Learn How to Propagate Your Kalanchoe: Expand Your Succulent Collection Easily

Are you growing kalanchoe at home and want to try multiplying it into new plants? Then, you’ve come to the right place. Our comprehensive step-by-step guide will help you learn how to propagate kalanchoe successfully using 3 easy methods.   

We'll cover the best kalanchoe propagation techniques to expand your succulent collection or to share the baby plants as lovely gifts with family and friends. 

 Let's get started without further ado!

About Kalanchoes 

Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana) is a type of succulent plant. It's popular for its vibrant, long-lasting flowers and easy-care needs. Native to Madagascar and tropical Africa, this hardy flowering plant features fleshy leaves that store water, making it highly drought-tolerant. It blooms in winter and early spring in various colors, including red, pink, yellow, and orange, providing a cheerful display in your indoor space or garden.

What are the kalanchoe's growing requirements? It thrives in well-draining soil (preferably a succulent mix) with access to moderate sunlight for at least 6-8 hours. This tropical plant enjoys consistent but less frequent watering. 

Kalanchoes are rather low-maintenance plants, hence, they are an ideal choice for novice plant lovers or people with little free time for indoor gardening. 

In addition, one of the benefits of growing kalanchoes is that these beauties are easy to propagate. You can expand your kalanchoe collection in several straightforward ways, which we explain below.

Kalanchoe Propagation: Tools and Supplies

Gather the following tools and supplies to get started with your kalanchoe propagation:

• 1 healthy kalanchoe plant
• Sharp clippers, knife, or scissors 
• Loose, sandy, loamy, and well-drained cactus mix 
• Rooting hormone 
• Clear plastic bag
• Gardening gloves
• Tweezers

Sterilize your scissors, knife, or clippers to prevent the potential spread of plant diseases through cuts. You can dip, soak, spray, or wipe them with ethanol or isopropyl alcohol to kill off the plant disease-causing pathogens.

When to Propagate Kalanchoe?

You should ONLY propagate kalanchoe in its vegetative state (late spring and summer) after flowering. The blooms fade around this time and the plant can direct its stored energy into new growth during reproduction. Also, your succulent will recover faster from any propagation-related stress (the cuts will heal quicker, for instance).

How to Propagate Kalanchoe Successfully?

The 3 methods to propagate kalanchoe are from stem cuttings, offsets, and leaf. 

Can You Propagate Kalanchoe From Cuttings?

Using stem cuttings is one of the easiest and most recommended methods for kalanchoe blossfeldiana propagation. Just follow the steps below:

• Identify a healthy 2-3 inches long stem with at least four to five leaves and cut just above a leaf.
• Allow the bottom of the stem cutting to dry over two to three days. This will protect the new plant from diseases and rotting. 
• Next, dip the stem cutting in the rooting hormone. 
• Fill a small pot with a succulent and cacti mix. 
• Plant the stem cutting and water to moisten the soil. 
• Cover the new plant and container with a clear plastic bag to maintain humidity. 

Finally, place the pot in bright, indirect light. The stem cutting should develop roots within a few weeks.

How to Propagate Kalanchoe From Offsets?

Some Kalanchoe varieties produce offsets from the leaf notches, hence, the popular name - “Mother of Thousands Plant." 

These offsets have healthy roots and are ready to plant for propagation in a few steps: 

• Gently collect the offsets from your Kalanchoe plant. Make sure each offset has at least two to three roots.
• It’s best to use tweezers to handle the delicate offsets.
• Gently plant them in a pot with a moist soil mix. 
• Mist regularly to hydrate the offsets and ensure the soil is always damp. 
• You can transplant them into individual pots, once the roots have established and the young plants have grown in size.

Place your baby kalanchoe plants in a location that receives indirect sunlight for best results.

Can You Grow Kalanchoe From a Leaf?

You can also propagate kalanchoe from a leaf by following these simple steps:

• Pluck a few leaves from your kalanchoe plant by gently twisting them from their base. Be careful not to break them by applying any pressure.
• Allow these leaves to grow callous over a few days. 
• Fill a pot with damp succulent and cacti soil mix. 
• Insert (not lay) the leaves into the moist soil. 

Mist the potting mix regularly to keep it damp. The leaves will develop roots in a few weeks. You can transplant the young seedlings eventually into individual pots. 

Note: Although easier, the success rate of kalanchoe propagation through a leaf is just 50%. 

Kalanchoe: Care Tips Post-Propagation

Looking after a young kalanchoe plant after propagation is easy with these care tips:

• Young kalanchoes thrive best in well-draining soil. Use regular potting mix and cactus soil in a 50:60 ratio. 
• Use a clay pot, which is porous, hence, it can absorb any excess moisture around the roots.
• Just like adult plants, baby kalanchoes don’t require frequent watering. The best practice is to hydrate your young kalanchoe plant when the soil feels dry. 
• 55°F and 80°F is the ideal temperature range for these indoor plants to thrive. Protect them from extreme temperature fluctuations.
• Keep your young kalanchoe plant away from direct sunlight as its immature leaves will be prone to sunburn.
• Feed your plant a phosphorus-rich fertilizer during spring and summer to promote fast growth and flowering. 

How Often Do You Water Kalanchoe Cuttings?

Kalanchoe cuttings don't require frequent watering. You should only water them when the soil feels dry to the touch. Overwatering can lead to root rot and you don't want that.

Kalanchoe Propagation: FAQs

Q: How does kalanchoe reproduce?

A: Commonly, kalanchoe plants reproduce asexually by growing plantlets (offsets or runners), which spread and grow into new plants. Some varieties produce seeds after self- or cross-pollination. For propagation purposes, stem cuttings and offsets are the best ways to grow new kalanchoe plants, as the leaf-cutting technique is often unsuccessful. 

Q: Can kalanchoe root in water?

A: Kalanchoe can root in water, but this propagation method isn't recommended. The delicate roots of offsets are prone to rotting if kept in water. The same goes for rooting stem cuttings in water. 

Q: What is the fastest way to propagate Kalanchoe?

A: Rooting offsets in a potting soil mix is the fastest way to propagate kalanchoe. They typically have healthy roots to start with, thus growing new plants this way is quicker than using stem cuttings or leaves.  

Q: How long does it take for Kalanchoe to root?

A: Kalanchoe cuttings may take a few days or weeks to develop roots, provided they are placed in a spot with sufficient light. 

Q: Where do you cut Kalanchoe to propagate?

A: Cut off a healthy Kalanchoe stem just above a leaf node. Your stem should be at least 2 inches long.   

Conclusion

Propagating Kalanchoes is a simple way to expand your succulent collection. You can grow new plants with minimal effort from stem and leaf cuttings, or by separating the offsets from the mother plant. 

With their vibrant blooms and hardy nature, Kalanchoes are a delightful addition to any interior space or patio area. 

You can pair your kalanchoe with other charming succulents like Echeveria, Variegated Hoya Heart, and String of Pearls for a visually stunning arrangement that thrives in similar conditions.