Now what...propagating leaves

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

I am new to succulents and read about propagating so tried it. I left the leaves for a few days to callous as I have read. Then just laid them on some soil in bright indirect light. I did not really water them but would occasionally spray a mist from a water bottle.

Some shriveled and did not do anything. Some developed roots and no little plant and some developed a plant and very little roots and some both. Some developed two plants. When and how do I want to separate them into regular containers? Are the roots very delicate and how careful do I need to be to scoop them out? I would imagine that I leave the "mother" leaf attached as obviously the plant gets nutrients from it. Do I need to wait until the adult leaf is completely dried before moving?

Maybe I did this wrong and should have had them in separate little pots from the beginning? I hope they will survive.

Featured Answer

bunkfree_4a_canada

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

I've moved wee 'plantlets' to their own tiny terra cotta pots too soon, sometimes. I just moved a tiny Echeveria Runyonii (topsy-turvy) back to the propagation tray as even the tiny amount of gritty mix in the 1-1/2 inch pot was overwhelming it's tiny roots. I thought because the mama leaf was shrivelled, it was ready...but not so!

Most of my others are thriving though, since moving them. I'm trying to take a page from Rina's book, trying to forget about them while they grow roots in the tray ... sometimes I do, mostly I fuss hehe. :-P

If you're interested, I posted a thread recently; search "twins" on this forum, there are some pics of some babies I moved to teeny TC pots and also my trays. Also maybe I made one called "propagation progress".... I think? I've only been growing succulents for a few months, can't wait to compare next years' pics to this years' :)

'Propagation' or 'babies' will also get you lots of great info in general :)

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Comments (6)

rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
It looks like the dishes you used do not have drainage - but the plantlets could be left in there until they are bigger as long as you do not soak the container. You could also transplant them into pots with drainage. If you decide to do that, lift carefully ones that are largest, including the original leaf - when completely used up, it will detach on it's own. Fill pot with a well-draining mix (preferably no peat), and set the new plantlet on top, sprinkle some of the mix to cover the roots. It doesn't need to be too much, the roots should continue to grow into the mix.

Pick up all dead debris from the tray, no need to leave it there.

I think you did OK, not all leaves will grow so your 'success rate' seems to be fine. For the future, try not to use deep glass bowl. Shallow is better, and if there is drainage, you could leave young plants there until they get bigger. Their roots will be stronger and more of them at that time too, and transplanting should be easier. It isn't so much problem with drainage since the leaves shouldn't get watered anyway (occasional spritzing shouldn't cause problems), just for the bigger plantlets that may need little more watering.

Over all, success :)
massey516 (NW Montana z 4b) thanked rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
massey516 (NW Montana z 4b)
Original Author
10 years ago
rina,

You are right, there is no drainage. One is a butter dish bottom and one is one of the plastic containers that you put under a plant. I know how important drainage is, I just thought that as I was just going to lightly spray with a water bottle it would be OK. I want to have them in terracotta pots, which is my preference for most of my plants.

I will do as you recommend. Next time I will put the leaf directly in a small terracotta pot. Thanks!
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hablu
10 years ago
When they are as far as your leafs are I replace them in separate pots where they can stay sometimes for more than a year. After a (longer) while the old motherleaf shrivels and can be pulled out.

here are two (old) pictures. On the second you already see the shriveling.

harry
massey516 (NW Montana z 4b) thanked hablu
massey516 (NW Montana z 4b)
Original Author
10 years ago
hablu,

Thanks I think I will try to pot them in pots like yours are in. I may try to put more than one in each pot. I have some very small terracotta pots.
rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
massey

It isn't such big problem if you put the leaves into container without drainage to begin with since there is almost no water (actually, I don't even spritz them until I see original leaf dried up a lot, and then I only water very lightly on the soil and not the leaves; plantlets and roots will use all the moisture from the original leaf) - it just would make it easier to leave them there. And if you have lots of small pots you can do that. It just not every leaf will start growing, and you may end up with some empties. And some leaves will start growing new plants/roots very fast, some take much longer. I usually just 'forget' about them...do not keep checking every day.