Then, coat the bottom of the leaf in some soil. As the new roots sprout, bury them under a thin layer of soil until you have a new succulent! There are 13 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Below I describe both methods and I offer tips on how to remove leaves or stem cuttings for a higher propagation success rate. % of people told us that this article helped them. I get to play with my garden year-round and have propagated about 15 varieties from sheer intuition. By using our site, you agree to our. If they're outside they won’t need any special care, rain water is enough to keep them happy. Put them somewhere where its warmer. Propagating succulents takes several weeks, even months before you see a succulent baby that is large enough to plant in a pot or in the ground. Make sure to use a twisting motion to pull the leaf off the plant entirely and avoid breaking it. If you have them indoors water every 2-4 weeks.. Lay the leaves on a towel in indirect sunlight to dry for 3-7 days. I now know how to care for them a bit better. Usually it's break a piece off and wait to see what comes of it. You don’t have to take the entire succulent apart, either. Some succulent species can be propagated by leaf cuttings; others by stem cuttings, seeds (read all about it here) and offsets or offshoots.In this post we talk about how long does it take to propagate succulents by leaf cuttings, which is the most common method of propagation among succulent growers. Not all succulents propagate well from leaves. You'll need one pot for every new succulent plant you’ve propagated. After cutting off a healthy leaf, the leaf will naturally sprout new roots, and a new plant will grow from these roots. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Any container or lid with a flat surface will do; there’s no need to spend any extra money here! Can adult succulents be taken out of pots and planted directly in the ground? Give it more sunlight and it’ll be fine. No. FOR MORE ON GROWING SUCCULENTS, CHECK OUT THE POSTS BELOW! Thanks! The important thing here is to make sure the soil gets water because this is what will help your leaves grow roots. I'm a passionate vegan + plant lover and I'm so thrilled you're here reading about how to grow your favorite plants! It is easy to propagate new succulents from leaves, but because not every leaf will take, you should try rooting at least two leaves at a time. Succulents that have grown leggy or stretched out are PERFECT for propagation, especially if you hate the way they look. This article was co-authored by Katie Gohmann. This was very helpful and now I, "Thanks for the information on how to start new plants. One of the most fascinating things about succulents is that they’re able to be propagated — it’s like nature’s little gift to plant growers. Thanks. Lay all of the leaves on top of cactus soil or damp sand in indirect sunlight, with the ends of the leaves out of the soil, and mist daily until new roots grow. Propagation by Leaf Cutting. It provides the right amount of water retention and air circulation that allows the roots of succulents to thrive. When they’ve dried, dampen the leaf and dip the bottom in a rooting hormone or honey. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. They have their own, "Yes it was very informative down to the basics of doing it and being successful in making it happen.So great to, "The time frame for sprouting was helpful. How to Get Rid of Mealybugs on Succulents, How to Care for Hens and Chicks Succulents. This way, you won’t have weird-looking empty gaps or spaces from the middle or top of your current succulent. Hi, I'm Natalie! It is possible in many places. Am I doing something wrong? Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Planting Succulent Babies After Propagating Succulents. This was, "I love succulent plants. Poor cuttings can result in the leaves not being able to sprout roots. So glad I read this, I had it all, "Straightforward directions in easy-to-understand language. How to Propagate Succulents Use clean and sharp scissors to cut the stems to the desired length you want, at a 45-degree angle, remove the bottom leaves and allow the stems to heal in a dry, warm place for 2-3 days till the callus develops. I'm worried I will damage the roots by transporting the propagated leaf to a new pot. Once the roots have been buried, they will continue to grow into a new succulent plant. All you need is succulents, cactus mix, a saucer, spray bottle, sunlight or grow lights. As they grow, you can transplant them into larger pots. If the soil is dry to the touch, use a spray bottle and mist … Cactus and Succulent Soil Mix is simply a mix of sand, pumice, and soil that is mixed together to form an ideal growing environment for succulents and cacti. To learn all the essentials of succulents care, head to my. This article has been viewed 1,264,101 times. Arrange the leaves on top of the soil ensuring there is plenty of air flowing around them. Cutting back on watering from once a day to every three days or so will cause the original succulent leaf to dry out. Many people take cuttings of succulents, or will pick up fallen leaves, which can grow into new baby plants if luck will have it! But did you know you can plant them and make whole new plants? Cactus mix is recommended for planting succulents indoors and outdoors, and it’s perfect for propagating succulents, too. Make sure it’s a clean pull, leaving nothing on the stem. If your succulent is starting to shrivel and the leaves start to puker (starting at the bottom of the plant) this is a sign of dehydration. This will help prvent root rot when the leaves are exposed to moisture and soil. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise. The best growing environment to successfully propagate succulents is one that is warm and has access to indirect sunlight. Tips for Leaf Propagation: Expect 4-6 weeks of waiting for most varieties of succulents to start producing pups or roots. Step 1: Gently pull a leaf from your succulent in a twisting motion. If you are anything like me, you know there is no such thing as too many plants…The best part is, once you learn how to propagate succulents, it is very easy! This whole web page has, "It is good to know the most effective way to do anything. Most importantly. