Welcome to summer~! These past few days have been a study in contrasts with an explosion of sunshine in the morning, and a deluge of rain and ear-splitting thunder and lightening in the afternoon.

This weather has me just ITCHING to fiddle with the plants on my balcony, and first on the fiddle-list, are the succulents!

Succulents are plants that have fat, fleshy parts that store water. They generally live in dry climates with arid soil conditions.

Some succulents that you might be familiar with….

Cacti, 石蓮花, and Aloe Vera!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve only recently discovered succulents at my neighborhood flower market, but quickly became addicted once I realized…

a) how easy they are to care for,

b) how varied and attractive they are

and….

c) how much fun it is to toss the word around at the office:

“Good morning Adeline from marketing. I see that you’re admiring my succulents”,

or….

“What’s that fellow newscaster Keith? A news department meeting? No time darling, I’m propagating my succulents” (a choice bit of phrasing which Keith answered with a giggle of glee).

If your desk is crying out for a bit of verdant lusciousness, and you can give them some sun once in a while, these low-maintenance plants are a good option to consider, as they don’t require frequent watering or fertilizing.


Unfortunately, during the recent plum rain season, my succulents have started etiolating (stretching out with lots of stem between each leaf).

If this happens to your succulents, it might be a good time to propagate!

 

 

 

 

Start by unearthing the plant with as much root as you can dig up.

Each individual leaf breaks away clean from the stem with a crisp, delicate snap.

 

 

 

Keep the top few leaves on the stem if you like.

Then, you must steel yourself physically and mentally for the next intricate step in succulent propagation:

 

 

 

Take an individual leaf, and PUT. IT. ON. THE. SOIL.

Done. Finito. Over and Out.

Mind Blown.

 

 

 

No need to stand it on its end, or “tuck it in” with a blanket of soil (You know you’ve thought of it as a “tuck in” before, don’t lie).

Just place the pot somewhere with partial sun and forget about it for a few days. Your independent green children will sprout tiny hair-like roots that reach into the soil, and then develop tiny buds that grow into new plants. Don’t worry about watering until you see roots or buds.

Here’s one of the sprouting leaves two weeks later.

I’ve also read on Needles and Leaves that you can leave the root and stem in the soil, and that will also sprout new leaves, so I’ll be trying that next time!

So, the conclusion from our afternoon in the garden? The propagation of succulents can be performed and enjoyed in a variety of different ways! XD

 

 

 

 

succulents frame image
cactus image
石蓮花 image
aloe image
succulents variety image