Jade Plant Propagation: 2 Easy Methods to Propagate Jade Plants
One of the most popular succulents, the jade plant (Crassula ovata) is appreciated for its nature. Many people like to plant jade plants at home, because they are easy to take care of and lovely. What many people don't realize is that it is almost as easy to grow a tree from its stem or leaf as it is to take care of it. Below you will find the steps for propagating Jade plants.
Jade Plant Propagation from Stem
Stem cutting is usually the simplest and most successful method for the propagation of jade plants. This is especially true if you are using larger, healthier stem cuttings. You can cut and propagate leggy Jade Plant for more healthy plants.
Jade Plants Stem Propagation Steps:
- Take a sterilized knife or scissors and cut the stem cleanly, making sure to select the section with at least two nodes (the bulge from which leaves and roots can grow). It also includes some healthy leaves. Any stem cutting size will do, but people are usually more successful with larger cuts.
- Carefully remove the leaves from the bottom of the cuttings, leaving only a few healthy leaves at the very top. If you want more Jade plants, please keep all the leaves you picked. We'll show you what to do with them below.
- Let the stem cut (and any picked leaves) rest in a warm, dry place for about three days. This is to give the damaged edges of the incision a chance to heal and callus tissue, making it less prone to decay.
Now that your Jade Plant stem cutting is ready, what's the next step? You have two different propagation approaches to choose from, which we discuss below.
- Also Read: How Big Do Succulents Grow
Propagate Jade Plants from Stem in Soil
You can cut the Jade Plant stems directly into the soil. Succulents are very resilient, so this almost always works. The only downside is that you can't really keep track of your cutting progress, at least not until new leaves start appearing.- Find a pan or tray with a drain hole. Standard plastic nursery POTS work well.
- Fill the pan with well-drained loose soil. Emerald Jade Plants are not too picky, so you can mix some standard potting soil with a small amount of perlite to increase drainage. (Read more about the best soil for Jade Plant.)
- Wet the soil with water. Just moist to the touch but not soggy.
- If you have some on hand, you can dab the Jade Plant cuttings into a rooting hormone powder to stimulate rooting. (Read more about saving jade plant rot root.)
- Poke a hole in the soil with your finger or stick. It only needs to be deep enough so that the stem cut can stand up.
- Cut the stems into bright indirect light and water every few days. (Read more about the light need for Jade Plant.)
Propagate Jade Plants from Stem in Water
The water method for propagating a jade plant is a favorite for many, since it's often quicker and easier. And perhaps even more importantly, you get to see the roots growing in real time!
With the Jade plant water propagation method, once your stem cutting has healed, just pop it into a glass or vase of water. Then move the whole thing into bright, indirect sunlight.
The only thing you need to do from that point is change out the water once or twice a week. Once the roots have grown about two inches, you can repot your new little jade plant. Or not: you can leave it in water as long as you want for something a little different.
Read More:
How Often To Water Jade Plant?
How To Repot Jade Plant?
How To Save Overwatered Jade Plant?
How To Get Jade Plant In Bloom?
How To Prune Jade Plant
Why Are My Jade Plants Getting White Spots?
Is Jade Plant Toxic To Cats?
Jade Plant Propagation from Leaf
If you've ever propagated a succulent plant before, you probably know that for many species, you only need one leaf. If you have their leaves, whether freshly picked or fallen, you can use them to propagate new jade plants to enjoy! Besides, Jade Plants also have many benefits. (Read more about Jade plant benefits.)
To get your leaves, you can gently pluck them from the stems of the jade tree. Make sure the whole leaf falls off. Gently twisting it will help. Just like stem cuttings, you need to give your leaves a few days to heal and prepare them for the reproductive process. Once you've mastered them, you can again choose whether to propagate Jade Plant in water or soil.
Propagate Jade Plants from Leaf in Soil
The soil method is the easiest way of propagating jade plant leaves. Literally, all you have to do is lay the leaves on the soil in such a way that they touch it. That is all! The great thing about using leaves is that you can put a lot of them into the same pot to increase your chances of success. The resulting Jade Plant will be extremely tiny at first and can be separated into individual planters once they’ve grown a bit. Once you have all your leaves in the soil, move them into bright, indirect sunlight and spray every few days to keep the soil ever so lightly moist. When roots and baby plants have started appearing, you can slowly make the switch to a regular succulent watering schedule.
Read More:
What is the Best Fertilizer for Jade Plant?
What Are Jade Plant Common Diseases
How to Save My Jade Plant Soft Wrinkled Leaves
Propagate Jade Plants from Leaf in Water
You can do the Jade Plant water propagation method for your leaf cuttings. It tends to be more troublesome since you have to come up with ways of keeping the leaves upright. It’s not impossible, though. Use mesh or toothpicks to suspend the leaf, preferably in a small shot glass.