How to propagate Pickle Plants

Pickle plants are a brilliant choice for those who appreciate succulents. The succulent gets its interesting nickname from its appearance – the leaves look like tiny pickles. The leaves appear to carry sharp thorns – but they’re harmless soft hairs instead.

Need more reasons to add the succulent to your plant collection? Pickle plants are also so easy to propagate! Get one and turn it into several ones. Let’s find out how to propagate Pickle plants!

How to propagate Pickle Plants from cuttings?

Plant propagation by stem cuttings is my favorite way to grow new plants and works wonders for a pickle plant. You don’t need much to get started – just a healthy pickle plant, a pot or a glass jar, some well-draining soil or water, and a pair of scissors or a knife.

• Pick out a healthy stem on your pickle plant and cut it. Remove the button leaves but ensure that a few remain on the cutting.
• Leave the cuttings in a dry place for a day or two – this allows the cuttings to callous over, which helps with rooting.

Propagating Pickle Plant cuttings in soil

Once you have your cutting, you’ll need to decide whether you’ll let it root in soil or water. Let’s say you opt for the first option.

• Optional. Dip your cutting into a rooting hormone to speed up the rooting process.
• Plant the cutting in well-draining potting soil or succulent soil. The pot should have some drainage holes to drain any excess water – this prevents root rot.
• Give it a light watering – I recommend using a misting bottle to avoid overwatering it. Leave the pot in a warm place and allow it to get indirect sunlight.

Propagating Pickle Plant cuttings in water

Want to root your pickle plant cuttings in water instead? It’s just as simple as doing it in the soil!

• Optional. Use rooting hormone on the bottom of the cutting.
• Place your cutting in water – ensure the remaining leaves are above the water’s surface.
• Place your cutting in indirect sunlight and change out the water when needed.
• Pot the cutting once it grows roots.

How to propagate Pickle Plants from division?

Don’t mind getting your hands dirty and want to try a new method for propagating plants? You can propagate your pickle plants from division.

• Tug out your plant from its container or the ground – be gentle!
• Get rid of as much soil from around the roots as possible.
• Divide the plant into two sections. Tug the roots apart – use a clean, sharp knife to cut the sections apart if needed. Ensure that both parts have healthy leaf growth and roots.
• Fill two pots with new soil and plant the sections separately.
• Place the containers in a bright and warm spot but avoid harsh sunlight. Water the plants.
• Maintain regular care.

How to take care of a Pickle Plant?

It’s common knowledge that caring for succulents, such as jelly beans and aloe vera, is incredibly simple. However, there are a few things to know about pickle plant care to keep your plant happy.

Native to South Africa, pickle plants love the sun. So, pick a place where they get a lot of it. If the sunlight is too harsh, you may want to keep it indirect and leave a curtain between your pickle plant and the window. Too much harsh sunlight can damage the plant just as much as the lack of light.

These plants appreciate well-draining soil. As pickle plants are drought tolerant, they don’t like moist environments. So, always use coarse sand or soil and a pot with drainage holes to allow the plant to get rid of any excess water. 

When it comes to watering, less is more. As just mentioned, those plants don’t like soggy soil. Allow the soil to dry out completely in between the watering. So, how often should you shower your pickle plant? Once a week during the growing season – spring and summer. Once every few weeks during the colder seasons.

Frequently Asked Questions