How To Propagate Panda Plant (Kalanchoe Tomentosa)

The bizarre panda plant (Kalanchoe tomentosa) has thick, velvety leaves with white hairs and chocolate brown markings on the tips. Once you have one, you'll consider panda plant reproduction to spread this succulent to others.

Because the panda plant doesn't bloom all that frequently, many admirers are unsure of how to spread this endearing plant.

Quick Steps to propagate panda plant

• Collect Healthy Leaves
• Prepare the Soil and Pot
• Plant and Wait
• Transplant Baby Plants

How Does a Panda Plant Look?

Does a panda plant resemble a panda? Not really, but these plants have chubby foliage with silvery-white hairs that resemble a panda's fur!

But this plant is adorable! Its leaves are green with edges that are a deep chocolate brown. The velvety texture of the foliage really draws attention to it.

You may know this plant by its scientific name Kalanchoe tomentosa. However, other names for it include Cocoon Plant and Chocolate-Soldier. The central new fleshy leaves have developed a slight curve that resembles a cat's furry ears. This plant also goes by the name Pussy Ears Plant because of this.

How to Propagate Panda Plants

The good news is that panda plants, also known as pussy ears, can be multiplied using two simple methods. This is one of many succulents that not only can be multiplied through stem cuttings but also through leaf cuttings.

The Best Time to Propagate Panda Plants

You should propagate your panda plants during the summer or spring. Their growing season is during these warm months. They therefore grow quickly during these seasons.

Additionally, the mother plant needs some time to recover and callus over the cuts when cuttings are taken from it. This aids the mother plant's quick recovery when done during the period when they are growing.

• Read More about Panda Plant (Kalanchoe Tomentosa) Care

Things You Need to Propagate a Panda Plant

Make sure you are ready before you leave. You need the following propagation tools

• A pair of sterilized scissors or a sharp blade
• Hand gloves
• Clean pots
• Well-draining potting mix soil
• A glass, jar, bottle, or container (for water propagation)
• Spray bottle
• water that has been dechlorinated and is clean.

Ideal Conditions for Propagation

Make sure you have the proper conditions for establishing the plant's roots and encouraging growth before we start propagating.

• Your cuttings require a location with strong, indirect sunlight and a consistent temperature of about 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Your cuttings are easily scorched by harsh, direct sunlight, especially in the middle of the day, if not completely killed.
• Although it's best to keep the cuttings themselves dry, the soil needs to be kept consistently moist for growth.
• A clear plastic storage bag can be used to make a humidity tent over the pot where your cuttings are being rooted.
• The plants' environment is slightly more similar to that of their natural habitat as a result of the increased moisture retention this creates.
• Repotting shouldn't take place until the roots are at least 1″ inch long, which could take up to 2 months, depending on how favorable the conditions are.

Propagating Panda Plant through Leaf Cuttings

These plant collections can be multiplied using leaf cuttings, which is the simplest way to do so. The plant produces a ton of leaves, which in turn produces a ton of baby plants.

Gathering some healthy leaves from the mother plant is the first thing you should do.

Collect Healthy Leaves

The furry surface of the leaves might be itchy for your bare hands, so wear a pair of gloves first!

When choosing leaves for propagation, pick healthy leaves. By healthy, we mean they can't be discolored or has no fungal infections. Find some healthy leaves and carefully pull them from the plant or cut them off.

Note that, it should be done nice and cool, leaving no leaf piece in that stem of the plant. Additionally, avoid taking so many leaves that the mother plant begins to appear bald. When many leaves are torn off at once, the mother plant will become fragile. Of course you don't want that.

Once you've collected some leaves, keep them in a dry place for a week or so to callus over.

Prepare the Soil and Pot

These leaves must be grown in well-draining soil. The soil blend for succulents is available online or at your neighborhood plant nursery. Your soil mix should contain equal parts of sand, peat moss, and perlite. Aeration is enhanced and the soil's capacity to drain water is increased by these components.

The soil mixture should be placed in a container or tray. To allow the extra water to drain, the pot needs drainage holes. The minimum size of the pot should be 3-4 inches. Take a larger pot if you intend to plant additional cuttings in the same container.

Once you've prepared the soil and pot, it's time for the leave cuttings to take their spot!

Plant and Wait

Leaves should be inserted into the soil at their cut ends. To keep them from rotting, make sure the leaves are covering the ground.

You can arrange the leaves in a line by placing them one at a time. Try to keep two finger gap between the cuttings.

