How to Propagate Kalanchoe

Perhaps the most famous kalanchoe plants are the winter-blooming varieties available at stores around the holidays. However, this species of plants also includes a variety of succulent plants grown for their attractive foliage. While the blooming varieties are not likely to bloom again and therefore aren't usually propagated, propagation of the foliage varieties of kalanchoe is more practical.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Choose a leaf or two of your kalanchoe that you can remove. Look for a healthy, succulent leaf with no discoloration or damage. Cut the leaf off with a sharp knife of shears.

2. Cut a strip of the leaf off along one side to expose the inner portion of the leaf. The strip needs to be only big enough to expose the sap of the leaf.

3. Prepare a small pot or cup of moistened sand. Place the kalanchoe leaf in the sand with the cut portion of the leaf facing the sand. Press the leaf gently into the sand far enough so that it stands up on its own. Attempt propagation of multiple leaves to ensure at least one successful result.

4. Keep the sand moist, but keep from having water stand on top of the sand. Standing water can cause the leaf to rot.

5. Watch for small kalanchoe plants to emerge from the base of the leaf. This generally takes about a month.

6. Dig the small kalanchoe plants out of the sand. Dig them out slowly so you don't damage their fragile roots.

7. Plant the new plants in small one or two inch-pots filled with a mixture of half peat moss and half coarse sand or perlite. The propagation is complete at this time and you can treat the small kalanchoes as mature plants.