Secrets to Growing Plump, Beautiful Succulent Leaf Cuttings

Leaf cuttings - one of the propagation methods for succulents. Collect the fallen leaves and sow them like seeds, and you'll have a bountiful harvest next year.

If you're just starting out and want to try propagating succulents, it's also recommended to start with leaf cuttings and give up on seed sowing. Let's begin the introduction below and witness the wonders of nature together!

A Few Key Points About Leaf Cuttings

◆1. Read the entire article carefully and you'll become a leaf cutting expert.

◆2. For beginners, it's recommended to start with varieties that have extremely high success rates, such as: Pachyveria 'Clavifolia' (White Peony), Echeveria 'Black Prince', Sedum adolphii (Golden Sedum), Sedum 'Moonlight', Graptopetalum mendozae, Graptopetalum paraguayense (Ghost Plant), Echeveria pulidonis, Echeveria derenbergii (Painted Lady), Echeveria 'Tippy', Sedum lucidum, Sedum cuspidatum, Sedum rubrotinctum (Jelly Beans), etc., mainly from the Crassulaceae family genera Graptopetalum, Echeveria, and Sedum.

◆3. Try to pick healthy, intact leaves, which can greatly increase the success rate of leaf cuttings.

◆4. Spring and autumn have the highest success rates for leaf cuttings. You can also do leaf cuttings in summer, but you need to pay attention to ventilation and cooling. Winter is extremely unsuitable for leaf cuttings, as they easily turn to mush.

◆5. The optimal temperature for leaf cuttings is between 20-28 degrees, with optimal humidity of 60%-80%. Under these conditions, they will grow at the fastest speed.

◆6. For "small buds," water is always more useful than fertilizer. Once the leaves have grown roots, you can keep the soil moist.

7. The speed at which leaf cuttings sprout varies depending on the variety and environment, generally around 10-20 days. If more than two months pass without sprouting, as long as the leaves are healthy, don't give up and keep waiting. So when doing leaf cuttings, be sure to collect a large number of leaves to do at the same time.

1

Preparing the Soil

The simplest mixing ratio: peat soil 60% : coarse sand 40%.

The soil should prioritize water retention, and the particles shouldn't be too large, to avoid the leaf cutting seedlings' roots drying up before they can burrow into the soil after growing out (newly grown roots exposed to air for a period of time will dry up). This is the main reason most leaves fail to grow roots.

In the picture, I used leftover soil from before, with ingredients including charcoal, coarse sand, coconut coir, peat soil, perlite, etc. (More particles means better drainage, so you need to water frequently to keep it moist.)

2

Picking Fresh Leaves

Freshly picked leaves need to dry out their wounds, which takes 1-3 days. Many people also pick leaves and set them aside, waiting for roots to grow before planting. The only drawback of this method is that leaves left in the air too long will naturally curl, especially thinner ones, which curl into a ball - how do you even plant them?...

About How to Plant Them - Laying on the Soil Surface or the Air Rooting Method

There are three commonly used methods. Each of these has passed ISO2016 testing and certification, and the results are about the same, with only different conveniences in later management.

◆Lay flat on the soil surface.The advantage is that it's less likely to be infected by pathogens in the soil. The disadvantage is that some roots, after growing out, can't burrow into the soil on their own and need to be manually planted before watering. If the leaf is placed upside down, the bud will grow downward into the soil, and the roots will point skyward... and then off to heaven they go.

◆Insert diagonally into the soil.The advantage is that it solves the problem of exposed roots mentioned earlier, and you don't have to worry about getting the orientation wrong. The disadvantage is that the wound directly contacts the soil and is easily infected by bacteria in the soil, turning black.

◆Insert directly into the soil。The advantage is that later care is very convenient. The disadvantage is that some buds may never be able to push through, and the mound of soil covering them forever becomes a little grave. (The previous sentence is a joke... the chance of rotting isn't very high either. This method is also more commonly used in greenhouse propagation.)

Summary:As long as they contact soil, there's a certain chance they'll turn black, turn to mush, or rot. This is also related to the health of the leaves and the variety, but the probability of these damages is very, very small. With good control, it can be reduced to within 1%-3%, which can basically be ignored!

3

Care and Management After Leaf Cuttings

After all the leaves are planted, place them in a spot without direct sunlight, or with weak sunlight, and wait for them to sprout. Since the leaves themselves contain a large amount of water and nutrients, there's no need to water before they sprout and grow roots.(At this time, watering can't be absorbed by the leaves, and a moist environment makes it easier for pathogens to become active.)

▼An environment without direct sunlight

After about 30 days, once they've sprouted and grown roots, water lightly and move them to a spot with some sunlight. Later care mainly involves observation and replenishing water. Never let the seedlings be in a dried-out state.

▼The position without direct sunlight looks like this

Ventilation is beneficial for leaf cuttings, but note that ventilation doesn't mean using a fan or strong wind - slight air movement is ventilation. The reason glass containers have faster sprouting rates is: the humidity inside the container is greater than outside, and it can also maintain a certain temperature.

