You may already know a ton about Echeveria succulents but something that seems to be a common question is how do you propagate Echeveria?
Well lucky for you as this will be an entire discussion on how to propagate Echeveria succulents properly with a variety of different methods so anyone can really do it.
So with that being said, let’s take a look at the different methods you can use for Echeveria propagation and everything you will need to know so you can do it right.
Propagating Echeveria from stem cuttings
One of my favorite ways to propagate Echeveria succulents is by using the stem cutting method.
This method is by far one of the easiest ways to propagate Echeveria and the success rate will be much higher than some other ways such as by using leaves.
So when it comes to propagating Echeveria from stem cuttings you will first need to use a healthy stem, the more healthy looking the better.
Next you will need to use some clean sharp scissors and carefully cut away the stem that you intend to use, while making sure that the bottom of the stem is free of leaves so you can have some room to work with when transplanting.
Now you will need to set aside the stem cutting for a few days in some indirect light until the cutting can fully heal or callous over to prevent rot from occurring and other problems in the future.
Once the stem cutting is fully dry and healed you can go ahead and plant the stem 2 inches deep into it’s own soil or container while making sure there are no leaves touching or underneath the soil.
Also make sure the soil is high quality and provides great drainage for the best results to occur.
Using a container with a drainage hole is a wise choice as well.
Once your Echeveria stem is planted you can go ahead and mist the succulent on a consistent basis, ideally only when the soil is completely dry like you would when watering normally.
Just avoid direct intense light for a while and you will be good to go.
After several weeks have passed and roots begin to grow strong, then you can start to water normally and begin to give your Echeveria some sunlight or more bright light than before.
Echeveria propagation from offsets
When it comes to Echeveria propagation from offsets, this is one of the most popular methods if you have been growing your Echeveria succulent for some time.
The reason for this is because Echeveria’s love to create a ton of offsets or pups around the mother rosette which can be used to multiply itself for many generations to come.
Most of the work is already done for you with this method.
So when propagating Echeveria pups has become the decision for you, the first step will be to find some offsets, or just one that is super healthy and already has a strong set of roots attached to the main rosette.
Here you will take a pair of sharp clean scissors to carefully cut away the offset while making sure the roots are still intact.
Now place your offset in a spot where the cut can dry and heal for a few days so you don’t have a problems down the line.
Once the offset has calloused over you can then plant the offset roots into some well draining soil with the offset sitting firmly on top of the soil.
For the next several weeks you will want to have your propagated Echeveria placed in a spot where it gets some indirect sunlight and you can mist the soil whenever it starts to feel dry.
How to propagate Echeveria from seeds
Out of all the other ways to propagate Echeveria, this method will most certainly take the longest to complete from start to finish.
By that I mean in terms of the time it will need to grow, not getting started.
So when propagating Echeveria from seed, there will be a few ways you can go about getting some seeds to use.
You can either use your own Echeveria seeds by collecting them after your succulent has bloomed or you can go ahead and buy some seeds from a trusted vendor online.
In either case the first step will be to get a container with some well draining succulent soil and go ahead and wet the soil to get it nice and moist.
Now you can fill the top of the soil with a few Echeveria seeds and surround them with some fine sand.
From here you will place the container in a spot where it gets a good amount of indirect sunlight or indoor light for a few weeks.
It is also ideal to use some clear plastic wrap to cover the container top until your Echeveria seeds have sprouted some seedlings or very small leaves.
It will take anywhere between 2 and 3 weeks to see the first set of leaves and around 2 to 3 months before you will notice more mature leaves forming.
While the plastic wrap is still on you will want to mist the soil enough to keep it slightly moist but not entirely soaked like you would with a mature Echeveria.
When you have removed the wrap, you can just continue to mist when the soil is completely dry and you will be good to go.
Echeveria propagation from leaves
Lastly, we have one of the hardest Echeveria propagation methods, propagating from leaves.
Now by most difficult I mean your success rate will be lower with this method than by any other way to propagate Echeveria succulents.
The process itself is actually quite simple.
First you will want to set aside a tray, pot or any container you want to use that has enough room so you can use multiple leaves at the same time.
This will increase your odds of success as you will always have some leaves that don’t make it.
Even getting 50% of the leaves to propagate successfully will be very good in this case.
So when you’re ready you will want to find healthy leaves that are fully intact then go ahead and gently twist the leaves off of the succulent.
Try not to rip any parts of the leaf off as you will want to have the whole leaf in it’s entirety if you want to propagate your Echeveria from leaves successfully.
Now after you have enough leaves to use for propagation, you will want to place these leaves in a spot where they get enough indirect light to let the leaves callous over for a few days up to a week.
Once your Echeveria leaves are ready to go, you can now place those leaves on top of your succulent soil container or tray in a spot where it will get plenty of indirect light.
Now just mist the soil every so often when it starts to get dry and wait for roots to start forming.
Eventually you will notice that when the roots are formed, there will be a new rosette forming at the top of the soil and your leaf will slowly start to whither away.
Don’t worry this is normal and you can just remove the leaf when the baby Echeveria starts to take over.
That’s really all there is to it.
Pour Conclure
Hopefully these tasks don’t seem to daunting to you but they really are pretty simple when you get started with Echeveria propagation.
It may just take some trial and error to find the method that works best for you and your Echeveria succulents so don’t get discouraged if one method doesn’t work out for your plant as there are always other ways and means.