Succulents That Need No Soil. All You Need to Provide to Let Them Grow at Home Is Water
It is still commonly believed that succulents do not prefer dump medium as this results in rotting of the roots. However, more and more succulents are grown in really ‘wet’ environment.
The experts in the field maintain that succulents growing without soil are easier to take care of and the results are much more secure as compared to traditional forms. The seedling will often first be put into a dish with water and then transplanted into traditional medium. What we need to know is the fact that succulents growing in water develop slightly different roots. As a result, some of them, once potted in soil, unfortunately fail.
The advocates of water propagation of succulents claim that it is not the excess of water that causes rotting of root rot in plants grown in the traditional way. In fact, it is the exposure to fungus and pathogens present in soil as wet soil supports their transmission onto the plants. When the plants grow in water, they do not face the risk.
Please note that not all varieties of succulents grow well in water. The most appropriate ones include the succulents esheveria, sempervivum and crassula ovata.
Propagating succulents in water – step by step
At first water propagation does not differ much from rooting a single leaf to get a new seedling.
• Choose seedlings of succulent that you want to propagate in water. Wait until the ends grow stiffer. This usually takes a few days and it will prevent too rapid water absorption (which could be a shock for the plant)
• Position the plant so that the end does not actually touch water – it can’t be immersed (again, some succulent farmers claim that the end should be slightly immersed)
• Next the succulent will develop roots. It will take approximately 10 days, sometimes a few weeks. Make sure it remains in a spot with good or moderate sun exposure.
• Optionally, you can add a bit of peroxide to repel such pests as sciarids. Some experts also believe that higher oxygen content also stimulates root growth.
And that’s it! After the roots develop, you don’t have to pot the plants. They can continue to grow in water.
As you can see, propagating the plants in water is a very easy and attractive alternative to traditional ways. Why not give it a try?
