Growing a collection of succulents starts with one you already own.
1. Cut the Heads
Any healthy succulent is a candidate for propagation, especially those with central trunk-like stems. If propagating from a rosette-shaped succulent, you can begin at step 2. Otherwise, use sharp scissors to snip a leaf-covered section of one of the stems at least 3 inches (7.5 cm) long. This is your cutting. If your plant's stems look bare and you cannot find 3 inches (7.5 cm) of lush growth, cut at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) under the best-looking bunch of leaves.
2. Pluck Leaves
Succulents will propagate from individual leaves, too. You can either pluck leaves from your clippings or the parent plant. Hold the fleshy leaf close to the stem. Twist gently to remove cleanly. Any fat, juicy leaves will fall off with ease. Others you may have to coax off. What is left on the leaf's stem is called meristematic tissue, and it looks like a potato eye. This is where small new roots and leaves will emerge a few weeks after beginning step 3.
3. Arrange and Water
Place your clippings and leaves, cut ends up, on a dish filled with fast-draining soil facing indirect sunlight. Leave for about three days or until the callus is over. Once that happens, use a spray bottle to squirt everything five to six times until the soil is moist but not soaked. Repeat whenever the soil is dry, roughly every four to five days. Tiny pink roots will sprout from your clippings in about three to four weeks. Be patient, observe, and keep watering.
4. Tend to the Pups
Six or seven weeks after starting the propagating process, you will notice baby pups emerging from the parent leaves. The parents may look shriveled. This is because they are feeding the pups with their water and nutrients. It is time to transfer your cuttings and leaves to their own containers, at least 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter. Cover the new roots with 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) of soil, sit back, and watch your garden grow.
Source: rodalesorganiclife.com
Links
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus