How to: Succulent Cuttings

One of the best things about succulents is that they are very easy to propagate. Growing your small collection into a full garden is achievable. Below, we walk through the few steps of growing your own succulent cuttings.

STEP 1

Gather all the plants you are going to take cuttings off of and put them together. This isn’t a necessary step but does help in the long run. Doing this will ensure a faster process and will make sure you get to all the plants you wanted to.

STEP 2

Collect all the tools required to get your cuttings. These tools include;

• Shears/scissors/Exacto knife - for making the cut

• Towel - to wipe your hands off and ensure a clean working area

• Spray bottle - incase the plant needs watering

• Tweezers - for hard to reach areas

• Bin/container - to hold all the cuttings

STEP 3

Gather the containers you are going to plant your new cuttings into. Place new succulent/cactus soil in these containers and make sure the soil is slightly moist. This step makes for easy access to planting the cuttings.

STEP 4

Now it’s time to cut. With using the cutting tool of your choice, go ahead and take the desired cuttings from all your plants. When doing this, make sure you make a clean cut and the stem is long enough for planting.

STEP 5

This step has two options. Your first option is to wait for the ends of the cuttings to callus. The second is to stick the cuttings in soil right away. Most people recommend letting their cuttings sit for a few days and then planting them. When we take our cuttings, we stick them right away. The only difference is that there is less chance of stem rot (2%-5%) when you wait. So, it’s up to you in which option you chose.

• Option 1 - Waiting to stick cuttings

  • In this option, the typically wait time is about 4-5 days before sticking cuttings into soil. Make sure your soil is slightly damp before sticking the cuttings.

• Option 2 - Sticking cuttings right away

  • Once you take your cuttings you will stick them directly into the premade soil and container.

When sticking succulent cuttings, whether it’s right away or in a few days, make sure the soil is slightly damp. This helps keep the soil together and the cutting from falling over. The cutting should be stuck no further than 2 inches deep and no less than 1 inch deep. Any more than two inches can increase the chance of stem rot and typically doesn't leave a lot of room for the roots to grow in. Anything less than 1 inch will not receive enough soil and water to really root into the soil. Below is a photo that indicates what a planted cutting should look like.

The cutting shown on the left is the correct length for sticking cuttings. The other two plants show what too long of a cuttings and too short of a cuttings look like.

STEP 6

The final step of this process is to find a spot for your new cuttings to grow in. A sunny window or spot is the best place for freshly planted cuttings as long as the area does not get below 50 degrees. Depending on where you live, summer is the best time to propagate succulents by cuttings. If you live in an area that is warm and sunny all the time then you can propagate whenever!

Propagating succulents by cuttings is an easy task and is really fun to do. Getting to watch your succulent pups grow into a new full plant is an amazing experience!

For more tips and tricks on succulents and houseplants visit our blog page!