You can propagate succulents any time, but to increase your odds of success, consider trying it in the spring or summer months, when light—your plant’s most important resource for growth—is most abundant. “With most plant-related maintenance, the best time to propagate would be during the ‘grow season,’” Stephanie F.R. Horton, an Alabama-based interior plantscape designer and owner of Botanical Black Girl. “However, if the conditions in your region allow, you can propagate successfully year-round.”
What Is Propagation?
Simply put, propagation is a method to reproduce plants. Most houseplants have the ability to form new growth through their stems or leaves, so you can grow an entirely new plant from an existing one. There are a few propagation methods, and which one you use depends on the type of plant you’re working with. Succulents, one of the easiest plants to propagate, can reproduce through either stem or cutting propagation. Follow the steps below to learn how to propagate succulents from leaves or stems.
How to Propagate Succulent Leaves
Many succulents multiply in nature by dropping leaves, which form new plantlets called pups. “The part of the pup that was originally attached to the main stem will callous over and then start to pop roots out, which find their way into the ground and bud,” says Lily Cox, co-owner of Rewild, a plant store in Washington, D.C. You can mimic this type of propagation at home if you have succulents with fleshy leaves, such as jade plants, echeveria, and sempervivum rosettes. While it’ll take a few weeks to see the results, propagating a succulent through leaf cutting is a relatively easy process.
How to Propagate Succulent Stems
If you have a variety of succulent with several stems or branches—for example, sedum, jade, haworthia, or aeoniums—you can try propagating from a stem, which is called propagating by cutting. These succulents tend to get leggy, says Cox, which happens when the stem grows longer with fewer leaves in an effort to get more sunlight. “Cutting a stem off can prune the existing plant and grow a new one,” she says. “The piece with the roots will keep growing florets from where it was cut, and the piece you cut off the top will grow roots.”
Can You Propagate Succulents in Water?
Many houseplants, including pothos, philodendron, and monstera, can be propagated in water and transferred to soil after a few inches of root growth. But water propagation may not be the best choice for succulents, as Cox says dryness actually initiates the growth process for these plants. If you want to use water propagation, avoid propagating leaves, which may rot if too moist. “You can find more success in water propagation with full stem cuttings that are larger and don’t need much assistance being propped up,” says Horton. A leaf cutting is likely to fall out of place and become submerged. For the most success propagating succulents, leave water propagation to the pothos and follow the steps above instead.
