Propagating succulents is such a rewarding process. The thought of a whole new plant growing from just a single leaf is pretty incredible. Better yet, you can even turn succulent leaf propagations into a mandala-like design with our new Propagation Trays. In this article you will learn how to propagate succulents from leaves and how to make a creative succulent mandalas.

Materials

• Succulent leaves in differing sizes and shapes
• Coconut Coir or any potting mix
• SuperMoss Propagation Tray
• Mister or spray bottle

How to Propagate Succulents from Leaves

1. You will first want to locate a healthy succulent. Luckily, we had some growing in our office that needed pruning. In fact, propagating works great for plants that are a bit leggy and need to be pruned back in order to maintain its shape.
2. Pinch off one of the leaves of the succulent by gently tugging on it back and forth
3. You want to make sure that the entire leaf comes off, otherwise it will not propagate

Setting up Your Propagation Tray

1. Fill your Propagation Tray about ¾ of the way with coco coir, making sure the plastic liner is intact
2. Mist the bed of coir so that it is moist, but not sopping wet
3. Place the succulent leaf cuttings facing up (see correct placement in below image)
4. Don’t worry if the entire leaf is not submerged in the soil. The roots will have no problem finding their way to the soil!
5. Now we wait, it can take up to three weeks even more for the cutting to develop roots. You just have to be patient

Make Patterns & Designs

 Now for the fun part- making art with the clippings! You can be as simple or creative as you wish. You can make linear patterns (like ours) or you can make design succulent mandalas. The decision is up to you!

Transplanting Succulent Propagations

As your succulent propagations begin to grow, a tiny rosette or pup will form from the base of the leaf cutting. As this pup begins to develop, the mother leaf will slowly die off. This is completely normal! It just means your baby plant is fully mature and does not need the support of its parent any longer.

Eventually the mother leaf will completely die off and detach itself from the pup on its own. You can either leave the succulent to grow in the Propagation Tray or you can plant it in a tiny container.

Care Guide for Succulent Propagations

Water

During the rooting process, it is important to keep the soil moist, especially in the first couple weeks. Misting the Propagation Tray every three days is suitable for our California conditions, which tends to be on the drier side. Once the succulent propagation begin to mature, then you can start misting less.

Light

For best results, place your succulent propagation tray in a spot that receives bright indirect sunlight. Although succulents tend to be sun-loving plants, you want to make sure these premature clippings are not scorched by too much direct sunlight.

Humidity

Most home conditions will suffice for succulent propagations, however if you are able to provide a bit more humidity- the roots will grow faster!

Final Note

It is important to note that propagating plants just takes time. Remember, not all succulent leaf propagations will be successful so we recommend taking as many cuttings as you can as often times only 50 to 75% of them will successful root. Making succulent mandalas and fun designs makes propagating so much more fun and our Propagation Trays offer an attractive way to display your creation!

 

Happy propagating!

Cheers,

SuperMoss!