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.
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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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