Kalanchoe Propagation Guide for Beginners

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Kalanchoe plants are stunning to look at, and they can add a great pop of color and a unique look to your home. Propagating these plants is a great way to grow your collection or create a good gift for those close to you.

So, how do you propagate a Kalanchoe plant?

Kalanchoe plants are fairly easy to propagate. You can propagate these plants through both stem and leaf cuttings successfully. Both propagation methods are similar, but they can take some time to achieve, so ensure you propagate well in advance if you want to give a Kalanchoe as a gift.

How do you propagate a Kalanchoe through a stem cutting? How do you propagate it through a leaf cutting? Can you use water to propagate your Kalanchoe plant?

Let’s find out!

How to Grow Kalanchoe From Cuttings

Kalanchoe plants are beautiful, thick-leaved succulents common in many homes and stores. These plants produce small clusters of tiny flowers held above the foliage by long stems.

As these plants are stunning, you might wish to propagate yours to increase your collection or give them out as gifts to the people close to you. Whatever your reason for propagating your Kalanchoe plant, you can rest easy knowing that the propagation of this plant is relatively easy to accomplish.

You can use a few methods to propagate Kalanchoe plants, but the first method we will go through is propagation by stem cuttings. So, let’s see how to propagate your Kalanchoe plant using this method.

Choose the Right Kalanchoe to Cut From

When you want to propagate a Kalanchoe plant, you need to ensure you choose the right plant to take cuttings from, or you might struggle to get the cuttings to root. Firstly, you need to choose a fully mature plant.

Then you need to inspect the plant closely to ensure the plant is healthy and in good condition. The plant needs to be free from diseases and pests and looks vibrant, with large leaves. Watch out for any leaves that look bruised, brown, or yellow, as this could indicate a disease is present.

You need to choose the right plant according to these factors to ensure the cutting you take is healthy and will produce a healthy plant. Once you have chosen your plant, you can move to the next step.

Make the Cut

Before you cut, you need to sanitize your scissors with rubbing alcohol to avoid spreading disease and pests from one plant to another. You need to remember to sanitize your scissors after each plant you cut.

Examine your Kalanchoe plant and choose a healthy stem that has one stem or leaf node on it, along with a few healthy leaves above this node. Carefully cut the stem slightly below the node but ensure there are at least three inches of stem in the cutting. Ensure it’s a clean cut, done in one smooth motion.

How to Handle a New Kalanchoe Cutting

Once you have your Kalanchoe stem cutting, you cannot go straight into rooting the cutting. With Kalanchoe plants, you need the cutting to callus over at the cut site before you can carry on with the propagation process.

You need to leave the cutting in bright indirect sunlight and leave it there until the cut end starts to look scarred over. This process can take a while, sometimes taking up to a week long, so you will need to be patient with this stage of the process.

This stage of the propagation method is important as it can help prevent diseases from infecting your new Kalanchoe plant.

Prepare a Growing Mixture

When your Kalanchoe cutting has been calloused over, you can now continue with the propagation. You will need to prepare a growing mix for your Kalanchoe cuttings to ensure they have everything they need to root and grow into healthy plants.

You will need to mix equal parts perlite, sand, and peat moss. This will create a great growing medium for your Kalanchoe cuttings as it’s well-draining but still has some nutrients.

Rooting the Kalanchoe Cutting

Now you are ready to help your Kalanchoe cuttings root. Pour the growing mixture into a sterile plant pot until the pot is full. Wet the growing mix until it’s damp all the way through. The pot size you have will dictate the number of Kalanchoe cuttings you can root in it.

Plant pots 3 to 4 inches can only hold one plant cutting, while pots 5 to 6 inches around can hole two to three plant cuttings. Using a finger, dig a hole in the damp growing mixture.

You can place some rooting or growth hormone into this hole before placing the cutting in, but this is optional. Then place the cutting into this hole until the first leave is just above the soil. Pack the soil around the cutting firmly to help hold the cutting in place.

Place the plant pot with your Kalanchoe cutting into a location where it will receive bright indirect sunlight and wait for the plant to grow.

Mist the Kalanchoe Cutting As It Roots

It can take several weeks for the cutting to develop roots, so during this time, you need to keep the cutting in good condition and ensure it is receiving everything it needs to survive. You should follow a misting schedule with your cuttings to ensure the soil stays moist but not damp.

To ensure the soil is moist, you might need to mist your Kalanchoe cutting two to three times per day. This will depend on your location and weather, so you will need to monitor your cutting closely to establish a schedule.

Transplant the New Kalanchoe

After about two to three months, your Kalanchoe should have some well-developed roots that are 1 inch long. You can transplant these cuttings into their own separate plant pots and treat the new plants as you would a seedling to ensure it establishes well.

You now have new Kalanchoe plants that are healthy and growing happily! These plants are ready to join your collection or be given as a gift to the people you love.

