A Fresh Start: How to Get New Succulents for Free
Here’s how to grow more succulents from the plants you already have
There are plenty of things to love about succulents: their charming shapes, their variety of colours and their easygoing nature are a few. And as potted plants go, they’re downright collectible. If you’re looking to expand your collection or swap a few with a friend, the good news is that propagating succulents from your existing plants couldn’t be easier – or more budget-friendly.
Read on to learn how to propagate succulents, from harvesting the new succulents to planting them and taking care of them long-term.
Read on to learn how to propagate succulents, from harvesting the new succulents to planting them and taking care of them long-term.
How to grow succulents from cuttings: A cutting is a section of plant, either a single leaf or a section of stem, removed from the parent plant for the purpose of propagating. Whether a succulent can be propagated through a single leaf or a proper cutting of a section of stem depends on the plant type. Echeveria and Sedum, for example, can be propagated by either method. Aeonium, however, requires a section of stem for propagation.
Use a sharp, clean knife to cut off a few fleshy leaves (with a bit of stem attached) or a stem that’s getting leggy. The leaf or section of stem you’ve removed is called a ‘cutting’.
For leaf harvesting, you can skip using a knife and carefully snap off succulent leaves with your fingers. To do so, take a leaf and wiggle it gently back and forth until it pops off the main plant, making sure you’re getting a little chunk of stem as well. It’s from the portion where the stem meets a leaf that the plant cells can differentiate to form roots rather than leaves.
Tip: Don’t remove too many leaves or sections of stem from a single plant.
Use a sharp, clean knife to cut off a few fleshy leaves (with a bit of stem attached) or a stem that’s getting leggy. The leaf or section of stem you’ve removed is called a ‘cutting’.
For leaf harvesting, you can skip using a knife and carefully snap off succulent leaves with your fingers. To do so, take a leaf and wiggle it gently back and forth until it pops off the main plant, making sure you’re getting a little chunk of stem as well. It’s from the portion where the stem meets a leaf that the plant cells can differentiate to form roots rather than leaves.
Tip: Don’t remove too many leaves or sections of stem from a single plant.
How to grow succulents from pups, or offsets: Another method of succulent propagation is to harvest plant pups from the base of the parent plant. This can be done for many rosette-forming succulents, including aloe, echeveria, zebra plant and others.
To harvest a pup, use a clean, sharp knife to remove the small plant offset from the parent plant (or gently twist with your fingers), retaining as many roots that may have already started growing on the offset (there may also be no roots). Unlike removing leaves or sections of stems from a plant through cuttings, removing plant pups actually improves the health of the parent plant.
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To harvest a pup, use a clean, sharp knife to remove the small plant offset from the parent plant (or gently twist with your fingers), retaining as many roots that may have already started growing on the offset (there may also be no roots). Unlike removing leaves or sections of stems from a plant through cuttings, removing plant pups actually improves the health of the parent plant.
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Letting echeveria leaves and pups rest before planting allows calluses to form.
Photo by Quinn Dombrowski
2. Allow succulent cuttings or pups to form a callus
Once you’ve taken cuttings or removed plant pups, find a shaded spot outside or indoors where you can let the plant pieces rest. You can lay them on a tray of dry potting soil or gravel, or just leave them on an empty tray or windowsill. Avoid setting them on damp soil, where they can rot.
Leave them alone for about a week, until the cut sections have formed a callus – basically a plant scab or hardened piece of tissue that will protect the cut section from rot and disease. Do not water cuttings that are forming a callus.
Photo by Quinn Dombrowski
2. Allow succulent cuttings or pups to form a callus
Once you’ve taken cuttings or removed plant pups, find a shaded spot outside or indoors where you can let the plant pieces rest. You can lay them on a tray of dry potting soil or gravel, or just leave them on an empty tray or windowsill. Avoid setting them on damp soil, where they can rot.
Leave them alone for about a week, until the cut sections have formed a callus – basically a plant scab or hardened piece of tissue that will protect the cut section from rot and disease. Do not water cuttings that are forming a callus.
Echeveria leaves are beginning to form roots and tiny rosettes of new leaves.
Photo by Stephen Boisvert
3. Spread plant pieces on potting soil
Once the cuttings or plant pups have formed a callus, spread a tray with cactus and succulent potting mix. Position the tray in a lightly shaded area outdoors or by a bright window out of direct sun, and arrange the cuttings or pups on top of the soil. Let them sit for a few weeks, until tiny roots begin to form, watering very lightly about once a week.
If you’re propagating succulents from leaves, eventually a tiny rosette of new baby leaves will form at the stem end of the leaf, and the parent leaf will begin to shrivel. Once the parent leaf is entirely withered, you can remove it or just let it be.
Photo by Stephen Boisvert
3. Spread plant pieces on potting soil
Once the cuttings or plant pups have formed a callus, spread a tray with cactus and succulent potting mix. Position the tray in a lightly shaded area outdoors or by a bright window out of direct sun, and arrange the cuttings or pups on top of the soil. Let them sit for a few weeks, until tiny roots begin to form, watering very lightly about once a week.
If you’re propagating succulents from leaves, eventually a tiny rosette of new baby leaves will form at the stem end of the leaf, and the parent leaf will begin to shrivel. Once the parent leaf is entirely withered, you can remove it or just let it be.
4. Pot up rooted cuttings
After each cutting or plant pup has formed tiny roots, pot each in a small pot (with a drainage hole) filled with fresh cactus and succulent potting mix. Position the pot in an area that receives bright, indirect light for at least six hours a day, avoiding direct sunlight. Water lightly, but consistently, about once a week.
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After each cutting or plant pup has formed tiny roots, pot each in a small pot (with a drainage hole) filled with fresh cactus and succulent potting mix. Position the pot in an area that receives bright, indirect light for at least six hours a day, avoiding direct sunlight. Water lightly, but consistently, about once a week.
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Long-term care: Give your baby succulents a few weeks to settle after potting them up, allowing them to become properly rooted. Continue watering lightly, but consistently, about once a week.
Once plants feel well-rooted (won’t easily move if nudged), you can pot them up in container combinations or plant them out in garden beds.
Long-term light requirements vary by succulent species, from partial shade to full sun. Almost all require light water and are happiest when the soil dries out between waterings.
Once plants feel well-rooted (won’t easily move if nudged), you can pot them up in container combinations or plant them out in garden beds.
Long-term light requirements vary by succulent species, from partial shade to full sun. Almost all require light water and are happiest when the soil dries out between waterings.
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Have you tried propagating and growing succulents before? Share your stories in the Comments. And don’t forget to like, share or save this story. Join the conversation.
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Read more useful gardening stories
Have you tried propagating and growing succulents before? Share your stories in the Comments. And don’t forget to like, share or save this story. Join the conversation.
More
Read more useful gardening stories
There are two main methods for propagating succulents: with cuttings and with pups, or offsets. Unlike plants that are grown from a seed or a bulb, succulents can be grown by taking pieces of a mature plant to form new plants. It might sound a bit Frankensteinian, but it is a natural way that these plants spread, and it makes it easy for gardeners to cultivate new succulents.
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