Thanks so much in advance. I will ask the questions clearly and I have some pics I will attach.

My succulent is not in good shape. I believe it is a calindrina. It used to have 5 long stems coming out, they have all since rotted away. One good one remains. It appears to be alive. But the leaves have begun to droop too, as you will see in the picture below. This is most likely because the base of the long stem is rotting. This succulent is quite dear to me and I am trying so hard to save it. I feel my last hope will be to trim this stem which has life left in it. But since its my one shot left, am trying very hard to make sure I do it right before doing anything. Man if there was someone I could pay money to, to go to for help, I would surely do this. I looked and there are not plant doctors :(

This was my plan. (1) cut stem (have a sharp blade and will sterilize first in fire.) (2) let stem wound callous over (3) apply root hormone to stem and then plant in succulent cactus mix

Sounds simple but I have several doubts along the way. First is - (1) where to cut the stem? One person advised me, to do so on the "green part" (see the top part where the leaves are still growing? they meant, somewhere up there, kind of right where the stem becomes 'green' and there are leaves.) While another advised me to do so on the stem part (maybe a few inches below where those leaves/green begins). (2) how do you know when it's calloused over "enough" ? SHould the callous completely heal over the cut part, 100%? I had cut some other stems, and its like the root is callousing over the wound, like imagine it is slowly becoming a circle over that wound, smaller and smaller as it fills in - does that circle ever fill in completely? (3) if the leaves begin to droop more is it worth it to plant before callousing all the way?

Biggest question - once planted - I have several options as a light source, but I don't know which to use at all. (EDIT: I can not post links cus I'm a new member, so am putting the name of the amazon product.
i got these from amazon) I have a t5 grow lamp, ["iPower 24W 2 Feet T5 Fluorescent Grow Light Stand Rack for Seed Starting Plant Growing, 6400K"] , an led grow lamp ["BriteLabs LED Grow Light for Indoor House Plants and Garden, 20W Plant Lights with 40 Red Blue Spectrum LEDs, Adjustable Dual Head Gooseneck Growing Lamps with Stand, 9 Dimmable Levels 3/9/12H Timer"] , and also just some regular 6500k light temp lightbulbs. I spent about a whole day just reading about these things and still never figured out what would be the best thing to put the plant under. Outside it is pretty much only full shade, and quite cold, so I do not believe it might be best to put the stem cutting out there.

Any advise you have for me is more appreciated than I can say. Wish there were plant doctors but there are not. I've done so much research but still feel i know nothing sadly Even if you advise it's not necessary to cut it, maybe Im jumping to conclusions. Cutting this stem is the last resort, not what I want to do.

This is the stem growing from the plant which I thought to cut. See how the leaves are beginning to droop at the bottom most. This has only begun in the last day. But base of root (where it starts to go in to the potting soil) was becoming rotted (kind of this thin/squishy part) a few weeks back, and then last week it tore a little when I tried to move the plant, so it's not surprising me... was hoping it would heal by putting that suture..)


This is an upclose of the leaves at top. There's even a baby leaf in it.

Also, here is a picture of a stem 'callousing over'. Is this calloused over enough, or if left long enough, will that part that's forming around where it was cut eventually meet in the middle (cover the cut part entirely?) (note that the white stuff is rooting hormone i put on it.)

Calandrinia (or maybe Cistanthe)

First, how long have you had this plant and where do you keep it? If you keep it outside, please let us know where you live. Calandrinia are half hardy perennials or annuals. The perennial species are short lived. This means if its one of the perennials and you have had it for a year or so, its dying of old age. If its an annual, its just dying because that's what annuals do in the fall. If you live in Australia, you are watering it to death. Do you know what species you have?

You may have better luck rooting leaves. Pull healthy leaves off the stem (broken leaves won't root - the base of the leaf needs to be intact) and place them on damp cactus potting soil/perlite (1:1 ratio). Make sure the part of the leaf attached to the stem makes good contact with the soil (push it down a little bit) and then be patient. Keep the soil barely damp (not wet).

Your lights sound fine. Don't use rooting hormone.

Thank you quite much for your response and the warm welcome. Also, thank you in particular for the recommendation on mixing the cactus soil and perilite - I have a bag of perilite so i will use it. i also thought that the cactus soil alone seemed like it kind of needed something more added to it. Feel much better hearing that.

to answer your questions - I have had this plant for approximately one year, and got it in last December. I live in California, USA, and here it is quite sunny. It used to stay outside (on a really sunny balcony) but now it is kept indoors (its in a different place now and there's no where outside where it will really get sun). I do agree I watered it too much and I think this is what contributed to the rot i am very careful to water now. I didn't really realize it could die of old age that's so sad to hear.

Just curious - why do you say not to use rooting hormone? (do you mean just in the case of doing a leaf, or stem as well?)

