Propagating Succulents Workshop-PCSS March 2025.pptx

A program /workshop presented at the March 2025 Meeting of the Philadelphia Cactus & Succulent Society by Mike Slater

A discussion of Haworthia propagation with exaples. Beheading, leaf cuttings, root cuttings and seed sowing. Also a mention of online sources for buying Haworthias.

Followed by a discussion of how to sow seeds of succulents and care for them after germination. Including soil mix, top dressing, and plastic containers to maintain humidity.

Followed by a step by step procedure for seed sowing.
Four basic cactus & seeds per persion; 2 mammalarias, 1 Lobivia and one "Mesemb Mix" all from Mesa Garden. With 8 kinds of extras available for $! a vial of ~ 20 Lithops species.

Followed by a brief discussion of how to grow Lithops on. Follow thier cycles and don't water Lithops when they are "splitting"

1. Propagating some succulents by Mike Slater

2. Part 1 Propagating Haworthias

3. Haworthia Propagation a quick guide by Mike Slater [email protected]

4. Disclaimer I’ve been growing easy Haworthias for over 15 years, but I've only been growing really “good” ones for about 3 years. Even in this short time I’ve had some experiences I think are worth sharing with other beginners. 4

5. Propagation of Haworthias (and Gasterias ) Leaf cuttings Beheading Root cuttings (Something I have to try!) Seed sowing 5

6. Tools for Haworthia leaf cutting & root maintenance Use a sharp, fine knife like an “ Exacto ” or a scalpel. I use a scoop-blade scalpel that I bought from Renny’s Haworthia maughanii.com

7. Example Haworthia ‘Inca Rose’ is one of my favorite Haworthias. Last October my plant developed crown rot. One or two of the newer leaves started rotting at their bases. (Maybe I got water in the crown that didn’t dry quickly enough?) So, I beheaded it! I sterilized my scalpel with alcohol and then cut away all of the necrotic tissue. I also removed 3 leaves (with a bit of the stem tissue!) for propagation And I cleaned up the roots while I had it out of the pot.

8. Example I let the plant and the 3 good leaves sit out in open air for 5 days to allow healing to begin. Then with the cuts all callused over I potted up the plant in fresh potting mix that was damp, not wet. Then I inserted the 3 leaves into another pot of fresh, damp potting mix. I let them sit this way for a day or two then waterered them lightly. The soil was regularly watered lightly as for my other Haworthias in winter.

9. Example Five months later the “beheaded” plant has grown 4 or 5 nice new pups in the center!

10. Example They need to get a little bigger before I cut them free and pot them up individually. Late spring should be a good time for this procedure as they are summer growers.

11. A leaf cutting After a month or two I gently tugged on the 3 leaves to see if they were rooted and one was, but the other two pulled out and were no good, they were starting to rot at their bases, so I discarded them. Now after 5 months the remaining leaf has a new plant poking up from the soil beside it!

12. Dealing with root dieback same idea as crown rot! Treat it the same way. Cut out the bad, let it callus and then plant in damp potting soil It’s not a big deal and usually gives you opportunities for propagation!

13. Dealing with root dieback or removing pups same idea as crown rot! Treat it the same way. Cut out the bad, let it dry & callus and then plant in damp potting soil It’s not a big deal and usually gives you opportunities for propagation!

14. Renny’s Haworthia videos on YouTube https://youtu.be/kfX_PupOsR0

15. Haworthia Root Dieback just happens sometimes and crown rot does too. Crown rot may be from water sitting in the center, but sometimes it just seems to occur spontaneously. A little surgery and a few days of dry recovery to let tissue callus, followed by potting up in dampend , fresh potting soil will have good new roots growing within a month or two! Sometimes online (or mail order) purchased plants will arrive with few or no roots treat them the same way. Leaf cuttings can be done at the same time. Dividing and removing pups; use the same treatment. 15

16. Haworthia splendens hybrid From Artisan Plants by George Theodoris artisanplants.com 16

17. Etsy Vendors I have purchased from that I’ve been happy with the quality plants I’ve received. CactusLimon 1amsucculents KongerGarden CactusBoard SucculentLoft 17 FloraExotica KylesPlants LittleGardenGemz AurorasGardenShop MySucculentCorner

18. 18 Haworthia from root cuttings. – Something I will be trying very soon!

