Can fallen leaves of the bear paw succulent (Cotyledon tomentosa) be used for propagation?
The propagation methods of the bear paw succulent are quite flexible; it can be grown both from seed and from cuttings. However, to improve propagation efficiency, cuttings are usually the method used. And cuttings can be done by bud cutting, stem cutting, or leaf cutting. However, leaf cutting of the bear paw succulent requires mastering certain techniques; it must not be done the way ordinary succulents are propagated, otherwise it is bound to fail.
Moreover, some growers have found during the care and management of the bear paw succulent that the plant tends to drop its leaves. The bear paw succulent is very beautiful, especially its leaves, which are extremely cute, just like bear paws. If the bear paw succulent drops its leaves, you must promptly investigate the cause and remedy it correctly.
When many growers encounter the bear paw succulent dropping its leaves, they feel it is truly a pity to see such exquisite, lovely leaves fall. And since succulents can usually be propagated by leaf cutting, many growers believe that the fallen leaves of the bear paw succulent can also be used for leaf-cutting propagation. If that were truly the case, then despite the regret, we could still use these fallen leaves for leaf-cutting propagation and thus recover some of the loss.
If we want to use these fallen leaves to propagate new bear paw succulent seedlings by leaf cutting, we first need to consider this question. If they could be used, that would naturally be better, as it would reduce waste of resources. But in fact, fallen leaves generally cannot take root and survive through leaf cutting.
Leaf cutting of the bear paw succulent is not the same as with ordinary succulents. For ordinary succulents, you generally only need to cut off a leaf, place it on a loose, moist substrate, and it can take root and survive. For the bear paw succulent, however, this is often difficult to achieve. Even a robust, plump leaf, cut off directly and placed on a moist substrate, usually cannot take root and survive.
To improve the survival rate of leaf-cutting propagation of the bear paw succulent, we usually need to cut off the stem section below the leaf along with it, then let the wound on the stem section dry, and then insert the lower part of the stem section shallowly into the substrate. As long as the temperature and humidity we provide are both suitable, it will easily take root and survive.
But if it is a leaf that has fallen from the mother plant of the bear paw succulent, it is generally a pure leaf without any stem attached, so no matter how robust and plump it is, it is usually difficult for it to survive leaf cutting. It can be seen that if you want the bear paw succulent to survive leaf cutting or to improve propagation efficiency, you must ensure that the leaf has a stem attached; this is the guarantee of successful leaf cutting. Generally speaking, fallen leaves of the bear paw succulent cannot be used for propagation, or at least are not suitable for leaf-cutting propagation.