How to divide, care for succulent plants

Q: How do I divide the “pups” from my potted and garden-planted aloe, cactus and agave plants without harming the mother plant? I heard you were just supposed to twist them off with some roots, but it looks like it could harm both plants.

A: Many succulents will reproduce by producing offsets that form around the “mother” plant. These offsets are often referred to as pups.

Most will grow faster if left on the mother plant, but once the pups have developed several leaves, or are crowding the mother plant, they should be removed by the process called division. It’s best to divide clumping-forming succulents in the late spring and early summer, or in the early fall when plants are most actively growing.

To divide the plants, remove the mother plant with offsets from the growing container. Shake off any soil that can easily come free of the roots. You should then be able to see which offsets have formed roots. Gently untangle the roots and pull them from the mother plant. These pups can then each be planted into their own container.

This type of division works well with the succulents with offsets that develop their own root systems such as agaves, gasterias and haworthias.

For succulents that develop large pups without root systems, like aloe and some agave, you may need to use a sharp clean knife, or pruner to cut or pry the pup away from the mother plant. In the case of large agave plants, I have placed two pitch forks facing opposite directions between mother and pup to pry the offsets away from the parent plant.

Once you have divided the pups from the mother plant, remove any roots that look thin or discolored and let any cut surfaces dry for a couple of days before planting into soil.

Whether planting your succulents in containers inside the house or in the landscape, good drainage and aeration are essential. Most succulents will come potted in well-drained soil, but as plant divisions are planted into new containers make sure to amend traditional potting mix by adding coarse perlite or pumice to improve drainage. You can also purchase potting soil mixtures made specifically for succulents and cactus.

Water management is one of the biggest factors in keeping succulents healthy. Succulent plants like to approach dryness before being watered. For outdoor pots, pull succulent containers under the porch in the winter so that they don’t get too much rain. When watering, it’s best to water thoroughly, so the water saturates evenly throughout the soil and a small amount of water runs out of the bottom of the pot; then don’t water again until the soil is dry.

It’s good practice to water early in the day to allow the plants time to dry off. This prevents rotting.

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Never allow succulents in containers to sit in water. During winter months, when succulents are mostly dormant, you may not need to water for a couple of months.

The Shasta Master Gardeners Program can be reached by phone at 530-242-2219 or [email protected]. The gardener office is staffed by volunteers trained by the University of California to answer gardeners' questions using information based on scientific research.