A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 jade plant via leaf cuttings?

Is it possible to propagate jade plants with just a leaf? I have read a lot of contraversal info and have decided to ask to see if anyone here can help. There is no bud or bit of stem attached to the leaf (no petitole?) and the leaves look pretty good in terms of colour and texture (thick and firm) I have five leaves, a friend of mine called me over and gave me the five leaves along with the souvenirs that she brough back from her mother's house. Turns out her mother has a twenty year old jade plant and gave her a few leaves to try rooting. My friend kept five for herself and gave me the other five we both have no clue how to make use of the leaves, nor does her mother. From what I've read I should let it dry for a few hours or overnite to let something form over the cut and them stick it in soil? I've made a new uniform cut at the base abd am letting the wound dry up now. Now what?

I just let mine drop from the plant and leave it totally alone. I have better luck with them when I don't interfer. the plant forms where the cut is so you can't stick that in the ground. It will form a miniature plant really tiny with roots and all and the leaf will dry up and drop it. If your potting soil is loose it will handle the job all by itself.

so tk, aer you saying I should just lay the leaf on top of the soil and let it do its thing?

That's what I do. Treat it like it is in a growth spurt. So water about once or twice a week depending on your humidity.

Otherwise the easiest way for me to make new jade plants is to get a stem cutting because those I can just stick in the soil and they take off.

Hi kennyso - I just read your post in my poor jade thread. I do pretty much the same as TK with the leaves. You need to let the ends dry out - I usually let them dry for a day or so, so a callous can form. Then I just put them on top of fresh soil, or back on the soil in the mamma plant - I push the end into the soil just the teeniest bit. They don't all sprout for me, and it does take quite some time, but it's so rewarding to see the babies sprout when you least expect it.

Just took these pictures now, of various stages of sprouts in the bottom of my mamma plant pot. If you look at the far left, you can see itty bitty babies just growing out of the leaves.



The leaf will die off once the babies are big enough to live on their own.

i've never had any luck with doing this...good luck kenny!

thanks joclyn!
P&P, I am so jealous (now here's that green eyed gremlin?)

Kenny you got some great advise from both Tammy and Lynne..
Couldn't have asked for two better replies...

Yep, they are that easy...

Just let them lay on top of the soil...
and only water as the big momma plant needs it...
They are wonderfully prolific...