succulent pups from leaves | March 2015 prop·a·ga·tion /ˌpräpəˈɡāSH(ə)n/ Propagation is derived from the root word propagate which means "to cause to multiply." What I love most about succulents is their ability to multiply in various ways. I'm also drawn to their ability survive in drought because they are designed to store water within their leaves and stems. In my previous post, I discussed two methods of succulent propagation: cuttings and beheading. Today, I'll share propagation techniques from leaves and offsets. leavesG. Fred Ives leaves sprouting new pups, November 2016 In my last post, I mentioned how my G. Fred Ives has given me at least 20 new plants. While beheading is my favorite approach to propagating, Fred Ives can easily multiply with leaf propagation as well. In October of 2016, I beheaded one of my Fred Ives plants and also pulled off some leaves for propagation. When removing leaves, it's important to remove the whole leaf cleanly. If any part of the leaf is still on the stem, the leaf will not propagate. I removed 11 leaves and placed them on top of soil as shown above. Within a month, the leaves sprouted new roots and babies! For the most part, the leaves can survive with minimal care because each leaf retains water and can provide a source for nutrients for the new pup. However, this past winter has been very wet and I kept an eye on these pups because this container did not have proper drainage. After each storm, I made sure to pour the water out of the container. After two weeks of rain, I ended up cutting holes in the corners of the container so that water would drain properly. As the pups grew bigger and established larger root systems, the leaves dried up and detached from the rosettes. I could have easily left the pups in the first container, though I wanted to consolidate them into another pot. I placed the larger four pups into a seedling tray and seven of the smaller pups in a 2-inch pot. G. Fred Ives, February 2017 As spring approaches, I look forward to seeing these babies grow bigger. While I've tried propagating succulents from leaves, I have to say, it's the slowest way to propagate succulents. When the weather gets better, I'll share photos from my current propagation station to show the progress on other leaves that have been slow-growing this winter. offsetsEcheveria Blue Bird, January 2017 I've probably had the least experience with propagating with offsets. Offsets are succulent pups or babies that set off from a mother plant. Some refer to Echeverias and Sempervivums as "hen and chicks" succulents, where there is a mother plant or "hen" that will hatch lil "chicks" or "pups" or succulent baby offspring. In the photo above, my Echeveria Blue Bird has a pup or "chick" peeking through. This particular plant actually has four pups. When a succulent has an offset, you can actually remove the pup and root it on its own. I have yet to try rooting any of these Echeveria pups because I'm not exactly sure if they are ready. I can certainly keep them together and have them grow as a E. Blue Bird family, though I know the pups can grow stronger if they are individual specimen plants. I can also give the pups away. I haven't decided yet. Typically, when you remove the pup, you should let the wound callous over for a couple of days before planting it in well-draining soil. Sometimes they will begin to grow roots while they are still attached or will fall off on their own. Like I said, this is the method I am least familiar with so I'll keep you posted on my E. Blue Bird journey. E. Orion pup | E. Lilacina pup | E. Misty Lilac pup, February 2017 Recently, I've added succulents with pups to my garden. Here are some of my new additions: E. Orion, E. Lilacina, and E. Misty Lilac. A volunteer at a local garden informed me that succulents with pups make great mother plants, which in the long term will produce many succulent offspring. I'm eager to test this theory because in the past two years, I've had 3 E. Black Princes and they have all died. Each E. Black Prince had a pup when he came home with me and I recently read that for E. Black Prince, offsets are rare. In the event of an offset, the mother plant will typically die off. I learned about this after mine had died and haven't had the courage to get a new E. Black Prince. If I do, I'll be sure to pick an aubergine beau without a pup. Photo credit: San Marcos Growers
