Growing cacti and succulents: How to begin an adventure in plant propagation

What started as about 10 little succulent and cactus plants has become quite a collection.

I’ve been repotting some of my plants that had a growth spurt over the winter and propagating others using their offsets or babies, some have gone out to the garden amongst my other pots, and some are enjoying the heat of the greenhouse.

You can start your succulent/cactus collection with cuttings of existing plants, or with a variety garden. These pre-built gardens are an affordable way to get started, however, these plants are crowded together and aren’t always planted in the best soil. I prefer to separate each plant and give them their own home.

What is the difference between succulents and cactus?

Cacti are a subclass of succulents, and while not all cacti grow spines, this is how we easily identify them.

Succulents, on the other hand, have fleshy and smooth leaves. Both store water to help them survive in the harsh conditions, which makes them resilient and low-maintenance.

For starting from cuttings or dividing existing plants you should have:

— Protective gloves for spiny, pokey cactus. Speaking from experience, you do not want to sit with a pair of tweezers for hours meticulously pulling the spines from your fingers! Use gloves!

— Don’t use standard potting soil. In nature, these plants grow in well-drained or sandy soil. Use a special succulent/cactus soil mix.

— Terracotta pots are a good choice for growing succulents and cacti because they are porous, allowing air and water to transfer through the sides. This helps keep the roots of the plants from sitting in water and rotting.

— A little grow fertilizer mixed in our watering can. Succulents don’t require much fertilizing, but I like to get them started by using a little fertilizer once a month until these new plants get their root system going. Water your succulents deeply but infrequently. Water only when the soil is dry.

Any cuttings of jade, ghost plant, and stonecrops need a couple of days to dry off at the end where they have formed a callous. This callous helps prevent rot and now the cutting can be placed into the soil and watered in.

Only a few varieties of succulents or cacti are hardy to our climate so most will need to be brought in for the winter. They will need a bright room or sunny windowsill for their indoor winter break.