Should I plant this now?

by Ann Denton
(Deal, SE England)

Hi Jacki. This is my first venture into propagating from leaves. I bought three leaves and they are progressing well. I understand that both the two small ones growing new leaves will send out roots from the bottom but should I plant the Pachyphytum into the soil, covering the roots, or will the roots find their own way down?

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Feb 20, 2022
 Propagating Leaves
by: Jacki Cammidge, Certified Horticulturist

Those all look great, with the exception of the one with the yellowing mother leaf. However, if the babies get going quickly enough, there is time for the roots to make it to the soil to take over.

You don't need to cover the roots, unless you want to put some small mulch (turkey grit, perhaps) over top. They'll find their way down into the soil, especially if it's dry. I recommend using a light spray off to the side of the plant itself so the roots will go in that direction.

You don't need to do anything special, except to make sure they have lots of light (not full sun, just bright curtain filtered light). One thing to caution you about - don't over water, as this can cause the leaf to rot.

I think these will all be fine- give them a month or two to grow big enough to be potted separately - each tiny plantlet will actually be two or three individual plants.

When they reach a big enough size, use a sharp razor or scalpel to separate them and pot up into smallish pots on their own. Don't over pot them (ie: use a large pot with lots of soil). They do best in smaller pots at this stage so the roots reach the sides and bottom of the pot and split into more rootlets. Otherwise, they'll just make one long thick root which can twine around itself.
Feb 21, 2022
 Thank you ....
by: Ann

All that information was really helpful, Jacki, thank you. Once these are established, I can get more adventurous with my choices.

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