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Quite some time ago, I was on a date with this fellow. It might have been our first or second date and he asked me what I liked to do for fun. I quickly responded, "I like to propagate succulents." I'm pretty sure he had no idea what I was talking about but long-story short, I like to believe that was the line that made me a keeper because now he is the number one enabler of my succulent hoarding. I started propagating succulents about five and a half years ago but did not get serious about it until 2014. Here is some photos from my early propagation days. propagation station, 2014 When I first started propagating, I tried to multiply various plants. Here we have Pothos, Aeonium, Crassula, and Aloe varieties in a mini greenhouse sitting below a south facing window with filtered light. Right below are zoomed in shots of Graptosedums and Crassulas. I received the Aeonium and Aloe cuttings from neighbors and the Crassula from my mother. The Graptosedums I purchased at a local big box store. The Pothos cutting wasn't cut properly and never rooted so it died and withered away. (I tried Pothos again last year and was successful). When it comes to succulents, there are multiple approaches to propagation. You can propagate with a cutting, from a leaf, and offsets. There are also methods of beheading that I've found works for some. cuttingsThe Aeonium and Crassula in my mini greenhouse above are cuttings, or parts of plants that have been trimmed away. The Aloe is actually an offset from a mother plant, more on offsets soon. I recently received a handful of Crassula Ovata Variegata cuttings. I absolutely love variegated succulents and was thrilled to received these last week. Cuttings are actually beneficial for both the giver and receiver of these lovely plants. When you cut a succulent, it actually encourages new growth on the original plant and you're able to gift your trimmings to a friend or colleague. The mother plant will callous over and branch out where it was trimmed. The cuttings can be potted up after the wound has calloused over and will grow new roots. Crassula Ovata Variegata, February 2017 Here are my new cuttings potted up in well-draining soil in 3 inch, plastic pots. I've found that potting them in well-draining soil helps with establishing roots, but I also have a Crassula cutting outside on my balcony, that hasn't been potted that has already begun sprouting new leaves. I actually meant to throw the cutting out but left it there only to find new leaves on it yesterday. Succulents are pretty resilient and can continue to survive in the worst conditions because they store water in their leaves and stem. beheadingAeonium, February 2017 The Aeoniums in the mini greenhouse were about 2-3 inches wide when I first received the two cuttings. Since then, they have established a wonderful root system and grown tremendously. They are now almost 8 inches wide and 6 inches tall. About three months ago, I wanted to try beheading my Aeonium specimens. Sometimes, when succulents grow too tall, they look a bit leggy. Some succulent garden designers do not care for the leggy look, while others appreciate how the look reminds them of scenes from The Lorax. I tend to agree with the former. So off with his head! Aeonium Arboreum | new growth | February 2017 While I know these guys belong to the genus Aeonium, I'm not entirely sure their species. Some research has told me they are Aeonium Arboreum, but their bloom will help solidify my doubts. Though, I'm not in a rush to find out. Aeoniums are monocarpic, meaning these only bloom once. Once these guys bloom, they will die. The two stems above have sprouted at least a dozen new Aeonium rosettes each. After beheading each stem in November 2016, I potted them together and kept them underneath a table on my balcony. Aeoniums are winter growers so I figured beheading right before their growth season would be the best time to see new growth. The Aeonium heads also established new roots and are actually growing 3-4 pups, or new rosettes where old leaves have fallen off. I'll be gifting one of my Aeonium heads to one of my girlfriends who coincidently sent me a picture of Aeoniums she saw in a planter in some random place. Succulents are for sharing. Graptoveria Fred Ives | full grown pup, November 2016 | pups after beheading, November 2016 | mother plant, February 2017 I've also tried beheading my Graptoveria Fred Ives. The image on the left is a pup that is actually from the first time I beheaded the mother plant. It's about 6 inches diameter now and in my mother's garden in Southern California. The center photo includes the pups that grew after the second beheading. I have already removed those pups from the original stem and have gifted them to friends and family. The mother plant is on the right. I need to get a better picture of her. That photo is from earlier today and the rain does not do her justice.
G. Fred Ives are actually prolific growers. I acquired my original Freddy from another succulent lover in the East Bay who had a succulent sale posting on craigslist. My sister and I drove out to her home to check out what she had for sale. While my sis walked away with 5 or 6 plants, I only brought home one plant -- my lovely G. Fred Ives. She was in a 1-gallon pot and had two heads. Since then, she has multiplied into over 20 new plants. I've propagating her from beheading and leaves. In my next post, I'll talk more about succulent propagation from leaves and offsets. |
AuthorHello! I'm Jocyl, a succulent enthusiast living in California (zone 9b). I've been around succulents all my life and I look forward to sharing my succulent journey with you. ArchivesCategories
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