How to Grow Kalanchoe Plants

For this project, I am propagating succulents known as Kalanchoe. There are two different ways to do this. This first is by cutting healthy stems off the plant and the second is by pinching off leaves.

1 Kalanchoe plant

Moisture control potting soil

A clay pot or pots

A plastic bag or bags

Water

Time

After snipping the stems or removing the leaves, let both dry out for three days. A process known as “callusing.” This is important to do as it allows the Kalanchoe cuttings to develop a scab of sorts at its potential root system.

On the third day, take a clay pot and fill it with quick-drying soil. Clay pots work best for cacti and succulents because they do not hold on to any excess water. Place the stems into the soil as you would for any other plant. As for the leaves, place those upright into the soil. The end that was attached to the stem should be in the dirt.

After potting, give the Kalanchoes a slight amount of water, but not enough to saturate the entire pot. Check the pots once a week to see if they need any additional watering, but the soil should be allowed to dry out completely first.

Kalanchoes are native to tropical regions of Africa and love warm, humid weather. The best way to simulate this environment for them is by placing a plastic bag over the pot then puncturing a few holes on top.

With all of the other steps completed, let the new plants sit in a warm place. Be sure not to keep it in direct sunlight or they might burn. A sunny window will work, but I placed mine in the shade of a bush. After a period of two to three weeks, the Kalanchoe cuttings should take root and begin to bud. The leaf cuttings will develop smaller leaves on its edges.

After several months since rooting them, here is how they turned out! Every one of the cuttings survived and turned out quite beautifully.