How to Propagate Kalanchoe from Leaves

Propagating your Kalanchoe plant through stem cuttings is a pretty easy process, even though it can take a week to finish. Stem cuttings are a wonderful way to propagate your Kalanchoe plant, but what if you don’t have a healthy stem long enough for this method?

Thankfully, Kalanchoe plants are one of the many succulent plants that can be propagated through their leaves. This is also a relatively easy process, but it can also take a while to complete.

Before starting this propagation method, you will need to choose the right Kalanchoe plant to take a leaf cutting from, using the same specifications mentioned in the stem cutting method above.

Once you have found a suitable Kalanchoe plant to take a leaf cutting from, you can continue with the steps below to propagate your plant.

Make the Cut

Once you have found a healthy Kalanchoe plant in good condition and free from diseases and pests, you can begin harvesting your leaf cuttings for propagation. On the plant you have chosen, search for a good-looking leaf.

You need a large leaf with good vibrant color and no bruising. The leaf should be lovely and fat, and this will help it survive through the propagation process well and produce a healthy plant. Once you have found a good leaf, you will need to cut the leaf from the plant.

You need to use sterile scissors and ensure the cut is in one smooth motion. Cut the leaf from the stem as close to the stem as possible.

Handling a New Kalanchoe Leaf Cutting

Just like with the stem cuttings, the leaf-cutting will need to be calloused before you can continue with the propagation process. Place the leaf in an area with bright and indirect sunlight and leave it there for a while.

Callousing the leaf-cutting can take up to a week, so you need patience. You will need to leave the leaf in this location until the cut looks scarred over. This is important as it will help protect the cutting from diseases that could affect the health of the new plant.

Prepare a Growing Mixture

When your Kalanchoe leaf cutting has been calloused over, you can now continue with the propagation. In the same way, as with the stem cuttings, you will need to prepare a growing mix for your Kalanchoe leaf cuttings to ensure they have everything they need to root and grow into healthy plants.

You will need to mix equal parts perlite, sand, and peat moss. This will create a great growing medium for your Kalanchoe cuttings as it’s well-draining but still has some nutrients.

Rooting the Kalanchoe Cutting

Now you are ready to help your Kalanchoe leaf cuttings root. Fill a sterile plant pot with the growing mixture. Wet the growing mix until it’s damp all the way through. The pot’s dimensione will determine the number of Kalanchoe leaf cuttings you can root in it.

Plant pots 3 to 4 inches can only hold one plant cutting, while pots 5 to 6 inches around can hole two to three plant cuttings. Using a finger, dig a hole in the damp growing mixture.

You can place some rooting or growth hormone in this hole before placing the leaf-cutting in the soil, but this is optional and not entirely necessary for the plant’s growth.

Place the leaf-cutting into this hole until the start of the leaf is in the soil. Pack the soil around the leaf-cutting firmly to help hold the leaf in place.

Place the plant pot with your Kalanchoe cutting into a location where it will receive bright indirect sunlight and wait for the plant to grow.

Mist the Kalanchoe Cutting As It Roots

It can take several weeks for the cutting to develop roots, especially from a leaf cutting, as there are no nodes. So, while you wait for the cutting to sprout roots, you need to keep the cutting in good condition and ensure it is receiving everything it needs to survive.

You should follow a misting schedule with your leaf cuttings to ensure the soil stays moist but not damp. To ensure the soil is moist, you might need to mist your Kalanchoe leaf-cutting three to four times per day.

This will vary on your location and climate, so you will need to monitor your cutting closely to establish a misting schedule for your plants.

Transplant the New Kalanchoe

Leaf cuttings will take longer to grow roots and develop than stem cuttings, so you will need patience while you wait. After about four to five months, your Kalanchoe should have some well-developed roots that are 1 inch long.

Once the roots are this long, you can transplant these cuttings into their own separate plant pots and treat the new plants as you would a seedling to ensure it establishes well. While transplanting your new plants, you need to be careful as the new roots are sensitive, so don’t pull on them too hard.

You now have new Kalanchoe plants that are healthy and should continue growing happily! These plants are ready to join your collection or be given as a gift to the people you love.

Can You Grow Kalanchoe in Water?

One great thing about the Kalanchoe plant is that if you don’t have the correct soil mix or the components to create your own, you can root your Kalanchoe cuttings in water.

When you root your Kalanchoe cutting in water, you must ensure that only the bottom half of the stem or leaf is in the water. A good way to do this is by using plastic wrap.

Fill a jar with water and place some plastic wrap over it with a rubber band around the top of the jar to hold the wrap in place. Poke a hole into the plastic wrap and place your cutting through the hole. This should stop the entire cutting from falling into the water and dying.

Final Thoughts

Kalanchoe plants are gorgeous plants that have a huge fan base. These plants are easy to propagate and can be propagated through both stem and leaf cuttings, depending on your preference.

You can root the Kalanchoe cuttings in water, so you can still propagate your plant if you don’t have extra pots or the correct potting soil. Good luck with propagating your Kalanchoe plants!

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