How to: Propagate Jade plants

Jade plants are my favorite houseplant, and are also one of the plants that I think I know the most about. I started with one or two of them, and over time that number has increased to the six Jades that I have now. Propagation of Jades is very easy!

When I first wanted to propagate my Jade plant, I thought that I could take a leaf or cutting and just put it in some water. That is what I had done with some of my Ivy plants, so I figured that the propagation would work the same way. Needless to say, no new roots appeared and the plant cutting just died after a while in the water.

After this happened, I talked to my mom (she is my gardening teacher) and she told me that all I needed to do was take a leaf or cutting and put it in soil. This technique has been working great for me. All that I do is take off a leaf and rest it against the side of the pot with the end of it just resting on the top of the soil. You don’t need to water it at all at first. I just water it sparingly about a week or so after sticking it in the dirt. You can start watering it more often once some roots start to develop.

Starting a new plant from a leaf does take some time, but if you would like to have a larger Jade plant in a shorter amount of time, you can use a cutting from a healthy Jade plant to put in the soil. I don’t usually do this, but if you would like to, you should cut it just under a node and then let the cut end dry out (this may take about 1-2 weeks) before you stick it in some moist soil. Again, water sparingly at first, and increase waterings as the root system develops.

I hope I’ve given you some insight into propagating your Jade plants. This technique should work with most succulents just fine! If you have any questions, just let me know and I will be glad to give/find the answer for you!

Tags: Houseplants