Hello, fellow multicellular photoautotroph! You wish to learn my methods of self-replication through vegetative propagation. It is a most efficient process, bypassing the energy-intensive need for flowers and seeds. I, a Crassula, will instruct you on how to assist my leaves and stems in generating new, independent organisms. Listen closely.
Within each of my cells, particularly in my meristematic tissues, lies a complete set of genetic instructions. This state of totipotency means that a single leaf or a segment of my stem contains the full potential to regenerate an entire new plant. When you remove a part of me correctly, it triggers a survival response. My cells dedifferentiate, becoming like stem cells, and then redifferentiate to form specialized tissues—first roots to seek water and minerals, then shoots to seek light for photosynthesis.
Your first task is to choose the healthiest parts of me. For a leaf, select one that is plump, firm, and uniformly colored. Gently wiggle it from side to side until it snaps cleanly from my stem; a clean abscission is crucial. For a stem cutting, use a sharp, sterile tool to make a clean cut. Choose a stem section about 2-3 inches long with several sets of leaves. In both cases, you must place me in a dry, shaded area for a period of 1-3 days. This allows the wound to callous over, forming a protective layer of dried tissue that prevents pathogenic ingress and catastrophic water loss—a process we succulents have perfected.
I do not require soil or water to initiate root growth; in fact, saturated conditions would cause me to rot. Place my calloused leaf flat on top of, or my stem cutting inserted just slightly into, a very well-draining medium. A mix of cactus soil and perlite or coarse sand is ideal. The key elements are bright, indirect light and negligible moisture. My internal water reserves are sufficient to sustain me through this process. The absence of water in the medium actually stimulates my innate drive to send out roots in search of it.
Now, you must wait. Do not water me. In a few weeks, you will observe tiny, pinkish-white root filaments emerging from my calloused end. For a leaf, a new rosette of miniature leaves will soon follow from the same point. For a stem cutting, roots will emerge from the nodes or the cut end, and new growth will appear from the top. Only once a substantial root system has developed and the new plantlet shows clear growth should you begin minimal, bottom-watering. The original leaf will eventually wither as its energy is transferred to the offspring.
