How to handle succulents after beheading so that propagation succeeds
For beheading propagation of succulents, it depends on what situation you are dealing with. If it is black rot, then cut at a point some distance away from the black rot, and cut thoroughly. Of course, the black rot part cannot be kept, and if it is a bacterial infection as well, keep the good part, which may be the head or the lower half.
How to handle it after cutting? The cut-off head needs to be aired and dried in a ventilated place, and only planted once the wound has healed. Otherwise, if there is too much water in the succulent's body, the rooting speed will also slow down. Moreover, a head that has not been dried is very easily infected by bacteria later on, causing the stem to shrivel and die. Once you see that the wound has healed, that is, it is air-dried with no sap, you can do the cutting.
If the stem is short of water, if the succulent's stem looks water-starved and withered, then such a part is also unhealthy and must not be kept. Continue cutting the succulent further down. Not only when beheading a succulent does the stem shrivel; in normal times, if you can also tell from the succulent's appearance that the stem is shrunken, you need to be alert and deal with it in time. Succulents have very tenacious vitality. A succulent with black rot, even if it has been cut down to only half a stem, can still survive through proper care. As for the head of the succulent, it can be planted in new soil and will slowly take root as well.
When potting up a succulent, do not fill the pot to the brim. Instead, dig a hole and plant the succulent in it. This suits succulents without roots. If the succulent has roots, first put a little soil in the pot and pile it into a cone shape, let the succulent sit on top of it so the roots do not get squeezed together, then slowly fill in soil around it. We all know that most succulents can produce multiple heads and grow in clusters, but if a succulent just holds out and refuses to grow side shoots, and after several years of growing it is still a single large head, you can behead the succulent, and it will then be relatively easy for it to sprout side shoots. Especially for a succulent in its growing season, it may even burst out side shoots like crazy. However, you can also grow some succulents that naturally love clustering, such as Echeveria 'Tippy', which loves clustering and will burst out side shoots at the slightest provocation.
If it is etiolated, it depends on you. Cut it into whatever shape you want. Leave at least three leaves on the lower part. Actually, it is fine not to leave any, but you must leave the growth points, that is, the points where the leaves connect to the stem; those are the spots where new heads burst out. For the cut-off head, you can pull off all the uneven leaves clean, leaf-propagate the leaves, and keep a little bit of stem on the remaining head. Or it can be flat with no stem at all; it makes no difference to rooting and planting, entirely up to personal preference.
For a succulent with compact leaves, you can cut from one third of the way up from the bottom. The scissors or small knife used for cutting should preferably be fairly sharp, to allow quick cutting and a smooth cut. After cutting, the wounded side of the succulent must absolutely not touch sand, soil or water. Once it does, wipe it clean immediately with a paper towel. During the rooting process of the succulent, it must absolutely not be exposed to direct strong light. After new shoots grow from the side, you need to increase light and increase watering appropriately, keeping the potting soil slightly moist.
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