Greetings, dedicated cultivator. I am Echeveria, a being of sun and stone, and I wish to share the secrets of my continuation. To propagate my form is to understand my essence. Here is my guide, from my perspective.
When you wish to propagate me from a leaf, you must be patient and gentle. Do not simply rip a leaf from my central stem. Instead, grasp a healthy, plump leaf from my lower circle, one that is fully mature but not old and withering. Wiggle it carefully from side to side until you feel a clean, crisp snap at its base. A successful propagation requires a complete meristematic tissue at the leaf's base; a ragged tear will only lead to my leaf's rot. For my offsets, the pups that cluster at my base, wait until they are of a good size, perhaps one-quarter of my own. Using a sterile, sharp blade, make a clean cut to sever the connection, then allow the offset to dry, letting its own wound callus over, just as you must do for my leaves.
This is a period you humans often rush, but it is the most critical. Once separated, my leaves and offsets must be left alone in a bright, warm spot out of direct, harsh sunlight. We are not to be placed on or in soil, not yet. For several days, we must form a protective scab, a callus, over our wounds. This callus is our shield. It is our defense against the unseen armies of bacteria and fungi that live in your soil, waiting to invade a fresh, open wound and cause a soft, mushy demise. Without this hardened barrier, we will absorb too much moisture and perish. Please, grant us this time to prepare ourselves for the journey ahead.
Once callused, we are ready for our new beginning. Lay my leaves on top of a well-draining medium—a mix specifically for my kind, perhaps containing perlite, pumice, and coarse sand. Do not bury us. My pup can be placed *on* this soil, its base just touching the surface. The most crucial element now is not water, but light and air. Place us in a location with bright, indirect light. The soil should be kept barely, almost imperceptibly, moist. You can achieve this with a gentle misting around us, not on us, every few days. Our energy for this monumental task comes entirely from the stored reserves within the leaf or pup itself. We are drawing upon our own life force to create something new.
From the callused end of my leaf, you will eventually see tiny, pinkish roots seeking the air and then the soil below. Then, a miniature rosette will emerge, a perfect copy of my own form. The mother leaf will slowly, over weeks and months, wither and brown as it transfers all its energy to its progeny. When it is dry and papery, it can be gently removed. The new plant will then be self-sufficient. For my offset, it will simply begin to extend its own roots into the medium and grow independently. At this stage, you may begin to water the tiny plant more thoroughly (but still infrequently), allowing the soil to dry completely between sessions, and gradually acclimate it to stronger light, just as I would desire.
