe it clean with a paper towel immediately. Do not wash or expose the picked leaves to avoid causing the leaves to become transparent or damaged.
2. Prepare the soil. Spread the dry soil as thickly as possible in the seedling pot to facilitate the leaves to absorb more nutrients from the soil after taking root. You can also place the leaves in the air to take root, but you must do it in time after they grow small buds. Transplant into soil, otherwise the leaves and small buds will die due to lack of moisture.
3. Add the leaves. You can choose to insert the leaves into the soil, or you can choose to place them flat on the soil directly. It should be noted that no matter which way, the leaves must be facing up and the back down, because the small buds will emerge from the leaves. On the front side, placing it upside down will force it to grow in reverse direction and affect the growth of small buds.
4. Wait for rooting or sprouting. Do not water during this period to avoid rot, and do not leave it in the sun, otherwise the water will evaporate faster and cause the leaves to die. You should place it in a low-light environment and ensure good ventilation.
5. Bury it in the soil and water it. Generally, it will take 7 to 10 days for the leaves to grow roots and buds. If neither grows for more than 30 days, it means that the leaf transplantation has failed. After the root system grows, it should be buried in the soil in time to avoid long-term exposure to the air and the roots will wither. Then you can water it appropriately. At this time, you can move it to the sun, but pay attention to sun protection.
6. Post-maintenance. As the buds slowly grow up, they will consume the nutrients of the leaf inserts. However, be sure not to remove the buds before the leaves are completely withered. Wait until the leaves are completely withered before removing them. In addition, during the growth process of the shoots, the sunshine time and watering can be appropriately increased.
Branch cutting method:
Branch cutting refers to cutting off the branches of the plant for cutting. Succulent plants suitable for branch planting include Diamantium japonica, Red Raging Waves, White Bird Coral, etc.
Branch cutting is mainly divided into the following steps:
1. Select branches.
Select healthy branches from plants that are growing well. Hold the plant with one hand and cut it off with scissors with the other.
2. Remove the lower leaves. Do not insert it into the soil together with the leaves, otherwise it will easily cause the leaves to rot and breed mold.
3. Let dry. The cut branches can be placed in a ventilated place for 3 to 5 days to dry. Only branches with dried wounds can be inserted into the soil.
4. Planting. Plant the dried branches into flower pots and water them lightly.
Root cuttings are made by selecting plants with developed root systems or thick rhizomes. Succulents suitable for root cuttings include Wanxiang, Falida, Turtle-shelled Dragon, etc.
Propagation by division
Propagation by division is also common among succulents. Some group succulents will grow some new shoots or pods from their roots, such as Crystal Palm, Juanjuan, Kang's Twelve Juan, etc.
The specific steps for ramification propagation are as follows:
1. Take out the succulents that have outgrown their pots. Hold the bottom of the pot with one hand to tilt it at a certain angle, hold the plant with the other hand, and carefully remove the plant to avoid excessive damage to the root system.
2. Organize the root system. Clean the soil below the root system and straighten out the tangled roots.
3. Cut off the diseased roots. After sorting the roots, check to see if there are any diseased roots. If there are any, cut them off with scissors.
4. Division. Choose a larger young plant and shake it gently to break off the roots together.
5. Enter the basin. Plant the divided seedlings directly into the prepared pots.
6. Water. At this time, just pour an appropriate amount of water.
Tip: Cuts make plants susceptible to disease and should be dusted with a little charcoal powder.
Propagate succulents: Very easy with Kindel
The easiest way to propagate succulents is to form children. The botanist calls ready-made offshoots or secondary shoots that develop directly on the plant - and can easily be removed. Some even already have clearly visible roots. Allow the children to dry for a few hours before placing them in potting soil. Usually nothing more is necessary. This type of propagation works, for example, with the aloe (bitter crest), the zebra haworthia or the sea urchin cactus (echinopsis). The echeveria forms entire daughter rosettes that can be separated and planted separately.
The best-known example of propagation by Kindel is probably the brood leaf. The succulent plant produces countless finished young plants on the edges of its leaves
Special cases of succulent propagation
Of course, there are also special cases among succulents that can also be propagated in other ways. Living stones (Lithops), for example, can be divided during their growth period, which in the case of the wayward plants means dividing the entire body into several pieces. Sprouting Mammillaria species can be propagated using warty cuttings, which the plants produce in large quantities. They are cultivated in a similar way to seedlings.
As soon as the succulents are well rooted and begin to sprout, they are transplanted into their own pots and continued to be cultivated as usual: The propagation was successful!
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