I pulled a leaf yesterday because i thought to try that too - here is a picture of it:




Does this include the 'base'? When I had looked at videos on how to propagate from leaves, they were all from succulents which have those very thick hardy leaves, and it seems very clear if the leaf had the base. But this succulent has very thin leaves and I find it difficult to identify if I've got the base or not.

i don't knwo the species but the people at the plant nursery i went in to kept saying that it was a calindrinia (i do believe this was the word), i also recall putting a picture of it on a succulent forum long back and I recall hearing that as well. I will look more to see if I can discover which species.

I apologize if this one question sounds a bit difficult but, do you have a good thought on what makes it barely damp? I find it so difficult to know. For example do you have any rough estimate of maybe how much water you put in a particular pot? (for example, say you have one of those little planters, about 4 inch x 3in / 10cm x 7.5cm. Have any thoughts on how much water you'd put in - for example, if the pot itself is empty, maybe 1/4th of the pot, would you put in that quantity of water, more or less? I apologize for this question as it's difficult to ask and even more difficult to answer because i know probably you go by how the soil feels to you. Maybe do you use other indicators such as, if the soil is damp enough to stick to your finger, or you find that too damp? Also - i read in lots of places some folks said, dont let there be any watering in the leaf until its sprouted a root , some said to mist it. do you recommend doing the damping the soil right away or do you wait for a root?

I got something called biodegradible peet pots. I hope to use those.

sorry for all my questions, just trying hard to make sure i dont make any obvious mistakes if i can avoid it, while there's still a chance to do so

Sorry should have put this in my response to you above - but here's a picture of what this succulent looked like long back when I first acquired it, not sure if its helpful in knowing what kind of succulent it is

Hello borya91, if you live along coastal Cali, or even inland, it should be okay to grow your plant outdoors. Just wait till the rains are done for now, then you can let it stay outside. Maybe protect it under an awning, since there is another batch of rains coming midweek. Ideally cool and dry set-up since it has no roots yet if you have chopped up the stems.

This is one succulent better grown outdoors, and can take our mild Cali winters very well, rain or shine, provided your media is very porous and well draining. I use cacti soil with lots of pumice or perlite and further top dress it with insoluble crushed granite (chicken grit) to make sure it is as well draining as it can be.

No need at all to mist or water new cuttings right now, temperatures outdoors are cool and damp already. Ideally lay your cuttings on top of your dry soil and just let them feel cool and dry. Light levels are rather short right now, and tends to be overcast, so be patient, it will grow roots eventually, whether you try it with stem cuttings or leaf cuttings.

It can easily take temperatures down to 30F, but ideally kept dry. Once it is rooted, it is okay if it gets some rains. What is important to observe though, if you see a forecast in the 20F range, bring it in and let that frigid spell pass.

Tarev - thanks so much for your response to me. Indeed it is raining outside right now as we speak. Good because the air quality is fine looking nice again with some beautiful days, so i'm not complaining

when you say it should be ok to put outside, are you referring to the in tact succulent itself, or just the stems/cuttings? i've not yet chopped off that final stem which is in the first picture - he's still hanging on. that plant is in a very fragile state because the base of the stem was damaged and partially rotting i believe. ive a small stick in the pot which i've affixed the stem to which can be seen in the picture, and that is all that's keeping him upwards, else he would sag down over the side of the pot. one problem with my outside, is the lack of real sunlight outside. all i have out back is a very narrow alleyway. an awning goes over it on one side, and a big fence on the other blocks out the rest of the sun. there's probably one hour of good sunlight a day back there that would reach any plants, rest is all very much shade. given that, do you still think that would be ok to grow any of this outdoors? (that situation is kind of what prompted me to get grow lights)

would cuttings be best suited to be started inside under a grow lamp, and moved outside once they have grown roots? or outside from the beginning? i dont mind keeping anything in or outdoors, neither is a hassle to me and i have patience for anything, just whichever is best i will surely pursue. so sorry if any/all of this seems so basic to you guys. its first time for me and this plant i really wish to save so just being careful as there is very little to work with

i pulled another leaf tonight a couple hours back and i really think i might have got the base this time, hoping it will work. put that leaf in a tray of 1:1 pumice and cacti/succulent soil. maybe i should move him outdoors tomorrow? (if the rains stop.)

thanks for mentioning the temp range. i had been putting the succulent (potted one with roots which im trying to save) outside while i was gone during the day and bringing him in at night. i am going to be careful of temps and keep an eye on the forecast if i move him outside.

one other thing i find myself confused on is, are light requirements different for cuttings vs. a rooted plant? (meaning, should unrooted cuttings be kept in less/more light, or is it kind of same all around?)

Cuttings will not root outside in winter, even in the Bay Area. They need to stay warm in a sunny location, like under your grow lights.

Mix and moisten the soil and perlite in another container, then add it to your pots. Don't use peat pots as they dry out too quickly. If you don't want to invest in a pot, use a container that you are about to recycle. Some of my favorites are the bottoms of trays that pastries come in, bowls from the Poke' King and plastic drink cups (cut down to about 2 inches tall). Poke or burn (a nail sitting on a hot burner works well - wear your oven mits and use pliers to hold the nail) holes in the bottom for drainage (lots of holes).

