Propagating cactus and succulents at home can be really easy….but be warned…..you need a LOT of patience. It can take on average anywhere between 12mth to 3+ years to end up with a small plant.
There are three main techniques for propagation; (1) growing from seed, (2) growing from offsets, (3) growing from leaves. Below is a very brief summary of each technique. I recommend doing further research on both before deciding to embark on either…..there are many great tutorials online that go into detail for each.
- Growing from Seed.
- Definitely the slowest method. This can also be a little more tricky depending on the environment/conditions where you live. Cooler climates will require heat mats and artificial lights if trying to germinate from seed during the colder months.
- It can take on average 9-12months (or more!) for a germinated cactus seed to develop into the size of a small marble. The photo below shows a batch of golden barrel cactus seeds at 2.5 months of growth, the size of a pin head.
- Some seeds take months just to germinate and pop above the planting level.
- Seeds are readily available online, but you can easily collect your own at home if you have established flowering plants. Watch a few online tutorials for the best way of harvesting these seeds…..they can be TINY, the size of a grain of sand, or often looking like a handful of grainy dust.
- There are various techniques for growing from seed. Here is a snapshot of what works best for me:
- Seeds are planted in early summer once it is consistently around 30+ degrees (celcius).
- I use small seedling pots with adjustable humidity domes, adding 1 x seed variety per pot. Remember to label!
- Propagation mix should be sterilised before use. Options include sand, seed mixes etc. I use a medium of 40% propagation sand (sterilised by baking in the oven) combined with 60% vermiculite. Mixture is dampened (but not wet) before planting.
- Seeds are sown on TOP of the mix, with a super light sprinkle 1-2mm of propagations sand over the top, lightly misted.
- Do NOT place the germinating seeds in direct sunlight. Bright, indirect light is best.
- Ensure the mix remains damp, but not wet. Monitor closely in very hot weather when the top of the mix can dry out quickly. The seeds are planted very shallow and take a long time to develop a healthy root system, so they are at high risk of drying out. This is where the humidity dome really help. I have planted in previous years in large seedling multi-cel trays with large humidity cover, but found the larger container didn’t stay as moist as the smaller individual pots. In the first 6-12 months you want to maintain the growing dome as sterile as possible, which means avoiding opening lids too often. An occasional bottom waters can help maintain moist medium/mix, although I find with these smaller pots, the mix can stay damp for weeks at a time if the humidity in the dome is maintained. If the top looks like it is drying out, I lift the lids and give it a mist, on average once per week depending on the weather.
- Then keep repeating while you wait. And wait. And wait some more. I will often not be repotting these until they are 18mth old (or more!). Usually after about 12mth, I will reduce the humidity by opening the domes, then when they are at least marble size remove the dome completely.
- Growing from Offsets/Pups.
- Most varieties will produce offsets, or babies that are commonly referred to as ‘pups’. Some varieties produce these frequently, others will grow for years or decades before producing an offset.
- A pup is a new plant, growing from either the body or root base of the moth plant. These can be carefully separated and grown a new, individual plant.
- Propagating from Leaves.
- This is by far the easiest method for succulent propagation. Most succulent varieties will happily grow new plants from leaves (apart from Echeveria which I have almost no luck with growing from leaves). The photo below demonstrates some succulent leaves I have freshly removed for this purpose.
- Succulents will often naturally drop leaves which might grow roots and sprout a new plant without you needing to do anything!
- Your can remove healthy leaves, place them on top of your growing medium (yes, just lay them on top, don’t bury them at all) and leave them alone. No watering, just leave them. It might take anywhere from several weeks to several months to start seeing roots and babies starting to grow.
- A favourite method of mine over the cooler months, is stringing dozens of leaves onto a piece of fishing line, and tying it to a hook on the back of the laundry door. The laundry gets bright indirect light through the day, and remains relatively warm in winter. These will just hang for a few months, I have been getting a success rate of approximately 75-80% using this method. Then as Spring starts to warm up, they get placed into small pots and sent out to the greenhouse.
- Some leaves will grow roots, but no babies. Some leaves with grow babies but no roots. These both end up in the bin. We are looking for leaves that both send out roots and start to grow babies.
All of my seedling and established plants (succulents & cactus) are always in a large greenhouse with full-day indirect bright light, never in direct sunlight. The roof of the greenhouse is commercial grade, white polyfilm which maximises the indirect light, and protects from rain, hail etc. The walls of the greenhouse are 50% white shadecloth, again maximising the light, but most importantly ensuring adequate gentle airflow (and protection from storms). I group the plants in the greenhouse according to their watering needs, during the heat of summer some need much more frequent watering then many people realise. During winter, water needs are minimal for most of them.
Take the time to watch some online videos, there are so many methods to play with……whatever you choose, patience is the key. While it may be slow, the outcome is very rewarding. Below are some photos of plants I have re-potted this week, all grown from leaves or pups. Happy growing everyone!
