So, I'm Breeding an Army of Alien Creatures...

View this post on Hive: So, I'm Breeding an Army of Alien Creatures...

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Or so it seems...

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Of course, I'm joking (sorry to disappoint)... XD

For the past couple of weeks, I've been taking cuttings from my succulents, hoping to propagate some new plants so I can spread them around the garden and fill in some bare patches.

When I viewed the photo above, I was kinda surprised because at first glance, the cuttings resembled some sort of creature that you'd expect to find in a dungeon while completing a slayer assignment...

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The method I use is called dry propagation and simply involves taking a full leaf (or cutting) from the parent plant which I then place in a well-lit position but not in direct sunlight.

For the first stage, I just use an egg carton to place the leaves into so that they can sit upright in the egg cups. You need to keep the end that was attached to the plant at the top receiving light, as this is where the new roots will sprout from.

After some time, the roots start to grow and once they have reached a decent length, I move them over to a tray or pot, lightly covering the roots with a little potting mix to prevent them from drying out. (I use an Osmocote cactus and succulent mix).

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Soon enough, you start to see little baby succulents sprouting along with the roots. Everyone has different ideas about when to start watering the plants, however I will start giving mine a light spray-mist of water everyday from the time they are placed onto the soil.

When the plants get to a decent size and before the roots have taken hold, I plant them out into single pots using a mixture of potting mix, peat and vermiculite. Eventually the parent leaf will die off and you can remove it, taking care not to damage the new plant or roots.

I've had a lot of luck with some plants and then, not so much luck with other varieties... so it's all a bit 'hit and miss' at the moment... but, I am learning as I go and hoping to perfect the process so I can increase my success rate.

Anyhoo, we'll see how they turn out and hopefully my army will soon be ready to take over the world... whoops, did I just say that out loud? XD

Until next time... xxx

Thanks for stopping by and reading my post, I really do appreciate your time.

And remember to keep smiling, it makes people wonder what you're thinking...!

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