Jade plants are some of the best houseplants out there. These plants have thick, woody stems and oval-shaped leaves that gives them a great appearance, making them excellent decorative houseplants. Jade plants are known for their ability to live for a very long time. In fact, they are often passed down from generation to generation. When grown indoors, jade plants can reach heights of three feet or more when grown indoors. Jade plants, like many other houseplants, can be propagated very easily.
So, how do you propagate jade plants?
Jade plants can be propagated in two ways; from the stem or leaf cuttings. While both of these systems work, it does take a noticeably longer time for a plant to reach adult size when it has been propagated through leaf cuttings.
It is therefore recommended that you use the stem cutting method if you want your plant to grow faster. But if you are not in a rush, you can cut the leaves. Either way, each method is very easy and it works well.
- You first choose what to cut- Leaf or stem
- Cut the part carefully
- Let the cutting to dry up for a few days
- Dust the cutting with rooting hormone
- Mix coarse, potting and perlite soil into a pot/ container
- Plant the cuttings: For Stem cuttings, place them in a hole in the soil. For Leaf cuttings, simply place them on top of the soil and cover them up with a thin layer of soil.
Want to know more about how to propagating jade plants? This is the article for you. This post will give you a detailed explanation on how to grow a jade plant from a leaf or stem cuttings, show you how to cut them, and finally to propagate them.
Propagating Jade Plants
Before we get into the details, you will need to get yourself some supplies first. These have been given below.
- The stem cuttings and/or leaves
- Potting soil, preferably succulent potting soil. You can also mix your own soil using perlite, potting soil as well as coarse sand
- Clean pots (it is recommended that you should use 4” pots)
- Plant rooting hormone
- Pair of clippers
How to Propagate a Jade Plant from Cuttings
As we mentioned before, jade plants grow faster if you grow them from stem cuttings. And the best part is that you can propagate any size stem cutting. You can choose to use smaller or bigger cuttings.
If you accidentally broke a stem off your jade plant, you can simply propagate it- that’s if you have room for it. You can also use the clippings that you removed when pruning your plant.
Speaking of which, let’s talk about how you can take a cut from a jade plant.
How to Cut a Jade Plant
Before you can cut your plant, you should first choose where you want to cut the stem or leaves in order to have a new plant.
So when you are cutting the stems, make sure to get at least a 1-3 inches of the stem. By doing this, you a wider area to accommodate the rooting of the cutting.
Use the clippers to make the stem cutting. As an alternative, you can also use a knife, but it’s always easier to use clippers. Either way, the knife or clippers must be cleaned prior to cutting.
The best way to clean the clippers is to dip them in alcohol. You can also wash them, preferably with soapy water, to sterilize them before you take the cuts.
It may be that the stem you want to cut has a couple of leaves growing on it. Should you still cut it? If this is the case, you should remove a few sets of leaves.
Here’s why…
Jade plant cuttings mostly room from the leafy joints that are along the stem. So if you have more leaf joints, you have more chances that the plant will root.
You should prepare a Jade Plant Cutting for Propagation
After you have taken a cut from your jade plant, you should let the ends of the cuttings to cure or dry up before you can start the actual propagating procedure.
This might take anywhere from 2 to 4 days, even more- depending on the temperature and weather. During the summer, your cuttings will dry faster than in the winter.
This curing period is necessary because it prevents rotting of the jade plant cutting. Generally, the large the cutting, the more time you will spend waiting on it to dry.
Let’s talk about the leaf cutting method
How to Propagate Jade Plant from a Leaf-cutting
Just like the stem cutting method, this method is stress-free, and much more fun to experiment. But, jade plants that are propagated using leaf cuttings take longer to grow, as compared to those that grow from stem cuttings.
So let’s get into it…
How to cut the leaves
If you want to grow a jade plant from a leaf successfully, you have to make sure that you have taken the leaf cuttings correctly. You have break off each leaf carefully, and be sure to get the entire stem of the leaf when you do. That said, if the bottom part is broken off of the leaf, then the leaf will certainly not develop roots.
Preparing a Jade Leaf for Propagation
With leaf cutting, you won’t need to worry about curing the cuttings as you do with the stem cuttings. You can also let them sit for a few days before you propagate them.
Which brings us to this point…
Don’t let them sit for an extended period of time as they could completely dry out, and if they have, you won’t be able to propagate them, so it’s back to cutting.
Now that we know how to cut both the stem and the leaves, let’s dive into rooting.
How to Root the Jade Plant Cuttings in Soil
Once you have cut the leaves of stems, it’s time to root them. Here, the best way to do this is to plant them into the soil. Most people opt for a closed propagation, but closed propagation doesn’t work well for jade plants. Plastic baggies are also a no-no.
The idea is that the jade plants should be planted in an area that has a moderate level of humidity. So, if there is too much humidity (like in a plastic) they will only end up rotting.
Here’s a detailed explanation of the steps that you can follow.
Step 1: Dust jade cuttings with rooting hormone
Rooting hormone stimulates the fast growth of the roots. You will generally have more success with a jade plant if you use rooting hormones.
It is, therefore recommended that you should have this product at hand.
But, how do you use it?
Simple! All you have to do is dust the stem of your jade clippings, or the cut part at the end of the leaves.
Step 2: Fill the container with soil
After dusting with the rooting hormone, you should fill the container or pot with soil. Make sure the soil is loosely packed.
Oh and on the soil, you have to make sure it is a mixture of coarse sand, potting soil and perlite. You should never attempt to use potting soil alone as this could weigh the plant down, causing the cuttings to rot.
Step 3: Make a hole in the soil
After all is set, make a holes in the soil. This should be a small hole in the middle of the rooting mixture for the jade plant cutting, so you can either use a pencil or your finger.
Once done, place the dusted cutting into the hole, and make sure that the rooting hormone doesn’t rub off the cutting. Then lightly pack the soil around the base of the cutting for a finishing touch that will enable the cutting to stay in place.
If you are using the leaf cutting system, you won’t need to make any hole into the soil. Just lay the leaves on top of the soil and cover them with a thin layer of soil.
Step 4: Move your jade cutting
When you are done planting, move the plant to a location-preferably one that is protected from the full sun, and don’t water the cutting until it has roots.
As we mentioned before, jade plants don’t do well with too much humidity. If the air around the plant is just very dry, you can use a sprayer/mister to mist the cutting. This can be done on a daily basis.
How Long Does It Take For Jade Cuttings to finally Root?
This is a very common question that a lot of gardeners are asking, and I have an answer. The amount of time it will take for the plant to root depends on the environment that they have been placed.
It usually takes a longer when the air around the plant is very dry. But, if all the conditions are right, you should expect your jade plant cuttings to root within 2 to 3 weeks.
When is the right time to Propagate Jade Plants?
For the most part, Jade cuttings require a weather that is between warm and humid. But if you have placed your plant in a well-ventilated place, then the roots will grow with ease.
With the aforementioned conditions in mind, then you know that the perfect time to propagate them is during the summer time. It is always easier to propagate them when it’s warmer.
Conclusion
While propagating may seem like a lot of work, it’s very easy. You can either choose to use the leaf cuttings or stem cuttings– whichever works best for you.
Either way, cut the part carefully. Then allow the cutting to dry up for a few days before you can dust them up with rooting hormone. Then you can finally plant the propagated Jade plant in the right potting sizes. If you are using stems, make a hole in the middle of the pot where the cutting will be placed. If you are using leaves, place them on top.
