Propagating Panda Plant

 

Wondering how to propagate a Panda Plant and look after it properly? This guide will explain all you need to know.

Let’s get right into it.

How To Propagate A Panda Plant

Choose The Plant

As with every succulent propagation, choose the panda plant that has the fullest leaves. This ensures that your panda plant has the highest chance of succeeding. 

The leaf you remove from the mother plant will need plenty of water stored so the new plant can grow from it. 

Remove the leaf a few days after watering the mother plant.

Remove The Leaf

The leaves on panda plants are quite forgiving, so you should be able to wiggle them off. Get your fingers as close to the stem as you can, grab it with your nails and wiggle the leaf off.

Set the leaf aside and place it in a bowl. Leave it to dry for at least three days so the leaf can callous. Once calloused, lay the leaf in a bed of succulent soil or another fast-draining soil.

The leaf will begin to grow a small pup. Once large enough place the pup in a well draining soil. It is important to not remove the original parent leaf from the pup of the panda plant. It is best to allow for this leaf to fall off overtime. 

Remove The Parent Leaf

Panda Plants are in no rush to grow, so you should wait to remove the parent leaf until it’s fallen off naturally.

From here, care for the plant just as you would an adult succulent.

Taking Care Of A Panda Plant

Watering

Most succulents thrive on neglect, and a Panda Plant is no different. Their leaves are suited to storing lots of water at once, allowing them to survive long periods of drought in their natural dry environments. As such, you should water the plant, at most, once a week.

That said, don’t just completely ignore the plant for months at a time. Wait for the soil to dry out before watering again. It may be a good idea to note down how many days it takes for the soil to dry between waterings so you can keep to a regular watering schedule.

When it comes to the watering itself, make sure to water directly onto the soil until it’s soaked.

Light

Panda Plants love bright light, but they aren’t a big fan of being exposed to direct sunlight for too long. You should consider getting some light shade to prevent excessive sunlight from damaging its leaves. A windowsill that gets some good shade, either in the morning or the afternoon, is an ideal spot to grow a Panda Plant.

For those of you that want to keep this succulent outside in the summer, the plant needs to be acclimated first to prevent it from being scorched by the light. Further, those in warmer climates should consider planting the succulent somewhere shady in the afternoon to prevent the sun damaging the leaves.

Temperature

When it comes to temperature, like most succulents, the Panda Plant isn’t very demanding. It grows best between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (15 and 23 degrees Celsius), but can also tolerate temperatures slightly above and below this range.

If you plant this succulent outside in the summer, it’s important that you take it back inside at the first sign of cold and frost. If you don’t, it’s likely that the colder temperatures will damage the plant and may even kill it.

Similarly, ensure that it’s not exposed to excessive heat in the summer. You may need to water it more frequently compared to when it’s inside too.

Feeding

Panda Plants don’t need fertilizer to grow but they can give baby plants a boost after propagation. The best time to fertilize Panda Plants is at the beginning of spring. Use a diluted solution and apply it to the succulent once every four weeks. 

Experiment with different brands (or create your own) to find one that works best for your particular plant.