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Propagated roots

7 years ago

Hello, I'm new to propagating. This little bub is my first successful one. I'm so excited and amazed that you can do this with succulents. Should i be concerned that the roots aren't really growing?

Comments (11)

  • 7 years ago

    No need to worry;). In no time the roots will be making there way through the soil. The best advice I can give you is to forget about them. Give them good bright filtered light and some water every once in awhile since they have roots. They are still taking energy from the leaf so leave them be;).

  • 7 years ago

    Thank you! I had been watering them every other day (just a spritz with a spray bottle). The soil they are in is very shallow and dries out within hours. Is that ok? So I shouldn't water it at all? just forget about it?

  • 7 years ago

    Are there holes at the bottom of the container?

  • 7 years ago

    No. I'll take a picture of it and show you when I get home. It's a small tray with maybe a half inch of soil in it.

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    These are succulents you don’t need holes at the bottom they’re supposed to drink up all of the water also they’re known to grow in the driest part of the earth.

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Hmmm.... Well I can’t speak to that theory on not needing holes but ALL of the containers that my succulents and cacti are in without exception have drain holes in them. ALL of them.

    At some point the roots have taken up as much moisture as they can. Any remaining water, whether from moisture retentive growing medium or pooled at the bottom of a container lacking drainage holes, WILL CAUSE ROT.

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Ohhhhh KAY! lol I know she is not planning killing it with water

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    As Tyler (SoCal...) said...succulents will do best in containers with drainage holes - especially important for not yet very experienced growers, and even more so if using poorly draining potting mix. Starting plants from leaves is quite simple, even if 100% succes is not guaranteed. Leaves have lots of moisture and nutrients stored in them, and they supply this to new growth - that is one of the reasons why leaves do not need to be watered. Another very important reason is that they can rot easily if wet since they have no roots to absorb water. Worse thing to do is to keep leaves and rootles stem cuttings in wet medium. You can root leaves in tray or shallow container without drinage holes since they do not need watering. When plantlets are big enough and there is good root system - and 'mother' leaf has dried up, they should be potted into their own pot - you'll do plants and yourself a favour if you use container with draiange hole, and fast draining potting mix. That way, proper watering can be started without too mcuh worry about rot....

  • 7 years ago

    Wonderful. Thank you for the advice. I was trying to go off videos I've watched of propagating. Most of the videos I've watched have used a shallow tray and then spritzed the leaves every couple days. I've included pictures of what they're in now. Would you move them to something else? If so, what would you move them too? Would you say it is best then to leave the leaves alone and not water them at all since they can get water from the mother leaf?

  • 7 years ago

    Thank you so much, Rina. The Portulacaria afra that you see was just a cutting that fell off the rest of the plant. I'm not intentionally trying to propagate it. I wasn't sure if I could propagate bu just sticking it in soil. That's good to know.

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