Can I propagate succulents in winter? Yes you can! I discovered an easy trick that makes propagating succulents in the winter almost as easy as it is during the summer. Keep reading and I will show you exactly how to do it step by step.
It’s extremely easy to propagate succulents in the summer. Heck, with all that warmth and humidity, they sometimes even root themselves without any help from us at all.
Succulent propagation during the winter is a different story. During the colder months, they go into a dormant state, and rooting them is much more challenging.
But don’t worry, you won’t need to buy any special equipment for this fun project. I’ll show you exactly how I do it step by step, so you can try it for yourself.
Can You Propagate Succulents In Winter?
Yes, you CAN propagate succulents in winter… and it doesn’t have to be difficult either! I found a way of doing it very easily, with no equipment or supplies necessary – and it was completely by accident. Here’s how it happened.
I have a wonderful ledge next to my south facing window where my plants live during the winter. One day, I found a fallen succulent leaf that had roots and new growth!
When it fell from the plant, it landed on the adjacent window frame. It’s a cold but sunny spot, where the leaf received moisture from condensation on the window.
When I found it sprouting on the window ledge, I was intrigued. I wanted to see if this was a fluke, or something that would work all the time.
So, I took a few more that had fallen from others, and put them on the window frame too. Sure enough, it worked! After a few weeks, they started to put on new growth, and the roots became fuller.
Woohoo!! This is going to be my new method of propagating succulents in the winter.
Related Post: How To Make An Indoor Succulent Garden
How To Propagate Succulents In Winter
The best part about my method of propagating succulents in winter is that they don’t need any help or special care. When given the right conditions, they will root just fine on their own.
Here are the step so you can try it yourself. All you need are either leaves or stem cuttings, and a sunny, cool, windowsill that gets a bit of condensation.
Step 1: Cut a stem or break off a leaf – All you need to do is carefully break off a leaf or cut a piece of the stem.
When you break off a leaf, make sure you get the whole thing. A half broken one won’t root. You can see in the photo below examples of both a bad break (on the left), and a good one (on the right).
Step 2: Dust the end with rooting hormone (optional) – If you would like to get them to root faster, try dusting the cut end with rooting hormone before putting it by the window. This is completely optional though.
Step 3: Let them sit – Now you have to play the waiting game. It can take a few weeks or longer to propagate succulents in winter, so be patient. The fun part is that you get to watch the roots forming the entire time, which is always very exciting!
Step 4: Pot them up – Once the roots are one inch or longer, then you can plant them in a pot. Make sure to either use a fast-draining mix, or a gritty one.
Leaves with tiny roots or babies at the bottom can just be laid on top of the soil, with the roots pointing down.
Related Post: How To Make Your Own Succulent Soil (With Recipe!)
Keep them on the dry side through the winter, and be very careful not to overwater. If this is a problem for you, then get an inexpensive moisture gauge to help you get it right. Read my detailed succulent plant care guide for more info.
If you find it difficult to propagate succulents during the winter, give this method a try. It’s a fun experiment, and a great way to keep busy during the long winter months. If it works for you, stop back and let me know.
Do you want to be able to propagate any plant you want? Then you’ll love my Plant Propagation Made Easy eBook! It will teach you all the basic methods so you can have the best success. Download your copy today!
More About Plant Propagation
- How To Propagate Jade Plants From Cuttings
- The Best Plant Propagation Tools, Equipment & Supplies
- Plant Propagation: A Detailed Guide For Beginners
- How To Propagate Aloe Vera By Division
- Propagating String Of Pearls In Water Or Soil
Do you propagate succulents in winter? Leave a comment below and share your tips.
Jane says
I want to try your windowsill method for propagating cuttings and leaves from jade plants. My south-facing window usually doesn’t get condensation, though. The current humidity, with the air conditioner in use, is between 50% and 65%. Later, when we run the heat pump, the humidity will be below 50%. Should I mist the leaves and cuttings? Would another method be better?
Amy Andrychowicz says
If there’s no condensation around your windows during the winter, then yes you could mist your succulent cuttings lightly. However, be careful it doesn’t stay too wet, and don’t do it if your sills are made of wood. If it’s warm outside, then I would use the regular method instead.
Martin le Maitre says
Hi! Great article, thank you!
Context:
I live in Johannesburg in South Africa.
We’re heading into winter, which is very dry, and night-time temperatures can (occasionally) fall to -2 C (I’m guessing that’s about 28/29 F…?). Possibly -4 C once every few years.
A friend of mine had a BIG Pachypodium Lamerei in her garden… about 5 feet high, and maybe 10 inches diameter at the base. I don’t have a common name for it, sorry – and even if I did, it would probably be different from yours!
It’s an upright cactussy type thing, with long straight vertical branches, and vicious double-headed thorns spiralling around it – a VERY thorny plant.
It’s unusual to me that it has leaves growing at the tips of the branches which are not juicy and succulent, more like a leaf from an oleander or a eucalyptus.
It was hammered last winter by a black frost. The lower half was completely frozen, then rotted, then dried. Amazingly, it still held the growing top half up, but crumbled to dust as soon as she touched it. She chopped off the growing half and handed it (very carefully!) to me to see if I could get it to grow some new roots.
