How to Grow Succulent for Cutting

Inspect the succulent plant for signs of illness before taking a cutting. Select a cutting with plump flesh and vigorous, reliable growth. Avoid taking cuttings from branches or pads with soft spots, wrinkling or seeping wounds.

Clean a utility knife blade with rubbing alcohol before cutting the succulent plant. Moisten a cotton ball or pad with the alcohol and wipe the blade several times. Let the blade dry before using it.

Determine the length of the cutting according to the type of succulent plant. Take 4- to 7-inch-long cuttings from columnar-shaped cacti or 3- to 6-inch-long cuttings from branching succulents with fleshy leaves. Take a whole pad when dealing with a segmented, or paddle-branched, succulent.

Put on leather work gloves to protect your skin from the spines or irritating sap characteristic of many succulent species. Hold the succulent steady with tongs if the succulent is spiny. Make a cut at a 60-degree angle using the clean utility knife. Cut between the segments when taking the cutting from a segmented or paddle-branched species.

Place the succulent cutting in a cool, dry place with bright light to allow the cut to heal or callous over. Allow the cut to heal for approximately one week when working with narrow cuttings and up to 30 days when working with larger cuttings. Check the cut end of the succulent for a light-colored, hardened patch over the wound, which means it is ready for planting. Small roots might appear as the succulent cutting hardens, indicating it is healthy and will grow well.

Plant in 4-inch plastic pots when rooting small succulent cuttings and use 8-inch plastic pots when rooting a whole paddle or very large columnar-type cactus. Make sure the plastic nursery pots include several drainage holes.

Fill the bottom half of the pot with a mix of 3 parts perlite and 1 part succulent potting mix. Nestle the cut end of the succulent into the perlite and soil mixture, then fill in around it with more of the mixture until the pot is filled and the bottom one-third of the succulent cutting is buried. Make sure the cutting is upright and sturdy in the pot.

Drizzle water onto the soil mixture just until it is evenly moist. Water the succulent cutting only when the soil mixture feels dry 1/2-inch below the surface. Avoid over-watering the cuttings because they rot easily.

Place the potted succulent cutting somewhere with bright light and temperatures above 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Direct morning or evening sunlight is allowable, but avoid exposing the succulent cutting to midday sun until it is established.

Check for signs of root growth in two to six weeks by gently tugging on the cutting while grasping it with a pair of tongs. Strong resistance to movement indicates the development of roots.

Keep the cutting in its original pot until the next spring. Repot it in a larger container filled with equal parts perlite and succulent potting mix.