Hi Rina. I tried posting the photos in the comments section of my original post but I couldn't figure it out! My comments and photos kept disappearing and I couldn't edit my post to attach the pictures either. I deleted the original thread but I guess people can still see it.

And thank you! I was concerned that the black spots could be some type of insect damage. There was a bug that jumped out of the box when I was opening the package. I'll keep my eye on them to make sure they aren't rotting.

I was under the impression that cuttings shouldn't be so close to the head of the plant (sorry if I'm not explaining it correctly, my succulent vocab isn't so great). So after clipping, there should be a stem long enough that the cutting will be easily set in soil and their bottom leaves won't touch the soil. No stem = soil contact = rot? Most of these cuttings don't have a stem so I was worried they wouldn't survive. I'll take your advice and perch them up with rocks and see how they do. Thank you!

One of the cuttings has a fresh wound (?) on the stem from one of the leaves falling off. Should I wait for that to callous over before placing it in soil?

Jenn

No, you do not need to wait with the cutting that leaf fell off from. That wound is long callused now.

If your cuttings sit just on top of mix, they should be ok. Do not water, as wet soil could make them rot.

What kind of potting soil-mix are you using?

If interested, look thru THIS THREAD You will see many different succulents being 'beheaded' - that is cutting tops off the plants and rooting them - quite similar to what you need to do. There are different plants pictured, some has stems, others don't.

1:1 mix of catcus&succulent soil and perlite. Should I adjust the mix?

I forgot to specify- the leaf fell off yesterday night so the wound is still "fresh". I will wait for the wound to callus over before setting on soil.

Thanks for the helpful link! There's still so much to learn- def bookmarking so I can reference back to it in the future.

1:1 is likely OK, ppl that use it say so :)

I really don't think 'wound is fresh', but do as you want if that makes you feel better :). Do you have leaf? What cutting did it fall off?

Here's the succulent that lost its leaves. I mistakenly placed it in the soil with all the other cuttings. The wound got more red. And as I was moving it, another leaf fell off (the light pink circle on the right side).

As I was moving it back into the soil pot, another leaf fell off! :'( This guy is so weak. Bottom leaves were super soft and limp.

Here are all the leaves that fell off. I'm hoping they will root.

Your cuttings didn't look so bad from here. Is this the first time you've got cuttings by mail?

Different plants have cuttings taken in different ways, not all have stems.

Yes, first time. And it's also my first time propagating cuttings!

Thx for answering that Jenn, plants thru mail do get a bit banged up sometimes as Rina mentioned, but really yours look fine.

Try not to be concerned w/ every tiny little spot or blemish, you'll make yourself nuts. Also, it doesn't help the plants either; succulents tend to like minimal care, even a fair amount of neglect once established.

The good news is they often root readily w/out you having to do much to them. After setting them up w/ the basics (pots w/ drainage holes, fast draining mix & good light) then, it's mostly about having patience & giving them time. You're off to a good start, enjoy.