Succulents are one of the most popular plants in the world. They are known for their interesting shapes, bright colors, and ability to thrive with little water making them perfect for people who want to garden but don’t have much time or space. However, not many people know that you can propagate succulents in both soil and water.
The problem is that if you want a lot of succulents, it can be hard to get them started because they often need other succulents nearby in order to survive. In fact, if the right conditions are met then you can grow a whole new succulent from just one leaf. There are ways to go around this. Here’s how you can propagate succulents both in soil and water so that you will always have new plants on hand!
What are Propagating Succulents?
Propagating succulents is a way to make new plants using only the leaves of an existing one. Because succulents are easy to propagate by stem or leaf cuttings, this is one of the best ways to make sure that you always have enough plants on hand for all your different projects.
How to Propagate Succulents in Soil
There are two main ways you can propagate succulents in soil. Either option is fine for a simple garden project and shouldn’t take much of your time. The first way is by planting stems and leaves directly into the ground. If you want to do this, make sure that the climate where you live doesn’t freeze during winter (or at least that it is not too cold) or that your soil isn’t too hot during summer because these both kill off many species of succulent. It is also important to plant cuttings away from other plants to avoid disease transfer. Once your new plant is well established, be sure to water sparingly (when its top inch has dried out) only ever watering during fall and winter.
The second way to propagate in the soil is by layering. To do this, take a long branch and bury the end in the ground an inch or two below the surface. Once it has rooted and grown some leaves and shoots (this may take as little as a few weeks), you can cut off the section that is underground and use it as your new plant.
How to Propagate Succulents in Water
To propagate succulents in water, first find out what type of succulents you have. If it is one of the types with small rosettes or sticky leaves, then propagating it in water is probably best because these plants don’t transplant well. Simply place your stem or leaf cutting at the bottom of a container filled with about an inch of water. Make sure that you leave the leaves above the water line so they can get air! If your plant is one of those with large meaty leaves, then only propagate it in water if you don’t mind it getting root rot or algae because these plants are more difficult to keep clean.
Once your leaf or stem cutting has rooted and grown some leaves and shoots (this may take as little as a few weeks), cut off the section of stem underwater and use this for your new plant!
One thing to be careful about when propagating succulents in soil or water is making sure not to overwater them. While most species of succulents need little watering, there are exceptions where overwatering will kill them quickly. If you are not sure, it is best to err on the side of less water.
Tips for Propagating Succulents From Leaves and Stem Cuttings
When propagating succulents from leaves and stem cuttings, it is very important that you use a sterile blade to avoid the spread of disease from the parent plant to the new one.
It can also help to remove dead or damaged parts of your plant before planting. This will encourage new growth and make sure that there is no infection present in your plant when growing roots in soil or water. Before planting in soil, be sure to check whether your plants need to acclimate to their new climate zone or not because this may affect how well they grow.
With the information above, now you know how to easily propagate succulents both in soil and water so that you will always have enough plants for all your different projects. Whichever way you choose, by following the tips above, you can get your garden looking all beautiful again.
