How to Propagate Cacti and Succulents?

Cacti and succulents are the most ideal option that can be taken into consideration while searching for the best indoor plants that are very low maintenance. The majority of these plants are very easy to propagate through leaf cut-outs or stems. The cacti with segmented steps can remove the entire segments in the form of cuttings so that the segments are not divided in half. 

Succulents that can be formed as clumps like agaves, aloe Vera and haworthias must be distributed by just removing the plant from a pot and cutting the root ball. Cacti with several heads like Echinopsis and Mammillaria can be distributed or split off their heads before being used as cuttings. There are so many different types of succulents available in the market which is different in terms of their colour, shape, design, and size. Propagating these plants is a good way to grow them anywhere you want. To know more about the propagation of cacti and succulents, read ahead: 

How to propagate through pups/ offsets? 

One of the most commonly used methods for propagating cacti is using pups or offsets. The steps to follow are mentioned below:

• Cut out offsets from the mother plant during the summer season.
• Make sure to check that the pup is a minimum of 1.5/2 inches in length. Pups that are high on the mother plant are usually more strong and healthy.
• For removing the offset or pup from the mother plant, you can detach it with the help of a knife or your hand.
• Eradicate soil from the top part of the pup to check the point of connection between pup and mother plant. 
• Detaching the pup manually can be easy as you just have to hold the offset, twist it, and use gentle pressure to break it till it gets detached.
• If you are not able to break it off manually, a knife can be used. Disinfecting a knife is important before you use it to the point where it is attached to the mother plant. 
• In case there is a smother plant on the offset, try cutting it off using a sterilized knife. If not cut on time, it will get rotten and the offset will be affected.
• Then, it is recommended for you to get the offset dried for nearly 3 days before the plantation procedure. The most recommended way of drying the offset is by keeping it vertically in a container with holes for draining out the water. The complete drying of the offset will ensure that all wounds get healed before plantation which can be harmful to the soil. 
• Some of the offsets of cacti will organically have inbuilt roots when they are separated from the mother plant. 
• If there are no roots in a cactus plant, it can be placed in completely dry soil which has gravel for some days or a week before growing some other. There is another alternative option of placing the cactus within a pot that has sand, perlite, and charcoal. This step can be skipped if you have pups with smaller roots. 
• You must keep the soil within the container prepared for the new cactus. You should also not forget to make use of the proper drainage and containers before the soil are added. There are also in which you can make separate soil for cactus and choose a proper container. 
• Keep a pup under the soil and try not pushing it too much within the soil. Make sure to place just 1/4th of the entire stem in the soil. 
• There are a few mother cacti that generate small offsets tagged are much beneath the stem. These offsets can be seen often with lesser light. For separating the offsets they can be dried for a few days before planting. Afterward, just let them are under the shade for a few days before shifting them to a light spot. 
• Avoid watering the cactus just after planting is done. Keep waiting for about 7 days before you start watering. This will help in reducing the chances of infection. 

How to propagate through cuttings? 

There are many different ways by which you can take off succulent plant cuttings so it can be confusing for people. You must have proper information regarding the propagation of succulents and cacti. There are so many ways by which you can take cuttings from succulent plants. At times you might have to root off the entire leaf. For separating the leaves, you must be sure not to ruin the shape of the parent plant. If cuttings are taken from the back portion of the plant, it will not be a concern. 

A lot of succulents like October Daphne have flat, small, and round leaves. These can be increases during the early summer season and spring season. Press on these leaves onto the surface of any pot which is full of equal components of moist peat and sand. You must assure that the pot is well-drained. It is good to separate all the stems than picking leaves from different shoots. Keep snapping off the leaves and you don’t need to squash the stems. Let them get dried for a few days. Start taking the leaves and press them on the surface of the compost. After laying them out, just keep watering them lightly. Pick the pot and keep it in a gentle warmth area and lighter shade. 

Few succulents such as the jade plant which is also known as Crassula Ovata cam get separates and you can insert them within a pot after preparing compost in the early summer season. They don’t have to be at higher temperatures. Choose a healthy, properly watered, bend down the leaves gently. Keep the leaves laid and allow them to dry for a few days. Fill in a clean pot with moist peat and sand and keep firming it to nearly 1 cm under the sim. Choose a pencil and create a 20 mm hole for inserting the cutting within. Keep firming the compost all over the plant. Keep watering the pot and keep it in a lighter shade and less warmth. 

Cactus is a very good addition to an indoor garden and the credit goes to its size, flowers, and shape. It is a very distinctive way to include a new design to the living room of your home, window side, and shelf. 

Alongside, you can also increase the collection of your cactus without being able to spend even a penny. The beginners can also carry on this procedure with the help of offset, propagation, and cuttings. It can become really easy with more and more practice. 

Similar to succulents, there are many ways in which cactus can be propagated. Regardless of the method that you choose for expanding the collection of your cactus, you must know that propagating cactus is good and can grow actively which generally takes place in the latter part of summer or spring for the majority of cacti. This can ensure higher scopes of success particularly if it is decided to propagate the cactus through cuttings because the roots can create more rapidly in this time. If you want to propagate succulents like the snake plant, you can use bigger pieces of leaf. You can also increase the propagation by cutting the leaves and stems into smaller pieces.

All that needs to be done is watering the plant for some days before taking the cuttings. If it is not done, the leaves can be quite flaccid and these leaves don’t root easily. Using a sharp knife and separate only one or two pieces of leaves located near the base of every leaf. Assure about taking them from separate regions of the plant. If all of them are taken from a single side of the plant, the shape of the plant might get destroyed. Choose one amongst the many severed leaves and keep all of them on a flattened surface. Use a sharp knife to cut the whole leaf into several pieces nearly 5 cm deeper.

Ensure to make a clean cut because if the leaf is torn instead, rooting won’t be possible and it will rot. Use a very shallow but broad pot filled with sand and moist peat and compost mixture. Pick up your knife and create a slit before pushing nearly 2 cm in the slit. You must make sure that the cutting is clear and precise. Keep watering the succulent lightly and keep the pot in a warm place. 

Conclusion

These are some ways by which you can propagate cacti and succulents. There are many other ways too in which succulents can be propagated. Rooting the leaves is also a good way of propagating succulents and cacti. There are a variety of succulent plants which can be propagated very easily whereas, for some of them, you might have to choose a complex procedure. However, before choosing any particular propagation method don’t forget to check its reliability because it is the process is not carried out properly, the plant might rot.