Problems:
But, as I say, it’s a HUGE, fat cutting, about 3 feet long and 8 inches across at the base. And “Winter is Coming”… Furthermore, there is only a short section of really fat trunk at the base, which I would like to save for the overall form.
Ideas:
I had no idea that succulents are dormant in winter, thanks for that, live and learn!
I would like to plant it no more than an inch deep in soil, supported by rocks or wires, and gradually grow more roots until it can support itself. I had planned to remove a row of thorns from the bottom and dust the wounds with rooting hormone – i figured these areas might be packed with growth cells.
But… Winter…
I would be grateful for any advice you can offer.
Best – Martin
Amy Andrychowicz says
That is a very cool plant indeed! The common name for it here in the states is “Madagascar Palm”. Bad timing on having to root the large cutting with winter so near. I would do just as you said, dust it with rooting hormone and put it into a large pot. I don’t see any need to remove the thorns at the bottom though, but I don’t think it would hurt. Just make sure you let the wounds heal and callus over for at least a week, or it could just rot. Then I would move it indoors to protect it from the cold. Don’t water it at all, and just keep an eye on it though the winter to make sure it’s not rotting or getting too dried out. Then in the spring, move it back outside once it’s warm enough. It may not do anything during the winter, which is fine. I’ve overwintered large cuttings like this before, and they rooted very quickly once I moved them outside in the spring. Good luck!
Martin le Maitre says
Thanks Amy, I’ll try that!
Annie B says
I have a jade plant that is 30 years old that my aunt didn’t want because it got so big.It has been neglected and needs to be pruned back but is surprisingly healthy. I have cut off 6-8 branches and hope to combine most of the large ones in a new pot to give her a more manageable sized jade. I have read all your advice and currently am curing the branches on a south window with root hormone on the end. I mist them a few times a week. Any advice for the potting process would be super helpful, I am a bit scared. Do you think 5-6 branches of 4-6 inches each would be bad to put together once they start growing roots? Thank you, all your info is very helpful!
Amy Andrychowicz says
Jade plants don’t need a lot of growing space, so potting up 5-6 of your cuttings into one container should work just fine. Good luck on rooting the cuttings!
sara says
Do you apply the rooting hormone before it calluses over or after?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Apply the rooting hormone after the succulent cuttings have callused over, just before putting them into the soil.
Kay says
Great info!
Do you have specific info on how to propagate a string of ‘x’ during winter?
I bought a struggling succelent at a nursery just before winter. I really wanted it even thought was not in best shape. It’s a sting of dolphins. The main stem/roots just shrinking and dying so I thought it may be best to cut them all and start fresh. But don’t know how – since they have a ‘string’ they look different to ‘regular’ succelents and but sure how to propagate them. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks in advance!
Amy Andrychowicz says
I don’t have a specific post for that type of plant, but it would be similar to propagating other succulents. You can try the same method I outline in the post above. Or you can try rooting the cuttings or leaves in soil as described here. If you root them in soil, just remove a few of the bottom leaves so that there’s a stem to dip in rooting hormone and place in the soil. Good luck!
Nfn says
It is winter now in north Texas (zone 8a) and I started this hobby late in the October. Luckily I have a very large south facing window in the bathroom so I put 4 trays of leaves there. I used 1:1 ratio of perlite and cacti soil I got from Lowe’s. I mist it everyday because the window receives a lot of sun and it could become hot and dry. Some varieties root faster than others. So far some of the leaves have rooted and sprouted babies. Some just grew lots of roots and no babies. Some are just being stubborn and laying there. Anyway I feel like a mother hen checking up on my chicks everyday. Haha.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Haha, that’s awesome! Sounds like you’re having lots of fun experimenting with propagating your succulents this winter. Enjoy!
Joseph Buckley says
What about a heating tray. There have the same heat as summer. I live in Ireland and grew succulents in a cold garage.
This year i am going heatinf because i have growing some already summer in garage.
Joseph Buckley
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, a heating tray should work to propagate your succulents during the winter.
Helga Miller says
HI Amy, I have a light fixture above my garden window with a regular spotlight bulb that I turn on after dark for a few more hours for my succulent collection. Should and could I replace it with a grow light? It seems to be working but my aloe plant develops brown tips. I know it needs repotting soon. Love your advice column and thank you for it!
Amy Andrychowicz says
If the light is working to keep your succulents from growing leggy, then I don’t see any reason to change it. The light wouldn’t cause the leaves on your aloe plant to turn brown though, unless it’s a really hot bulb and the leaves are getting burned because they’re too close. But brown aloe leaves are usually caused by improper watering. Here’s detailed info about caring for aloe… The Ultimate Guide To Aloe Vera Plant Care
Patrick Ryan says
You should include a warnin,g Amy-propagating succulents can be very addictive! You collection will expand quickly. So easy.
I use Black Gold Cactus Mix with excellent results. I find that the mix is hefty enough to support large succulents and cacti. Keeps them from tipping over when they get large. Works well for amaryllis too, as they can get very tippy in those small plastic pots that come in the gift boxes at the store.
Amy Andrychowicz says
LOL, that is so true!