Propagating Succulents Leaves and Stems in 5 Simple Steps
Propagating succulents is a fun and rewarding activity. It can be easy too, if done with the right plants.
I’ve experienced multiple Echeveria leaf propagations and a couple of Pencil Cactus stems propagations. I had a 90% rate of success with Echeveria leaves and 100% rate of success with Pencil Cactus stems!
Even though I’ve only experimented with Echeverias and Pencil Cactus propagation, I am confident the same steps will prove to be successful with other similar succulents species. (Keep in mind there are over 200 different Echeveria species on the market these days; so if you have a succulent, there is a good chance you have an Echeveria!).
Whether you want to do it by yourself or with the help of your kids, propagating succulents it’s such a joyful experience!
To me, watching the progress of a rooting Echeveria leaf week after week, is a magical experience! How does something like that even happen? It’s just a beautiful miracle!
I highly recommend you involve your kids, (if you have any), in this propagating succulents process. It will wow! them!!
My daughter is always checking on my succulents propagation progress and she loves to give me the updates. Getting your kids involved in these sort of experiments will spark their love and curiosity for nature!
If you read my blog article on 5 Easy Indoor Succulents for Beginners, you already know I don’t consider Echeverias the easiest succulent to have. They are stunning when you first buy them, but after a few weeks they start grow leggy and out of proportion, despite all the proper care and full sunlight exposure!
So what do you do to perpetuate your succulent’s beauty?
You propagate it!
There are two easy ways to propagate indoor succulents;
- by leaf cutting
- by stem cutting
If you have an extremely leggy Echeveria like the one in the picture here below, you can perform both types of propagation at the same time.
You first remove all the bottom leaves. Toss the dead and unhealthy ones and save the plump ones for leaf propagation. Then cut the stem at the base of the beautiful rosette that has formed on the tip of your Echeveria.
Continue by following the steps below.
My super-leggy Echeveria. It needs a new pot badly but I am waiting to see what happens to that dangling rooting/sprouting leaf half-way through the stem. Isn’t that something?!?
propagating succulents leaves
Let’s start with propagating succulents leaves.
I propagate succulents leaves every time I find one on the floor. I have a large pot of trailing succulents on a lower shelf and every time my dog whizzes by trying to chase a squirrel outside the window, a leaf or two fall down…so, I pick them up and start the propagating process.
Other times, if I am not happy with the look of a succulent, I simply shape, or re-shape it and start cutting leaves and stems here and there…
1. removing leaves
Propagating succulents is simple but, in order to be successful, you need to have the proper cuttings.
The most important step in succulent propagation is to cut or remove the leaf properly.
If this is your fist attempt at propagating succulents, I recommend you use more than one leaf. Try with three or four.
Hold your succulent’s stem firmly with one hand and twist one leaf gently without tearing it with the other hand, until you hear a tiny snap. Remove the leaf.
2. callus forming
Once you have successfully removed the leaves from the stem, place them on a piece of paper towel or on top of a pot of soil.
If you decide to lay your leaves in pot of soil, you can either place them all together in one large pot at an equal distance from one another, or use tiny pots of soil and place one leaf in each pot so that you don’t need to repot your plant for a while. Make sure you use draining pots with cactus mix or draining soil!
It is really important you simply lay the the leaves on top of the soil. Do not dig them into the dirt. If you plant the leaves into the soil right away, they will rot and die.
Simply lay the leaves on top of the paper towel or soil and let them dry for a few days, up to a week so that “wound is healed” and the callus is formed.
I’ve always rested my Echeveria leaves on soil. I’ve never placed them on paper towel or any other surface.
3. growing roots and plantlets
After the callus has formed I simply start watering the leaves by misting them abundantly every week. I don’t even press the leaves into the soil, I simply mist them.
Eventually, after a few weeks, I notice tiny roots forming. I continue with my weekly misting routine until a full plant is ready to be repotted.
Roots and tiny leaves are forming approximately 3 weeks after the callus is formed.
My weekly misting routine. Some succulents grow faster than others.
My daughter admiring this beautiful propagating Echeveria leaf, complete with roots and baby plants.
In this tiny terracotta pot you can see the original Echeveria leaf has dried up, while the new plant is growing beautifully. In this case I had placed the leaf cutting on top of a tiny terracotta pot. This way I don’t need to repot the plant right away.
4. planting
Once your original propagating leaf has developed a plant big enough to be placed in its own pot, you can move it from whatever container you’ve used to propagate your leaves, to its own pot.
The best way to transplant your baby succulent is to dig the soil all around the plant and move the entire dirt ball into the pot, rather than trying to pull the roots out and damaging your baby plant.
I recommend using draining pots with cactus mix or very well draining soil!
