Succulent leaf cuttings never survive? Turn it over quickly and let it lie on its side, the survival rate is 100%!

The key to leaf cutting survival - breaking off leaves

Leaf cuttings always fail, either they melt into water or they don’t take root. Most likely you didn’t break off the leaves properly and damaged the budding point.

Leaf breaking posture 1: Breaking downwards

For succulents with taller stems or those that need to be beheaded, we can hold the fleshy leaves in our hands and break them down towards the roots. This method will hardly damage the sprouting point.

Leaf breaking posture 2: horizontal breaking

For succulents without stems, we can hold the fleshy leaves in our hands and break them off horizontally clockwise or counterclockwise. It is best to break them in one direction and don't shake them left and right, otherwise the leaf base will easily become softened and waterlogged.

Leaf breaking posture three: moving the knife

Some succulents are naturally strong and cannot be broken apart completely no matter what you do. In this case, we can cut them off with a sterilized knife and use them as leaf cuttings directly with a little stem.

We put the broken succulent leaves in a cool and ventilated place for 3 days to let the wounds dry before making leaf cuttings to avoid them becoming waterlogged.

The key to leaf cutting survival - soil preparation

Compared to breaking off leaves, there are actually not so many requirements for soil preparation. Generally, a layer of expanded clay can be placed at the bottom of the pot, and then covered with granular soil, such as Kanuma soil, Akadama soil, etc.

After laying the particles, add a layer of vermiculite. This combination has better drainage and air permeability, and is also conducive to the rooting of succulent leaves. (If there is no available humus soil: coal slag = 6:4)

The key to leaf cutting survival - placement

After the soil is prepared, use a watering can to wet it so that there is no water accumulation, and then place the succulent leaves on the soil surface.

Position 1: Lying flat

Placing it flat is simple and not easy to rot, which is most suitable for novices. It should be noted that the leaves should face upwards, allowing it to take root and sprout while drying.

Position 2: Lying on your side

For thinner fleshy leaves, if they lie flat on their backs for a long time, they will begin to bend and the roots that grow out will soon break away from the ground. In this case, we can let them lie on their side.

Position three: half buried

After the succulent leaves have taken root for 1 cm, you can use a wooden stick to press a groove on the soil surface, then place the succulent leaves in it and cover the petiole with a little soil.

The key to leaf cutting survival - maintenance

1. Watering

It is best to wait until the succulents have taken root before watering. When the soil surface turns white, spray water immediately, but do so under the premise of good ventilation.

2. Lighting

Keep it out of the sun before it sprouts, place it in a dark or scattered light place, place it in a brightly lit place after it sprouts, and after the sprouts and roots grow out, place it in a relatively sunny place.

Leaf cutting trick:

Follow the above method. If you still fail, put the fleshy leaves in a clean box and place it in a well-lit area on the balcony. Wait until the leaves take root and sprout before cutting them.