Succulent leaf cuttings are truly magical. Many friends new to succulents are always surprised, delighted, and anxious when they see leaves growing little pups. What should they do next?

Most of the time, even if you don't worry about the leaf cutting seedlings, they'll slowly grow up. If you're really worried about whether you might accidentally kill the little succulent lives,you might as well take a look at the care of succulents after leaf cuttings have sprouted

First, you need to understand the problems that can arise during the leaf cutting process

The first situation: Only sprouting, not growing roots.

Don't worry too much - it's about 80% success. As long as the old leaf doesn't die and you let the little seedling slowly grow, after a certain amount of time it will definitely grow roots, just like a broken-off branch - as simple as taking a cutting;

The second situation: Only growing roots, not sprouting.

You can wait a little while, and if it still doesn't sprout, you can gently pull out the leaf, gently break off the roots, and then place it back on the soil to let it slowly sprout. It can still grow roots and sprout. I've tried it - just roots, no sprouts, and after breaking them off several times in a row, it still eventually grew roots and sprouted.

The third situation: No roots, no sprouts.

Then you need to check that spot on the substrate - maybe it was damaged when you pulled it off, or it still has a layer of skin from the stem. You can gently pull that off, and it will be easier to sprout. Then all that's left is to wait quietly.

The fourth situation: Roots and sprouts have grown, but the mother leaf quickly turns to mush, and the little seedling slowly dies too.

This is relatively common. The reason should be that when watering, water droplets fell on the leaf, or the soil was excessively moist, causing the leaf to turn to mush. Many people use spray bottles to spray water onto the leaves, which is very bad - it makes the leaves even more likely to die.

With the mother leaf continuously providing nutrients, the seedling will grow healthier and at a much faster rate.

I always thought that once succulent leaf cuttings grow roots and sprouts, you can just water them directly and relax your care - it's all fine. But actually, that's not the case at all!

Remember two things in the early stage of succulent leaf cuttings:

1. Don't put them in the sun to bake

2. Don't soak them in water to wash. This is a transition period. During this time, the leaves show no changes. After about 10-20 days, the roots and small buds will grow and enlarge.

Leaf cuttings can be moist, but must have ventilation

Depending on the variety, the time for roots and sprouts to appear will differ. Leaf quality and temperature will also affect the time and success rate of rooting and sprouting.Be patient. Sometimes, without even looking at them, they'll quietly become big flower buds~ It's amazing.

After rooting and sprouting, leaf cuttings need water, but moist soil easily grows mold. I previously mixed carbendazim into the soil, and the effect was quite good. Butonce you find black rot on a leaf and don't handle it in time, resolutely throw it away or move it, otherwise it will infect the other little friends~

Sun exposure

When leaf cuttings show tender sprouts, don't take them out into the sun to bake. Just place them in a bright spot, and spray water when the soil surface dries.During this period, these little guys absolutely love moisture~ As long as you don't keep them soaking in water, it's fine.

How to Prevent Turning to Mush

If a leaf cutting turns black, it's recommended to use a toothpick to carefully loosen the soil, lift the whole thing up to look, and if against the light the leaf is black or the back has very ugly, wrinkled folds... it's a sign of turning to mush.

1、How to handle blackening at the tip of the leaf:Sterilize a knife (don't use scissors) with alcohol, also sterilize the leaf, cut off the blackened part (I'll use gentian violet, the disinfectant I normally use, to apply to the cut surface), let it dry in a ventilated place for 2-3 days, then put it back on the soil to root;

2. If the back is very ugly and wrinkled, it's basically about to turn to mush. I once put such a leaf on dry soil to continue growing, and the result was that the leaf frantically grew roots but just wouldn't sprout. In the end I threw it away - too disgusting.

For daily care, it's best to give some soft sunlight in the morning. If the sun is harsh, it's best to add some sun protection measures.For example, I'll place the little ones together with the big succulents, letting them enjoy the shade next to the big succulents~~

About Variegated Leaf Cuttings

A long time ago, when I was still very naive, too young, I thought variegated varieties couldn't be propagated from leaf cuttings. (After all, they're too rare, and I couldn't bear to pull off leaves.) Then one day, when I had collected quite a few variegated varieties, I happened to think of giving it a try - pull, pull, pull...

The result was that the variegation rate from leaf cuttings was really something else - it completely follows the mother plant's leaf cutting rate. The Graptopetalum paraguayense variegata below has a leaf cutting success rate of almost 100%.

Of course! There are also some cases of false variegation - the seedling's chlorophyll hasn't fully formed yet, so we often see many albino seedlings and think they're variegated, but they return to normal as they grow up.

Leaf cutting seedlings also have natural enemies. Woodlice have a big appetite and run fast. If you find them, remove them immediately, otherwise every bite leaves a hole!

Leaf cuttings are a magical thing to me - the happiness of watching leaves slowly root, sprout, and grow; sharing the seedlings with friends around me.The subtle feeling of mutual influence between plants and people, and between people and people. Life itself is a miracle.

Alright, I've said so much already. If you have any more questions, leave a comment in the lower right to discuss together.