The Sweet Success of Succulents

What’s not to love about succulents? They range in color from dusty blue to glossy black, have an unearthly aesthetic, and are impossibly easy to care for. Not only are they lovely outdoors, but bring them inside and you have a natural, structural element to admire in your home.

A couple of years ago, I began propagating succulents from my existing plants which, to my surprise, yielded amazing results. Here are the 4 easy steps I take:

1) From your existing succulents, choose plants that differ in color and structure. Cut them at an angle with two inches of stem. Pull off any extra leaves on those two inches. (Above)

2) Select pots of any size and put a few rocks in the bottom for good drainage.

3) Before adding soil, arrange two to three different succulents per container to give variety. If available, try to choose one plant that drapes, one plant that spreads, and one plant that sprouts up.

4) Add soil. To establish the cuttings, water them every day for the first three days. From then on, water once per week. That’s it!

The cuttings will root quickly and growth will be noticeable within a few months, particularly if you are using larger pots. I found this candelabra at an antique store and decided it would be a perfect display for my small succulents.

These are some of my existing succulents I used for cuttings. An added benefit to propagating via cuttings is that your existing plant will sprout multiples from that single cut — more succulents everywhere = Sweet Succulent Success!

Gorgeous greens and dusty blues

Wishing you Sweet Succulent Success!

4 Thoughts on “The Sweet Success of Succulents”

4. AnnSechrist on November 11, 2013 at 9:31 amsaid:Edit

5. Hi there! I love your success with the dusty blue variety (in the picture under your heading “gorgeous greens and dusty blues”). I would really like to know what variety the dusty blue is. Do you know the name of it? I’m looking for a plant exactly like that. Thanks so much!

6. ~Annie

7. Reply↓

   • norasnest on November 19, 2013 at 1:35 amsaid:Edit

   • Hi Annie! Thanks so much for reading my succulent post on Nora’s Nest. The dusty blue variety I used is called “Ghost Plant”, or “Graptopetalum paraguayense”. I’ve had great success with it in Los Angeles, and it grows and cascades faster with more sunlight. Hope this helps, and please let me know if I can assist with anything else!

   • Nora

   • Reply↓

     • Annie Sechrist on November 19, 2013 at 8:22 amsaid:Edit

     • Thanks so much Nora! This is a big help. : )

     • Reply↓