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5. watering and feeding
Once you’ve planted your succulent into a pot, you can water it so the roots can wiggle through the soil and adjust into the new pot. If it is spring or summer, it’s also a good time to fertilize your baby succulent with succulents and cactus specific fertilizers.
After the first watering, only water when required. Watering requirement is based on the succulents species you have, your environmental conditions and the size of your pot.
propagating succulents stems
Propagating succulents can also be done by cutting their stems. You can do this with what remains of your leggy Echeveria stem after you’ve used the leaves for propagating purposes.
Or, you can cut the stems of other succulents you may have. I have a beautiful Pencil Cactus that likes to grow fast! Sometimes it shoots off giant stems that make its structure look completely un-balanced and out of proportions. That’s when my Interior Designer personality kicks in and I turn into Edward Scissorhands!
And snap!
Ugly stem gone!
However, it’s worth saying that what looks out of place in the overall composition of a plant, does not look bad at all on its own. That’s when a cutting is rooted and becomes a beautiful plant on its own!
1. cutting stem(s)
Cutting stems is easier than gently twisting a succulent leaf off of its stem. There is no real risk of damaging the leaf.
You just need a sharp knife and cut it off!
Here comes the !WARNING!. Make sure you research your succulent’s propagation methods because some succulents, like my Pencil Cactus, release a highly toxic serum when cut.
I use latex gloves and goggles😱 when I cut stems off my Pencil Cactus and when I handle a fresh cutting.
2. callus forming
Like for the leaf propagating process, your stem will need up to a week to dry-up and form its callus.
Unlike, the leaf propagating process, I place my stems in a darker room on top of newspaper sheets. In this case, there is no advantage in placing the stem on top of a pot of soil.
Like mentioned before, planting your freshly cut stem directly into soil, will kill your cuttings.
3. growing roots
Once your stem’s cut is dry, it’s time to place it into a jug of water.
Replace the water every week.
After a few weeks, (at least 3), you’ll notice small roots shooting off the stem. Once again, it’s a miracle happening before my eyes for me!
I keep replacing the water once a week and I leave the stem in the jug until I have well developed roots that are ready to support a new potted plant.
This little stem was accidentally bent and damaged during transportation from the shop to our home. I had no idea I would have been successful at rooting it but I had nothing to loose so I tried anyway. I dunked it into this propagating tube and it rooted after 3 weeks!
This is the fast growing, out of proportion and un-balanced looking Pencil Stick stem I cut off the mother plant. It has been in this water jug over a month and it’s rooting like a charm. It will be a beautiful succulent on its own!
4. planting
The next step in propagating succulents is planting!
When your stem has developed roots big enough to support a potted plant, it’s time to move it from a water jug to a pot of soil.
Make sure to use a draining pot with cactus mix or draining soil.
5. watering and feeding
Your newly planted succulent will go through an adjustment period for a while. You need to consider it’s going from water to soil.
Your plant will probably need more water than usual for the first month. After that, only water when required. Watering requirement is based on the succulents species you have, your environmental conditions and the size of your pot.
If it is spring or summer, it’s also a good time to fertilize your baby succulent with succulents and cactus specific fertilizers.
Now you know everything you need to know about propagating succulents leaves and stems!
All you need to do is to go ahead and try!
Good luck and don’t forget to share your experience with me!
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I propogated about 25 leaves from assorted species…callused them appropriately, and misted them daily…leaving them out of direct sunlight (inside a bright room) and so far, I’ve gotten one leaf growing roots, finally!! (3rd week) The remainder are still not showing any signs, and one of the assortment (5 leaves) are about totally wilted. I thought I had gotten good “cuts” (soft pull) but maybe I was wrong….all the remaining stemmed cutlets, are indeed growing roots!! So they’re a success!! I just had such high hopes for my leaves….I’m still misting daily… coconut coir is dry by the afternoon. Maybe I need more water? That room is warm for sure…About 70° in the afternoon. I keep reading about it all. Some plants propagate with certain conditions, some won’t propagate in those same conditions. (And I’m still too new to remember which is which, on my plants/leaves. Yes, I could Google)
I want to grow these cuties!!! I’m like, obsessed! ❤️
Hi Kelley!
Thank you for reaching out! Congratulations on your success! Even if it’s just one leaf!
Would you send me pictures of your other leaves? Maybe I can help you. You’ll find my email address in the contact page!
Cheers,
Cecilia
Cecilia! I’m sorry for the delayed response…I just noticed your message.
I’m happy to report, I’ve made leaps and bounds with propagation!! I have TONS of Littles!! They’re outside now, and it’s been insanely and inordinarily hot here. I lose 1/4 after they’ve started their buds… typically when they’re still super small. They totally shrivel and die. It actually makes me sad! But most do great! I’ve already started building arrangements with some babies, and they’re thriving!
Thanks for the great information!
Kelley
Glad to hear Kelley!
Keep up the great work!!!