19. My Soil mix for Haworthias (all amounts are approximate!) My Haworthia soil mix 2 or 3 parts - Potting soil (I used to use Promix BX, but I’ve now switched to CocoLoco ). 1 part Turface or Fair Play or similar calcined clay product. 1 part Pumice ½ part Akadama (Like Deb Donaldson, I like to add akadama to my Haworthia soil mix.) 19

20. Recycle Soil mix or not? I always use fresh from the bag soil mix ingredients for my “good” and “best” plants. When repotting and especially when dealing with diseased plants or ones with root mealy bugs, the old potting mix goes on my outdoor compost pile with our kitchen and garden scraps to be used around the yard. If the old potting mix looks good and not compacted, I keep it for potting up larger and older plants or for plants like our summer annuals. If you want to reuse it for seed sowing or “good” plants, I would pasturize or “sterilize” it as described in recent PCSS programs by Steve and Will. 20

21. Also, I have been playing around with hybridizing my Haworthias for the last year. I have gotten some seed and have had some good results. Right: A Haworthia flower 21

22. This is the end of my Haworthia propagation talk. NEXT growing Haworthias , cacti and other succulents from seed. 22 Some of my 8- or 9-month-old Haworthia seedlings.

23. Part 2 Growing succulents from seed

24. Raising plants from seed is fun and it doesn’t have to be hard! I’m going to quickly run through some ideas and talking points. Then I’ll come back a go through a step by step of today’s seed sowing procedure ,with pictures!

25. Raising plants from seed is fun and it doesn’t have to be hard! Just a few simple things to remember. You don’t need to sterilize the soil mix IF YOU USE NEW commercial potting soil and amendments right out of the bag. Don’t reuse soil for seed growing, Tamp down the soil gently. Make the sowing surface is as even as possible. If the seeds you’re sowing are very tiny , like Lithops or Conophytum seed, the put a thin layer of top Turface on top of the soil before you sow the seed. Sprinkle the seed on the “gravel” as happens in nature. Don’t bury the seed deeply. Most need light to germinate . Just a light sprinkle of top dressing is all that is needed. I use calcined clay (Turface or Fair Ball) as the top dressing for all my seed pots because it changes color when we or dry, so you can tell when water is needed! Keep the seed pots moist until the seeds have almost all germinated Use lights, not a window, to avoid overheating, but bottom warmth is good. I use a middle shelf in a light stand.

26. Two common Calcined clay products. Now available from SiteOne Supplies

27. After sowing Keep the seed pots covered & moist until the seeds have all germinated Keep the pots covered with plastic (or glass) to keep them moist. Plastic deli or sandwich containers with lids work great for just a few pots! Use lights, not a window, to avoid overheating, but bottom warmth is good. I use a middle shelf in a light stand. Germination is is quick with Lithops and other Mesembs , 7 to 14 days and Cacti and Haworthias are only a little slower, they usually take 14 to 21 days for me. A little green algae on the surface of the pot won’t hurt the seedlings, But BLUE-GREEN ALGAE (Cyanobacteria) can form a thick slime that can smother seedlings. Drying out the surface is the only way to stop it. So, I water seeds and seedlings only with our tap water, not rainwater, but we have a well, so it is chlorine free. It isn’t sterile, but it doesn’t contain algae or bacterial spores. DO NOT USE DISTILLED WATER. (Osmotic shock will kill your plants!) Boil and cool your tap water if you wish. This will kill most spores and remove chlorine too. Accommodating the seedlings to the real world. When the are 3 weeks to a month old then I start opening the container slightly to start acclimating them to the lower humidity in the real world. But still mist them. Twice a day for the first week uncovered, then once a day for another week, and then every other day before finally going to the once a week misting/light watering they get during their growing season. (Spring through fall for most plants.)

28. Growing on Mesembs Deep watering is NEVER needed until the plants are mature, if then! I never water my Lithops or Conophytums deeply. Lithops seem to do best treated as “summer-fall growers” Don’t water Lithops until they are done with their “spring split.” While Conophytums are better treated as “Fall-winter growers” with a first light misting in late August or early September here in PA. Faucarias aren’t fussy and seem to like misting and regular watering. Monilarias on the other hand seem to need a thorough watering every week or two during their fall/winter growing season. And Delospermas will grow and look best with regular moisture (if the soil is well aerated/well drained.) Most of them are from the eastern and thus wetter part of South Africa. Haworthias also look and grow best for me if not kept too dry. Dampness at their roots all during the growing season keeps them happy. But they tend to rest during December and January and need little water then in my greenhouse. Growing them under lights is a different story, it depends on how much light and warmth you give them!

29. Be patient! It may take months or years before the plants begin to acquire their adult characteristics, i.e. juvenile plants may look boring and plain until they are 3 or more years old, but when they get going surprises may happen!

