How to Propagate Succulents

If you’ve never grown succulents you don’t know what you are missing! These have to be the easiest plants in the world to grow.

They hold root cells in both stems and leaves, so you can cut off any section, let it dry (callus over) for 24 hours to a month, stick it in dirt and it grows!

Step 1:

Your Hens and Chicks or Sedum Angelina plants have very shallow roots, you only have to reach down to the base of the chick or a clump of the Sedum and gently pull.

Or if you can see the stolen cut it. If you don’t see any roots, it doesn’t matter your plant will still grow.

You can see the very fine roots of this Sedum.

Hen and Chick off-sets, one with the stolen I cut and one with no stolen or roots. Both will grow.

Step 2:

If you are transplanting to a pot so you can enjoy your succulents in the house, you will want to use a light, fast-draining cactus potting mix.

Adding a light layer of gravel on the top of the soil will help prevent the leaves from touching the soil and rotting.

If you’re replanting t another part of your garden, just make a hole and stick the pieces you pulled off into the ground.

Make sure it is in a well draining area.

After planting, mist the soil with water and leave the plants alone while they root.

 I stuck two chicks and a small piece of the Sedum in this glass ball with aquarium gravel and added a fairy for my granddaughter.

I give it a little spray with a mister every couple of weeks and they have been happy for several months.

SEDUM, AUTUMN JOY

This is Sedum Autumn Joy, in all its fall glory. It can grow up to 2 feet tall and wide, and like the other succulents, it seems happiest growing in tight clumps.

PROPAGATING AUTUMN JOY: These are also easy to propagate. The fastest method is division. Using your shovel or spade insert it into the ground between clumps and lift.

This is best done in the spring when the plants are only a few inches tall, but you can move them any time.

Replant at the same depth in another part of your garden. Water in and if it is fall, cut the flowers off so the plant uses its energy to put out more roots and settle in before winter.

Like most succulents it prefers well drained soil and lots of sun.

Propagating from Cuttings

Step 1:

Cut off a six inch section just below a leaf node.

Step 2:

Cut off the lower leaves.

Step 3:

Cut off the flowers.

Step 4:

Plant in a fast draining mix like those made for cactus. You can keep this in the house for the winter, the top stem may die back but the plant is still making roots and will pop up again the spring.

Water the soil if it gets too dry, but less is best as for all succulents.

You can also plant these in the garden but your success rate will be higher indoors. This will flower the following fall, and the clump will expand every year.

Three hardy, easy to grow succulents for your garden.

Like all succulents they prefer sun, at least 4-5 hours a day, but seem to grow most anywhere.

They are not picky about soil, sometimes the poorer the soil the happier they seem. They are perfect for rock gardens and will even grow in sand.

They are great first plants for kids because they thrive on neglect, so if they don’t get watered they still keep on growing

Author

Karyn Flynn, a member of Mike’s Backyard Growers Club.