Cuttings Care

Rooting a succulent cutting - Also See propagating succulents.

Succulent cuttings are almost impossible to destroy. These cuttings come from a line of hardy, colorful mother plants that have always required minimal care. The dryer the environment, the better they thrive. They require a minimum amount of direct sunlight, little water, and almost no attention.

A unique benefit to succulents is they do not require seeds to be planted in order to grow. All you need is a complete rosette (or leaf, depending on the succulent) from a succulent mother plant, patience, and the ability to follow these simple directions:

1. Snap or trim off a succulent rosette or cutting from a mother plant. If you have succulent cutting ready to go, skip step 2.

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2. Allow the rosette stem or leaf cutting to callous and heal. This should take about 3-7 days. It is important to keep these cutting out of direct sunlight while they heal and dry. Do not spray or place succulent cuttings in water, as they will rot. This is a very important part of the succulent rooting process.

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3. Prepare the soil media, ideally a dry cactus soil mix. The soil mix should be recently saturated with water and then fully drained.

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4. Place the succulent cutting end into the soil media, and press it down enough so that the succulent stands on its own. The succulent cutting ends are where the roots sprout from.

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5. Set up a couple of pieces of wood at the pot ends, and cover the pot with a plastic bag to retain moisture.

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6. Place the pot away from direct sunlight, but in a dry, warm environment.

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7. Wait approximately 3 weeks, then give the succulent cutting a slight tug. Any resistance is a sign that your succulent cutting is rooting! If it comes right out, cover it up and check back in another week or two.

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8. After rooting occurs, these succulents are extremely easy to replant in your favorite hanging terrarium, globe, or vase, and make sure the soil media is dry.

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9. Separate roots and remove soil carefully. Place root end in first, and then cover with soil media till succulent can stand on its own.

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10. Do not water for a week after replanting and/or rooting to prevent root rot.

Never underestimate these succulents and their cuttings. It is usually only a matter of time before succulent cuttings root and propagate. Rooting a succulent cutting from beginning to end can take about a month, if not a little longer. Definitely worth the wait!