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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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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