I have this very unhappy kalanchoe (freedom bells) I was looking to propagate it by getting cuttings fro the stems and then putting putting them in water, but I noticed it was growing these white things from near the top of the stem, are these roots? can I cut of the top of the stem and put it into soil?
1 Answer
Yes they are aerial roots. They are indeed a sign of unhappiness... They probably don't get enough water or light.
You can propagate thru leaf cuttings. Usually for succulents, propagation is by putting the cutting directly in (dry-ish) soil, and not in water.
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Ok thank you, this plant has indeed had a rough time, it got too much sun, was was then potted with a spider plant whose roots took up the whole pot, then was over watered and now apparently underwatered. I was wondering if I could use the aerial roots that have already formed to start a new cutting? so just take a part of the stem with aerial roots and pt it into some soil, would that work?– MihkelCommented Jun 28, 2018 at 9:19
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I think that should also work, in general succulents are easy to propagate by cuttings. Don't make the soil too wet, it can cause rot.– bennCommented Jun 28, 2018 at 9:21
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That will work, but be careful - it's easy to break off the aerial roots when potting up your cutting. Pot the cutting into damp soil, and don't water again till you see some signs of growth - and then never over-water. Succulents can survive long periods of drought, but too much water causes them to rot. Commented Jun 29, 2018 at 14:45