The jade plant is well-known for its ease of propagation. New plants can be propagated from a single leaf or cutting taken from a parent plant, giving you the opportunity to dramatically increase your collection with ease. The best time to propagate jade plants is during the summer when they're most likely to receive ample sunlight and humidity. Here's how:
To propagate with cuttings:
- Start by taking a cutting that is at least 2 to 3 inches long. It should be taken from a healthy, mature plant that is free from disease.
- Allow the cutting to sit for several days in a warm, dry place. You are ready to proceed once the end of the cutting has dried out and scabbed over.
- Dip the wound of the cutting in a rooting hormone powder.
- Plant the cut end of the stem in a pot containing a mixture of half soil, half vermiculite (or perlite).
- Water sparingly, just until the potting mixture is damp. Your cutting should take root in a few weeks, at which point you can begin to care for the cutting as you would a normal jade plant.
To propagate with leaves:
- Start by taking a leaf cutting that includes the stem of the leaf (twisting it from the plant gently can help). Cuttings without this intact will not root. It should be taken from a healthy, mature plant that is free from disease.
- Allow the cutting to sit for several days in a warm, dry place. You are ready to proceed once the end of the cutting has dried out and scabbed over.
- Dip the wound of the cutting in a rooting hormone powder.
- Place the cutting on top of a potting soil blend that contains half soil, half vermiculite (or perlite). The leaf cutting does not need to be buried; simply making contact with the soil will be sufficient enough to prompt growth.
- Place the plant in a warm bright place, misting occasionally to keep the plant barely moist. Roots and baby plants should begin appearing around the edge of the leaf, at which point you can begin to care for the cutting like a traditional jade plant.
