26/09/2026
🌵 GROW YOUR OWN INDOOR SUCCULENTS THIS WINTER 🌵
A little patience, a sunny windowsill and even the smallest fallen leaf can sometimes become a beautiful new plant.
Winter is a wonderful time to enjoy succulents indoors. While the garden rests, you can care for your existing plants and propagate baby succulents from offsets, stem cuttings, fallen pieces and healthy leaves.
🌿 CHOOSING THE RIGHT PLACE
Place your succulents near the brightest window available—ideally south or west-facing. Most need around six hours of good light each day.
Keep them:
☀️ Close to natural daylight
❄️ Away from cold draughts and frosty glass
🔥 Away from radiators and direct heat
💨 Somewhere with gentle airflow
If your plants become pale, stretched or lean towards the window, they probably need more light. Turn their pots regularly or consider using a small grow light.
💧 WATERING DURING WINTER
Succulents store water in their leaves and stems, so too much water is far more dangerous than too little.
Always check the compost before watering. If it is still damp, wait. During winter, many indoor succulents may only need watering every three to five weeks, although this depends on the room, pot size and plant.
Water the compost thoroughly, allow the excess to drain completely and never leave the pot standing in water. Avoid giving tiny amounts every few days and do not routinely mist the leaves—constant moisture can encourage rot.
🪴 THE BEST COMPOST AND CONTAINERS
Use a free-draining cactus or succulent compost. You can improve drainage by adding horticultural grit, coarse sand or perlite.
Always choose a pot with a drainage hole. Terracotta is excellent because it allows moisture to escape more easily. A decorative pot without drainage can be used as an outer cover, but the plant should remain inside a draining nursery pot.
🌱 GROWING BABIES FROM HEALTHY LEAVES
Many succulents—including some Echeverias, Sedums, Graptopetalums and Pachyphytums—can grow from individual leaves.
1️⃣ Choose a firm, healthy leaf.
2️⃣ Gently twist it away from the stem, keeping the whole base intact.
3️⃣ Place it somewhere dry and bright, away from harsh sunshine.
4️⃣ Allow the end to dry and form a callus for several days.
5️⃣ Lay the leaf on top of dry, gritty succulent compost—do not bury it.
6️⃣ Wait patiently for tiny roots and a new rosette to appear.
7️⃣ Once roots develop, give very small amounts of water around the roots, allowing the compost to dry again.
The original leaf will eventually shrivel as it feeds the baby plant. Leave it attached until it dries naturally and comes away easily.
🍃 WHAT ABOUT DROPPED LEAVES AND BROKEN PIECES?
Do not throw them away! A freshly dropped, undamaged leaf may still produce a new plant.
Check that it is:
✅ Firm and healthy
✅ Free from mould or rot
✅ Complete at the base
✅ Not yellow, translucent or mushy
Let broken pieces callus before placing them on dry compost. Not every leaf will grow, so try several and enjoy the experiment.
✂️ PROPAGATING FROM STEM CUTTINGS
If a succulent has become tall or stretched:
1️⃣ Cut off a healthy top section with a clean blade.
2️⃣ Remove a few lower leaves.
3️⃣ Let the cut end dry for several days.
4️⃣ Insert the callused stem into dry succulent compost.
5️⃣ Wait about a week before watering lightly.
6️⃣ Keep it in bright, indirect light while roots develop.
The remaining stem may also produce new shoots, so do not discard it too quickly.
🌱 DIVIDING OFFSETS OR “PUPS”
Some succulents produce baby plants around their base.
Gently remove the parent plant from its pot, separate an offset with some roots attached and place it in a small pot of gritty compost. If it has been cut away, allow the wound to callus before planting. Wait a few days before watering.
🕰️ WINTER PROPAGATION TAKES TIME
Growth is naturally slower during winter because daylight is shorter and temperatures are lower. Some leaves may take weeks—or even months—to produce roots and new growth.
The secret is simple:
✨ Bright light
✨ Good drainage
✨ Warmth without excessive heat
✨ Very little water
✨ Plenty of patience
Avoid feeding newly propagated plants. Established succulents generally do not need fertiliser during winter. Feeding can begin lightly when active growth returns in spring.
⚠️ COMMON PROBLEMS
Mushy or transparent leaves usually indicate too much water.
Wrinkled leaves may mean the plant is thirsty—but always check that the roots and compost are healthy before adding more water.
Long, weak or widely spaced growth means the plant needs more light.
White, cottony patches may be mealybugs. Isolate the affected plant immediately and inspect nearby plants.
Black stems, bad smells or collapsing growth may indicate rot. Remove damaged sections using a clean blade and try to save healthy cuttings.
🐾 A PET-SAFE REMINDER
Some succulents—including certain Aloe, Kalanchoe, Euphorbia and Jade plants—can be harmful if eaten by dogs, cats or birds. Keep unfamiliar plants safely away from Louie and from River, Willow, Ash and Sky, and check the exact plant species before bringing it into a pet-friendly home.
Every tiny leaf holds the possibility of new life. What looks like a broken piece can become a fresh beginning with the right conditions, gentle care and time.
That is one of nature’s loveliest lessons: sometimes we do not need to be perfect or complete to begin growing again. 🌿💚
— Zen Garden Sanctuary —