30. Succulents and cacti from seed Where to get seeds Sowing mix. Sowing & Top dressing Watering Potting on

31. Where to get seeds Now I buy all mine from Mesa Garden in New Mexico. I have bought some seeds from the CSSA , but they had fewer seeds in their packets than I like. I have gotten good seed of hardy cacti from the North American Rock Garden Society’s seed exchange. The only other place I have gotten succulent seed is a seller on Etsy where I found Monilaria moniliformis seed. I germinated and grew well. I have 7 plants now from the 10 seeds in the vial.

32. For this workshop I have a variety of seeds ready in small plastice vials with hinged, snap-top caps. r All the seeds for today’s workshop came from Mesa Garden.

33. Mesagarden.com

34. Check their “News” taB to see what’s newly available.

35. Succulents and cacti from seed Where to get seeds Sowing mix. Sowing & Top dressing Watering Potting on

36. Potting soil mix for seeds Start with a commercial soil mix Today we’re using CocoLoco , but I’ve used Promix BX in the past with good success. A calcined clay soil amendment like Turface or Fair Ball. That’s it. (I do add a little akadama & pumice for Haworthias .) Seedlings need a little bit more moisture retentive soil than mature plants.

37. Succulents and cacti from seed Where to get seeds Sowing mix. Sowing & Top dressing Watering Potting on

38. Top dressing for seeds I use a calcined clay soil amendment like Turface or Fair Ball because the color change when it dries out allows me to accurately know when to water. For very tiny seeds (like the Lithops and the mesembs mix” today I put a thin layer of top dressing on the soil BEFORE I sow the seeds! The seeds are scattered on top using a small piece of paper with two slight creases at right angles to each other for more even distribution than sowing straight out of the vials.

39. Two common Calcined clay products. Now available from SiteOne Supplies

40. To sterilize or not sterilize? I don’t sterilize potting soil or seed sowing soil mixes ( except when I’m growing ferns from spores.) If I did, I’d never get any seed sowing done! Using new ingredients is the key. Straight from the bag. I have never had fungus problems. However, if you reuse potting soils, you should sterilize or maybe pasteurize* is a better word, before using it for seed sowing. * you need an autoclave to get the temperature above 220 o F with pressure to really kill all spores and sterilize soil. At 212 o F you are killing most bacterial and fungal spores but hopefully just the bad ones.

41. Succulents and cacti from seed Where to get seeds Sowing mix Top dressing Watering Potting on

42. Use a sprayer to water the seeds and seedlings Hand sprayers, 1) squeeze or 2) pump types work. 3) In my greenhouse I use a 2 gallon pump sprayer (with the red handle” 2 1 3

43. Today’s Seeds and supplies Basic supplies per person- 4 brown plastic pots. 2” x 2” in size. Potting soil to fill them. ½ Cup of Turface in a “snack” baggie. 4 vials of seeds.

44. Today’s seeds Cacti: Mammillaria aurihamata #560 (12 seeds/vial) Mammillaria bocensis #577.5 (15 seeds/vial) Lobivia aurea #524 (12 seeds/vial) (photo at left) ` “ Mesemb Mix” sold in grams all species #5005 (20 seeds/vial) “A South African species seed mix from Aloinopsis to Vanheerdea (not separated into individual genus/species packets) Grow and be surprised!”

45. Today’s “Extra” seeds Extras available for $1.00 each of these Lithops also from Mesa Gardens. About 20 vials (containing 20+ seeds) of each of the following: Lithops bromfieldii #1550.56 Lithops bromfieldii #1560.7 Lithops julii (SH718) #1621.014 * Lithops julii (C63) #1617 ** Lithops karasmontana (C208) #1625.86 ** Lithops karasmontana (C65) #1633 ** Lithops karasmontana #1634 Lithops salicola (C86) #1709 ** Lithops salicola (C49) #1708 ** Lithops julii (C63) #1617 **

46. About the numbers The #’s are Mesa Gardens Seed Accesion numbers. These never change, even if they would change or correct the name! “SH” numbers are Originally from Silver Hill Seeds in Capetown South Africa. “C “= Cole numbers These were the collection numbers of Desmond and Naureen Cole the premier collectors and botanists for Lithops species in South Africa in the latter half of the 20 th century. Information about the 400+ Cole numbers is easily available at several websites including: Lithops julii (C63) #1617 **

47. Cole Numbers From: Lithops.info http://www.lithops.info/en/lists/lld.html

48. Cole Numbers From: https:// lithops-passion.com /living-stones/cole-numbers/

49. wHAT YOUR SEEDLINGS SHOULD LOOK LIKE AFTER ABOUT one month or so… Mesemb Mix #5005 Lithops bromfieldii #1550.56

50. The 3 cacti after 3 weeks

51. Mesemb mix after 3 weeks

52. 7 week old Haworthia seedlings.

