I've had one of these in a windowbox for about 4yrs now. My wife has decided she wants to fill some more windowboxes with it. Since it's a succulent what is the best way to propagate from cuttings? I've seen root in water or directly root in soil. Which is the best and would guarantee the most success?

Chris, when I had them, I'd just break off pieces and put them directly into the soil and keep them damp, but not soggy. They rooted very quickly. This was in Arizona in Spring, and by summer they had filled in nicely.

Thanks Karen, sounds like the easiest way. I wonder if it would be better to put them into some nursery pots while they root then move to the windowboxes?

Sure, just pot up a bunch of them and then you can transplant them into the window boxes. I think you'll be pleased at how fast they can grow. Is yours the one with the red flowers and variegated leaves or the plain leaves?

Mine has the pinkish color flowers and variegated leaves. I had two boxes full but the one just up and died last year sometime. It kept getting thinner and thinner until nothing was left.

I haven't had that one. Bet it is pretty. All of my aptenia in AZ died out after a few years, and I didn't buy it again. I've had other ice plant types do the same thing. I can't seem to keep them going indefinitely.

Maybe it's too hot? The common Aptenias are pretty thirsty for ice plants. They do not do well here through our dry summers, compared to some of the others. But when they get regular water, they can totally take over, to the extent of strangling out any other plants in the vicinity (above and below ground).

I have never grown the variegated plant but when I started the regular one, I didn't waste any time with a nursery pot, just plunked a bunch of cuttings right into the ground and watered them once a week until the rainy season. My experience with ice plants in small containers is not great, but I have learned the situation is more forgiving in the ground.

Here's how it looked in 2015. At that time I had two boxes full. I can't recall if this is the one I still have or the one that died.

I imagine you're right, Baja. In AZ we are just too hot and dry and although my plants are on a good drip system, it may not have been enough to keep them thriving. I don't think I ever fed them, and maybe after a few years, they could have used some food!

That's a lovely plant Chris! I have not grown that..but for my other iceplant-like plants here, I do the cutting in Spring after blooming, or in mid Fall as temps are still cool. It is nicer in Spring though, days are getting longer, air still cool, enough time for the cutting to acclimate and grow roots as the soil is warmed up by the sun.

Ice plants in coastal areas in the SF Bay area here, thrive year round, they got the cool ocean breeze cooling them down while basking in the sun. My location is more inland, so once the Spring rains are done, it is dry and drier, warm to hot, puts most of my succulents in somewhat semi-dormant state.