Echeverias, botanical. Called Echeveria, they are among the thick-leaved plants that are primarily grown because of their distinctive rosettes. The flowers of some species are also very decorative. Propagating an Echeveria is not particularly difficult. This is how propagation works.
How to propagate Echeveria?
Echeveria can be propagated by seeds, leaf cuttings or rosette division. With the seed method, potting soil is mixed with sand and the seeds are scattered on top. Leaf cuttings are placed flat on moist substrate, while rosette division requires cutting off rosettes at least two centimeters in diameter.
Methods to propagate Echeveria
- Seeds
- Leaf cuttings
- Share rosettes
Propagation works fastest if you have an Echeveria with several rosettes. You can simply separate these. You need a lot of patience to sow echeverias.
Growing Echeveria from seeds
You can get seeds from specialist retailers. With a bit of luck, you can also harvest seeds from a flowering plant.
Fill a seed tray with a mixture of potting soil (€6.00 on Amazon) and sand. Moisten them slightly. Scatter the seeds thinly. Place a plastic bag over the bowl to prevent it from drying out.
Place the seed tray in a warm, bright but not sunny location until emergence.
Propagate echeverias from leaf cuttings
Most echeverias can be easily propagated from leaf cuttings. To do this, prepare a cultivation tray by filling it with planting substrate and a layer of quartz sand. Separate a thick-fleshed Echeveria leaf. Lay it as flat as possible on the slightly moistened substrate.
Place the bowl in a warm, very bright place without direct sunlight. Always keep the substrate slightly moist.
It takes two to three weeks for small roots to form on the underside of the leaf. Now you can water a little more. After about six weeks, the offshoot will be large enough that you can transplant it into its own pot and continue to care for it normally.
Share Echeveria rosettes
If the Echeveria has already formed several rosettes, it is particularly easy to propagate. All you have to do is separate the rosettes. The offshoots should be at least two centimeters in diameter.
The best time to cut off the rosettes is May. Dig up the plant, shake off the substrate and pluck the individual rosettes apart. Then replant them separately.
Tip
Echeverias are available in countless species, some of which differ significantly from one another. Echeveria agavoides, whose leaves are green and pointed, is very popular.