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. How to Reproduce Succulents by Leaves. To separate a leaf from your plant, simply grab the leaf with your fingers and gently tug at it back and forth from side to side until the leaf breaks off from the base. Once your leaves have formed tiny replicas of the mother succulent and are about the size of a dime,  it’s time to start cutting back on watering. For example, starting these indoors in winter will yield slow results like the 10 … A succulent with a long stem is called a leggy plant. Here is a step by step guide for propagating succulents from leaves. When the leaves have hardened, place it on a pan filled with well-draining soil that has been moistened. Moving the leaves can sever these roots and cause growing to take much longer. I've rooted many different plants, but I didn't know how to, "Great instructions! O ne of my favorite traits of succulents is that they can be propagated from leaves to grow brand new plants. After they root, they will grow new leaves. Direct hot sun can damage them and they will not grow. Do some research to find out which succulents are hardy in your area, and make sure you plant them in an area where they will receive the correct amounts of light and water. And if you have people who’d like to learn how to propagate succulents – you can show them off or refer them back to this post! Take a look at the photo below, this is what your leaves should look like after a few weeks of laying on top of cactus mix and being watered every day. All you need is, Tips for Propagating Succulents from Leaves, While whole succulents should be planted in soil, succulent leaves that are to be propagated shouldn’t be planted, but. Thanks so much for your, "Great, detailed instuctions. If a part of the leaf stayed attached to the stem, it more than likely won’t root for you. Home / Blog. The leaves will get moist in the process, but that’s okay. If you mist the soil, your plant will grow shallow, weak roots. My other favorite way to get leaves is to look around the plant. Katherine Gohmann is a Professional Gardener in Texas. It doesn’t need to be deep. Thank you! The leaves you propagate should be healthy for the most part, which means that they’re not dried out or rotting. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. Once you have your container ready, fill it with soil and lay your leaves right on top of the soil, as shown below. These are important tips on how to successfully propagate succulents from leaves. Many popular succulent genera such as Echeverias and Sedums, can easily be propagated from the leaves, while some others need cuttings. Previous / Next . We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Also, ensure the succulents are protected from harsh noontime light from a distance. Always keep the soil moist. What you need to do is simply pluck off several leaves from the bottom of the plant, let them be calloused on a dry surface. ", "I'm new to succulents and have never tried to grow them from cuttings. References lay the leaves flat on dry cactus mix and keep them in bright but indirect light There was a large, "Loved your article! The entire base of the leaf must come off the stem, otherwise it will die. I have planted the leaves in the soil as I usually do and could not figure out why, "Knowing exactly what causes the skin changes. Propagating succulents from leaves is a simple project that requires a few steps and a couple supplies. Well-written and organized. A warmer area will create faster growth. Though it’s usually the slowest way to propagate succulents, it’s also quite cool to see a new plant develop from tiny little seeds. Happy Gardening! To acquire seeds from a mature plant, you’ll need to remove a flower and then collect the seeds from the base of that flower. Your succulent will almost certainly die from overwatering if you use regular soil. Then, coat the bottom of the leaf in some soil. Another option is to plant it with the original leaf still attached and simply let it wither off on its own. It was well explained and the photos where really the thing that tied it all together. Keep the leaf cuttings by a warm window that doesn’t get direct sunlight, or that’s protected by a tree or window shade. You can skip this step as … When you propagate succulents with this method, it’s very important to keep your soil moist. To do this you can either take healthy leaves that have fallen off the plant or carefully pull them off by twisting the leaf from the base of the plant’s stem. Leaf cutting is one of the most straight forward ways to propagate succulents. In no time, you can multiply your collection, give plants to friends, and receive leaves to propagate from others. Depends on the succulent and on your climate. How often to water succulents. ", the surface, rather than poke them into the dirt like I was planning to do. Leave a few leaves on the rosette as you can plant this as a cutting as well. ", succulents. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Wash the clippers with soapy water or did them in rubbing alcohol to sanitize them. These stretched-out succulents actually lost their compact form because they weren’t getting enough sunlight. When the baby succulent grows larger than an inch, then you can tear it away from the original leaf, but be careful not to harm the remaining roots in the process. One of the most rewarding parts of growing succulents is propagation. Thanks for the info, "This provided a real 21st to start to root! Very helpful. Are uniformly colored with no discoloration. I'm a lucky novice living in S. CA on, "This article was very, very helpful. One of the best things about succulents is how easy they are to propagate and grow! If you’ve ever bumped your jade plant while re-potting, you know those leaves pop off pretty easily. And best of all, succulents are very easy to propagate. Portulaca is a little different from the succulents described in this article, but you can propagate it from cuttings. You can propagate succulents from leaf cuttings or stem cuttings. ", for me. ", thick growth with what looked like flowers that were going to bloom. ", propagate them right. I look forward to growing some little succulents of my own now. Take a cutting about 3-4 inches in length, and gently remove the bottom leaves to leave about an inch bare at the cut end. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. See all the roots coming out of the leaves? It should tear off rather easily. If you live somewhere with lots of humidity in the air, you may not need to mist the leaves at all while they're rooting. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/be\/Propagate-Succulents-from-Leaves-Step-1-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Propagate-Succulents-from-Leaves-Step-1-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/be\/Propagate-Succulents-from-Leaves-Step-1-Version-4.jpg\/aid3558956-v4-728px-Propagate-Succulents-from-Leaves-Step-1-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"