How to Root Succulent Plants

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When I first got a succulent, I thought they were a plant you couldn’t kill. I heard you hardly had to water them and they just live. Well, needless to say I killed mine in one season. I didn’t realize it didn’t like the shade (small details). Apparently most succulents don’t like full, direct sun- but they do like bright sun indirectly. I learned this the second time around.

I made a succulent arrangement two years ago that has done really well. It does okay indoors, but it thrives in the summer months out on our front porch. So during the winter I do my best to keep it in a bright area. The plant has gotten so large that it is literally hanging out of the arrangement. To keep the stems from breaking due to the weight of the plant, Vince suggested clipping a piece off to try and root.

I have experimented with hydroponic plants in the past, so I decided to go that route instead of just sticking it in a cup of water.

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What you will need:

  • Mason jar

  • Mesh net pot

  • Perlite

  • Moss ball (optional- just looks cool and oxygenates the water)

  • Chalk paint (optional- to decorate the Mason jar)  

From here it is pretty straight forward. Fill the Mason jar about ¾ of the way full with water. Then fill the net pot with perlite. Perlite is used often as a rooting medium or a way to aerate the soil. It also gives the plant some stability and allows it to stand upright. You’ll want to push a hole in the perlite for the succulent to sit and then place the net pot with the perlite and succulent in the Mason jar. After a couple weeks the succulent should begin to root. Once it begins to root you can plant it. Just make sure it has plenty of water when you initially plant it, then you can go back to your normal watering routine.  

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Another fun fact I learned is that you can actually root the leaves of succulents.I had read about this and then tried it with our own succulents. If you lay the leaf on the soil and mist it with water, the plant will begin to look elsewhere for water. It will then begin to root as it searches for water. Pretty neat!