Learn to Propagate Succulents from Mature Leaves

[Transcript]  Hi guys.  My name is Trisha with Chapstick and Succulents and in this video,  I’m going to give you important tips on how to successfully propagate succulents from leaves.

First of all, let me show you my propagation area.  I chose this location because here they received more than eight hours a bright indirect sunlight every day but they are protected from harsh noontime light.  From a distance you’ll see trays of leaves placed flat on the soil.  But if you look closer you’ll notice the tiny babies coming out from the tip of the leaves.

Learn to Propagate Succulents from Mature Leaves

By propagating succulents from leaves I was able to multiply my collections rapidly.  So, let me show you how to do it.  First of all, you have to select a variety that you want to propagate and I’ve noticed that the matured leaves are faster to propagate than the immature ones.

It is very important that the tip that is attached to the stem is intact when you snap it because that’s where the new plant is going to grow.  And even though the other parts of the leaf has a break or a scratch it will still grow new ones as long as that tip is intact.

Here are the leaves that did not grow babies because that tip was not intact.  And this leaf even though it has a damage on the other end but because the tip that is attached to the stem is intact it was able to produce a baby.

Next it is very important that you air dry the leaves for three to five days so that it can form a callous before you place it on top of the soil.  The colors will form a seal to prevent the leaves from absorbing the moisture from the environment and from the soil.  If they are not calloused they can absorb the moisture and rot like this.  Do not expose them to direct sunlight at this time.

Also, because it can cause some sunburn and damage to the leaves and when the leaves are callous and ready you can lay them flat on a moist soil and try to keep the soil moist by misting it every two to three days.

Propagate Succulents with Calloused Leaves

When you are propagating succulents from leaves you really need to practice the virtue of patience because depending on the variety that you are going to use some of them may take two to three months to form into an individual baby succulent.  Eventually the baby succulents will grow their own roots and the mother will fully wither and die.

When that happens, you remove the dried leaf by twisting it but being careful not to damage the roots.  You can then plant them in individual containers like this.  But for me I prefer to display them in style, so I look for small shallow containers and I get to enjoy them a little bit longer as they slowly grow.

I really hope that this video could inspire you to start your own propagation.  And if you like this video please don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t subscribed yet and if you try to propagate before and failed I guess it’s about time that you start again.  I’ll see you in the next video, bye.  [End of transcript]