53. 10 Month old Haworthia seedlings. Ready for potting up!

54. Soil – pot – top dressing – seed – misting How to prepare the pot and sow the seed Step by step…

55. Fill pots evenly and almost to the brim Press lightly to even the surface so seeds You don’t wan the seeds to fall in crevices which may delay or prevent germination. Promotes even germination. Don’t press to much and compact the soil. You will remove too much air space (required for good root growth) and impede drainage. If the seeds are tiny, minute or dust-like Put top dressing of calcined clay (Turface or Fair Ball) down first. Just a thin layer! Then sow the seeds on top of the top dressing.

56. Fill pots evenly and almost to the brim

57. If the seeds are really tiny, almost dust-like, put a thin layer of top dressing on first.

58. To spread the seeds evenly, I find it better to transfer the seeds from the vial to a creased square of paper.

59. Hold the paper over the pot and tap it very gently to distribute the seeds evenly over the whole pot.

60. After the seeds are sown, spray the surface with water to settle the seeds in.

61. The main reason I like to use calcined clay as top dressing is because the color change from wet to dry tells me when watering is needed!

62. What to do with the pots after sowing the seeds Keep them in a closed plastic container or bag. I keep mine under grow-lights and all succulents seem to germinate well. I use a middle shelf of my grow light stand so they get some warmth from below as well as light from above. Some people keep their pots in the dark until germination, then bring out under lights.

63. What to do with the pots after sowing the seeds BUT germination for these seeds will happen in 7 to 14 days so if you do this check them every day! Leaving them in dark, after germination, for even a day or two will cause them to become stretched (etiolated) and this can greatly weaken them if they use up all the food that was stored in the seed before they get light to make their own food (sugars) by photosynthesis and they may die!

64. What to do with the pots after sowing the seeds If you put them In a greenhouse or on a window sill be careful that they don’t get too hot. I keep mine either under grow-lights or in my greenhouse and all succulents seem to germinate well.

65. After Germination After you think all the seeds have germinated that are going to; then gradually leave the lid open a crack and slowly acclimate them to your room’s humidity. Keep opening the container more and more until the cover is fully off or the bag is open.

66. Green algae A little green algae on the surface of the pot won’t hurt the seedlings, But BLUE-GREEN ALGAE (Cyanobacteria) can form a thick slime that can smother seedlings. Drying out the surface is the only way to stop it. So, I water seeds and seedlings only with our tap water, not rainwater, but we have a well, so it is chlorine free. It isn’t sterile, but it doesn’t contain algae or bacterial spores. DO NOT USE DISTILLED WATER. (Osmotic shock will kill your plants!) Boil and cool your tap water if you wish. This will kill most spores and remove chlorine too.

67. After they’re “out of the bag” For the Lithops and other mesembs and succulents like Haworthias just mist them twice a day for a week or so then as they grow taper off to once a day and then finally once every couple of days and finally treat them as adults with weekly watering. For cacti, I don’t know yet. I’m sure experienced people in the audience can help with this question! I never bottom water seed pots, you don’t want the soil to remain saturated for too long. Jut mist them!

68. A quick guide to growing Lithops Watch the plants and follow their needs. Don’t water them at all when they are splitting! Most do their splitting now in late winter and eary spring! A few may wait to mid spring. Under lights their timing might get off!

69. A quick guide to growing Lithops Experts like Steven Hammer consider Lithops to be summer growing plants, but some are from winter rainfall areas along the coast of Namaqualand and Namibia.

70. A quick guide to growing Lithops So, giving them at least a weekly misting in the summer helps keeps some root hairs alive and active. If Lithops are allowed to be completely dry for a long time, make the first couple of waterings a light misting, not a soaking drench. This will allow fine roots and root hairs to begin growing and allow the plant to begin to take up the water. Otherwise, the soil can remain wet constantly and cause root rot.

71. A quick guide to growing Lithops These 3 year old Lithops lesleii seedlings are almost done with their splits and the old leaves are nearly dried up after all the water and nutrients have been reabsorbed from them by the plant. It is safe to give them a misting.

72. A quick guide to growing Lithops I mainly mist my lithops or occasionally just water them very lightly. I usually don’t wet the soil in the pot more than ½ to 1 inch inch deep.