So you have a succulent cutting. What do you do next? This post covers how to propagate it in soil and turn it into a rooted plant.
How do I plant my cutting in soil?
If you have a fresh cutting, I recommend setting it aside for a few days for the wound (open flesh) to scab over.
With a fresh cutting, I like to dab the open wound in cinnamon to cover it like a bandage to help prevent bacteria and fungus from getting into the open wound while it scabs over. You can also use rooting hormone. This step is optional.
The cut end usually scabs over (dries) in 2-3 days. The scab helps prevent bacteria and fungus from getting in once planted in soil.
If the open wound has calloused, you can plant the cutting in dry soil. Keep the soil dry until the cutting grows roots.
I’ve heard from others that they just plant the fresh cutting straight into dry soil without waiting for it to scab over, and it works for them. It depends on your soil (some sterilize their soil by baking it in the oven), your climate (this probably works better if your climate is dry and/or hot), and other things like timeline (if you’re in a rush or have a lot of cuttings, then you might not have the luxury of time). My tips above are recommendations to help lead you to success, especially if you are new to this. The main point is to plant the cutting in dry soil.
If you are planting your cutting in a pot, the head should be able to see over the top of the pot. In other words, avoid planting it too low. If it’s too low, the plant will stretch out reaching for the light.
When should I water my planted cutting?
Wait until the cutting has roots before watering. It can take about 2-3 weeks for a cutting to grow roots. Succulents are slow growers, and it could take longer, especially if the cutting doesn’t have any leaves or if it’s not the succulent’s growing season or both.
Since your cutting has no roots and cannot take in any water, it will use the water stored in its leaves. As time goes by, your cutting can reabsorb some of the lower leaves to fuel new growth. New growth can include roots. Since your cutting is using the water in its leaves, the existing leaves can show signs of thirst such as wrinkles.
If you took the cutting because it was damaged from overawtering or pests, your cutting may look more pitiful. It may even look like it is getting worse as it is developing. As long as the cutting is healthy, it’s best to leave the soil dry. (Here’s a refresher on how to take cuttings. Hint: For the best chances of success, take a healthy cutting).
How do I know if my cutting has grown roots?
There are a couple of methods to checking if your cutting has roots. I would wait 2-3 weeks before trying either of these methods. This allows your cutting to have some time to get settled into its new home and grow roots.
One method is to gently pull on the head of the cutting and see if there is some resistance. If there is resistance, it means your cutting has grown roots that grab onto the soil.
If there is no resistance or you pulled a tad too much, you might pull the whole cutting out of the soil. Pulling out the entire cutting is actually the second method to checking if your cutting has roots. Sometimes your cutting hasn’t grown roots. Or sometimes the roots are so small, that they have no grip in the soil yet, so it will come out easily upon being pulled.
If you do end up doing the second method, it’s okay as long as you don’t do it often. This is why I advise checking after 2-3 weeks. Continually pulling the cutting out of the soil disturbs the growth. Uprooting a plant is shocking for a plant.
If it’s been 2 weeks, and it doesn’t have roots, I wouldn’t check again until after at least 2 weeks. Sometimes it does take a long time grow roots.
Once your cutting has roots, your cutting has propagated successfully! It’s a self-sufficient plant. It can be watered and absorb water through its roots!
What happens if you water a cutting and it doesn’t have roots?
Without roots, the succulent cannot take in any water. Watering will keep the soil and stem moist or even worse wet. This can produce an environment conducive for bacteria or fungus to grow, which can damage your cutting and lead to its demise.
I have heard the argument that damp or moist soil could encourage root growth because the plant will try to find water. I am not clear on the science behind this, but I have two thoughts on this: 1) If the reason you took a cutting was because the mother plant was rotting or infected, I would err on the side of caution and put the cutting in dry soil and not water until it has roots as the cutting did not come from a healthy mother plant and could be susceptible to further rot or infection. 2) Succulents store water in their leaves, and they can typically survive without water for periods of time. They do not have to be constantly watered and do not need to be in wet soil.
Those are my recommendations and how I plant my cuttings in soil. Do you have any questions on this process? Or do you have any tips for this? Let me know in the comments!
