Expand Your Garden by Growing Succulent Cuttings

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Succulents are very popular because they are beautiful and easy to care for, which is ideal for today’s hectic lifestyles. Propagating new succulents from stem cuttings is one way we can add to our collection without paying much more than the time it takes them to grow plus the cost of new soil and pots.

So how do we grow new succulents from stems?

Propagating new succulents from stem cuttings is easy. Start with a cutting from a healthy plant, let it dry for a few days, and plant it into new succulent soil in a pot or tray. Spray or mist it every day until the roots and plant start to grow.

That’s the basic summary of what you need to do to start growing new succulents from stem cuttings. However, there’s a little more information you should know about the process if you want to fully understand what you should do and why.

Starting Succulents from Cuttings—is it Hard to Do?

Starting (propagating) succulents from stem cuttings is not hard at all; in fact, it’s just the opposite. Succulents can be a lot easier to start than other types of plants if you know and give them what they need to thrive.

Why Propagate Succulents From Stems?

There are a lot of benefits to starting new succulents from stem cuttings, and one of them is that you can expand your collection without spending extra money on new plants. The biggest cost to you will be for the soil and pots that you will be using.

You can grow more succulents from the ones that you already own or get some cuttings from your friends or family. This is also a nice way to grow new plants to give away as gifts for others.

When is the Best Time to Take a Succulent Cutting?

The best time to take a stem cutting for propagation is during the plant’s growing season. Their growing season is in the spring and summer months because that’s when they receive a lot more humidity and warmth, which new plants need to grow.

You can still successfully grow new succulents from cuttings at other times of the year if you give them what they need to thrive, but it is generally easier to do it during the growing season.

Tools and Supplies Needed for Propagating Stem Cuttings

Pruning shears or a razor
- You’ll need a pair of sharp pruning shears to cut off your stem cuttings.
  Amazon has this bypass pruner which is a good pruning shear to use for a clean cut. Bypass pruners give a clean cut and don’t damage the plants’ soft tissue. This is just what you need for your cuttings.
Succulent soil potting mix
- You’ll need a good succulent soil potting mix for your stem cuttings, regular potting soil isn’t recommended because it may not drain fast enough.
  
  You can make your own succulent mix or buy what you need at your local garden center.
  There are two commercially made succulent soils that I have used lately. One of them is Bonsai Jack Succulent and Cactus soil, found on Amazon. I like it because it is gritty and drains quickly– with this soil my plants won’t have their roots sitting in wet soil which can cause root rot to set in.
New pots or planters
- A pot or planter is needed for your new succulents.
Plant mister or spray bottle
- I recommend using a spray bottle to water your new plants.
A pair of gardening gloves
- This is a good way to protect your hands, but it’s optional.
Rooting Hormone Powder (optional)
- This is optional, but it does speed up the propagation process if you dip the ends of the cuttings in rooting hormone before placing it in the soil. This is the rooting hormone powder that I use from Amazon.

How to Propagate New Succulents From a Stem Cutting

Choose a healthy plant for your stem cutting.

It’s important that you choose a healthy plant for your stem cutting; avoid taking a cutting from a plant that is sick or dying. The ideal plant should have leaves that are plump and stems that are not wilting.

Note: It’s also common sense to avoid taking cuttings from plants that are infested with pests or diseases.

A cutting taken from a healthy plant will be more likely to grow into a healthy plant when it takes root.

Select a stem and cut it off of your succulent.

Take a cutting from the top of the plant that you have selected, but be sure to cut the stem just above a leaf.

You want to have about 1 inch of stem on this cutting. You may have to remove some of the lower leaves to expose the stem at this point. This 1” section of the stem is needed to plant it into the soil.

Note: The tips of the plant are where the newest growth is found, and the newest (youngest) part of the plant will propagate more easily than older growth.

If you have to take a few leaves off the stem, don’t discard them since many types of succulents can be propagated from their leaves too.

If you’re interested in learning about how to propagate a new succulent plant from leaves, feel free to check out our guide for that.
Let the cutting dry out for a few days to form a callus.

After you have taken the cutting, you will need to let it callus over—which means to let it dry out for a few days—until it forms a callus over the cut end of the stem.

This is an important step because you don’t want to plant a newly cut stem directly into the dirt without a callus having been formed because it could lead to rot.
Plant your stem cutting into the soil.

Make a 1-inch hole in the soil with your fingers and place the end of the stem into the hole. Gently press the soil around the stem so that it is planted upright.
Water your stem cutting when the soil is dry.

You should water your stem cutting when the soil is “just” dry.

Succulent plants don’t like being overwatered, but when you are propagating new succulents from stem cuttings (and leaves), you need to water them more frequently. You don’t want to over-water them, either.

Note: Some people have success without watering their cuttings; their explanation for this is that there is enough nourishment in the stem to sustain the plant with water during this initial root-growing phase. They then start watering them after the roots have formed.

I have found that I need to mist my cuttings daily with a spray bottle for them to grow for me. I have to do this since the humidity in my house is low.

When I mist my cuttings, I mist them just enough to wet the soil surface. By doing it this way, I don’t overwater them, and the soil is dry the following day.

I do this daily until the succulents are rooted, healthy, and growing on their own. Once the cuttings have taken root and are growing, I then water them only when the soil is completely dry, as I do with other succulents in my collection.

This process generally takes 2 to 3 weeks, depending on the type of succulent you are trying to grow.

Note: One thing to remember is to lightly cover the roots with soil once they have formed. This is to prevent them from drying out from too much sun and a lack of water.
Sunlight requirements for your stem cutting

Place your stem cutting in bright but indirect light. Be careful to keep them out of direct sunlight.

Growing and propagating succulents indoors is a little more of a challenge, so I grow mine in the brightest locations of my home, and I also use an LED plant light to supplement the light they need.

You may also consider using an LED plant light to supplement the light for your plants. You can find many on Amazon. This one is one that I would consider buying if I needed another one. I like that the light is full-spectrum and that it has a timer.

Common Problems Encountered When Propagating Succulent Cuttings

Sometimes not all of your stem cuttings will propagate for some unknown reason. That is why I like to take multiple stem cuttings at a time to ensure that I have at least one of them that will grow and turn into a new plant. Fortunately, most times all of the cuttings will grow for me, and when that happens, I have extras to share with family members and friends or just something extra to add to my collection.

Some types of succulents are a little harder to start from stem cuttings than others, so it would be helpful to learn more about the type of plant you are trying to grow before starting the process.

Overwatering can be another problem you may encounter. This would cause the cuttings to rot, so be careful to only water when the soil is dry.

What is the Fastest Way to Root Succulent Cuttings?

You can use rooting hormones to help your stem cutting develop roots faster. After your succulent stem has formed a callus, dip the end of the stem into the rooting hormone powder and carefully plant the cutting into the soil.

To do this, use your finger to make a shallow hole in the soil and carefully plant the end of this stem into the soil without disturbing or removing any of the rooting hormone.

Then press the soil against the stem so that the stem is standing upright, and continue from there as before.

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