It's not necessary that the leaves stay straight like a plant. As long as the cut end is buried in the ground, you can lay them out horizontally over the ground.

To keep the soil nice and moist, use a water bottle to spray water on it. A warm, moist environment is necessary for cuttings to become rooted. You can keep the pot inside a plastic bag or a glass container to retain moisture. Misting the cuttings will also help increase the moisture level.

Transplant Baby Plants

If you manage to keep your patience for two weeks, the cuttings will produce roots! But you must wait for them to develop a robust root system; that alone is not sufficient. Once the roots are grown about 1 inch or so, you can safely transplant them into a new home.

For the infants, prepare a pot with potting soil mixture. Each baby plant should have its own pot. During the transplanting process, be careful not to harm the roots.

New growth will start to appear just beneath the leaf cuttings over the course of the following few weeks. You can take out the leaf cuttings after they have grown a little more.

If you don't remove them, they'll fall by themselves. However, getting rid of them will encourage the baby plant to focus all of its energy on the new growth.

Propagating Panda Plants through Stem Cuttings

This approach begins by resembling the leaf method somewhat.

• Select a section of the stem that is devoid of flowers, then cut it into segments that are 2 to 3 inches long.
• Put the stem cuttings on a plate or piece of paper towel and give them time to callus over.
• Again, this could take up to 7 days, so don't rush it or you risk developing rot.
• The stem cuttings can either be planted upright or laid out on your soil.

Place them in a warm location with strong, indirect sunlight (early morning or late evening direct sunlight is fine).

After 15 to 20 days, the stems usually start to form roots, at which point you can move them into a permanent pot.

Bonus Method: Propagate With Half-Leave Cuttings

Did you know Panda Plant can be propagated by half-leave or with one-third cuttings of a leaf?

You can try this as a fun project to explore more options, so yes, it is possible. Also, you'll get more plants with this method, as one leaf can give you 2-3 new plants!

But How to Do That?

As you did previously, you must first gather some leaf cuttings. Now, cut the leaf in half using a pair of accurate scissors. You can make 3 pieces too if you wish. From left to right, the cutting should be done horizontally through the veins.

Now follow the steps:

• Keep the pieces in a dry bowl for a week to callus over. They benefit from not rotting as a result.
• Grab a container filled with potting soil.
• Into the pot go the cuttings. Ensure that the cut sides of the leaf pieces are buried in the soil.
• To maintain moisture, water the soil lightly. Periodically mist them.
• Within 3 weeks, roots will come out from the cut side of the leaf pieces.
• Transfer them into a new pot once they have grown at least an inch.

How to Propagate Panda Plant in Water?

Rather than putting the cuttings directly into the soil, you can put them in water for the roots to grow.

You can monitor the growth of the roots without disturbing them when you propagate in water, which is a benefit. They are made simple to view from the outside by using a transparent glass or vase.

Follow the steps to propagate Panda Plant in water

• Take the plant's stem or leaf cuttings.
• Fill a glass, vase, or jar with warm water.
• Put the cuttings in the water.
• To avoid damaging the entire leaf, only the cut ends of leaf cuttings should come in contact with water. Leaves should always be over water when taking stem cuttings.
• Making a hole in the center will allow the cuttings to pass through without falling off is possible by covering the container's mouth with a transparent plastic wrap.
• Maintain the container in a warm location and expose it to direct sunlight.
• You'll notice roots forming in two weeks!
• You can now plant the roots in a potting soil mixture once they have grown to a diameter of 1-2 inches.

How to Care for Your Baby Panda Plants?

A plant that has been multiplied requires a little extra care as they learn how to stand upright in this world! You must monitor their development and needs.

Follow these tips to care for your baby Panda Plants after a successful propagation

• Keep the soil moist for the young plant at first. However, avoid overwatering. (Read More: How To Save Overwatered Panda Plants)
• For a week, continue misting frequently. Reduce the frequency of misting after about a week.
• Allow them to receive adequate indirect sunlight while protecting them from harmful levels of exposure.
• If you intend to keep them outdoors, be sure to keep them in an area where they can receive filtered sunlight or partial shade.
• They might need to be in a bigger pot as they get older if the pot is smaller. Determine whether the plant is happy or whether it feels pressured by its container.

Conclusion: Panda Plants Propagation

It's simple to grow this species of succulent. To get started, you can buy a potted plant from a nursery, divide an offset, or take a leaf or stem cutting.