If you decide to use cuttings and leaves, make your stem cuttings 2 - 3 inches tall and put about half the stem in the soil. Your stem cuttings don't have to have leaves.

Rooting hormone could cause your succulent cuttings to rot (it doesn't work well on soft stemmed plants).

i feel like this is a wealth of information and i cannot thank you enough. even what you said about the peet pots - see actually i went and purchased several proper pots this week, then picked up some of those peet pots just cus they looked to me like they'd be a good thing to grow them in - had no clue a proper pot would actually be the better choice. I'll be happy to put the proper pots to good use. Your ideas about homemade pots are great too and i will use these ideas if i run out of pots. i'm glad to know cuttings need sunlight i had been kind of confused on if its more ideal to have them in lots of shade, or a grow lamp. ill stick with grow lamp i think.

when you say stems don't have to have leaves - do you mean you could actually cut say a piece of stem, (below where that leaves begin, where it's still woody), and cut down about 2-3 inches (so you just literally have a 'woody section' of the original stem), and propagate from that? if so wow that is so cool and i had no clue. i actually was trying that with one of the stems i cut off (it was only stem left, no leaves) but i figured it was 99% in vein and not possible.

thanks for the heads up about rooting hormone. i regret putting it on one of the stems now which i cut a few days back, because it was one stem i had hope for (still had green leaves on top)! i guess i will just have to hope for the best on him.

this knowledge is all really invaluable to me and i appreciate it greatly

As long as the stems are green all the way through, they will root. Any brown inside the stem is a sign that it is rotting.

they are green all the way through! i'm so excited to know about that! sorry for one last question but should those also wait until calloused over? (or at least, the side that is planned to put in the soil) (then the same formula - mix soil combo in separate potter then add in to the pot, plant about half way in like mentioned, water right off so soil barely damp, no rooting formula, grow light)

(and to confirm - the callous should literally be 100% all the way over? - i have those guys sitting on my window sill so i can wait some time with them.)

Great! Before I make my cuttings, I draw little arrows pointing up with a Sharpie just below where I plan to cut. That way, I won't accidently plant any cuttings upside down. Without leaves, its sometimes hard to tell. You could also plant a couple lying down and barely covered with soil - that works well for me. The more old leaf nodes touching the soil the better as they are all potential growth points (and there's no worry about which end is up )

Your cuttings will callous in a day or two - just make sure the end is dried, not shriveled. The idea is that you don't want any moisture leaking into the cut to cause rot. You want to preserve as much life as possible because the cuttings and leaves are living on stored energy until they can grow roots.

thats such a great idea with the sharpie because yeah i cut these the other day, then realized, oh man, which end did i cut? (i couldn't remember if one of those ends was where i'd cut off at where it had rotted, or if was looking the way it did because it had just calloused over. ) so i had to cut again just in case it was the rotted part and was happy to see it was still a beautiful green there. so excited that it might be possible to salvage those, because it means a few more chances than i might thought to propagate my succulent!

great tip about putting it on its side, in fact that makes so much more sense now why i saw places mentioning to lay on its side. i should have mentioned, this is the woody part of the stem, not actually where leaves had been growing out of. (for example in this pic below from when i first acquired the succulent, these non-leaf stems im referring to in the last post, its a woody section from in the bottom part of one of those long stem, closer to the base - not the green section where the leaves are.) not sure if that makes a difference, or if its still possible to propogate given that. gonna try.

- thank you so much for explaining about the callous, that had been such a mystery to me, and i think i have such a better understanding now, and going to read it over several more times

Keep us posted with progress reports and photos.

oh i absolutely will! Thank you so much for all your help

Hello borya91, some succulents like the one you have will root outdoors at this time in mid to late Fall. They behave similar to Aeoniums and Crassulas. Once your rains are gone, bring them out.

It is either the cutting will form new leaves first or new roots first, whichever comes first that is okay. At this time of the year, light levels are so short and temps cool, just right for them. These cuttings also need to feel the temperature fluctuations to trigger new growth. If you are along the coast, your temperatures are a bit warmer than my area, where we get cold inversion, so it is even better.

Just to show you how the new growth forms. For your mother plant, once you chop some parts, the remaining one may form roots anywhere up and down the stem, or may form new leaves there:
This one is a Graptoveria, it behaves similar to the Calandrinia:


You can also twist off some leaves to root:


Crassulas forming new roots midway:


This is my Calandrinia spectabilis, it is perky now, really enjoyed the rains and cool temps, those old yellow leaves were leftovers from the summer period dormancy it had here, just need some clean up:


Aeoniums also behave like the Calandrinia, actively growing new roots and leaves in Fall:

These are stem cuttings last Oct 2016:



It will be an ongoing maintenance later on, chopping the stems as needed when they grow too tall. It is normal growth pattern for them, dropping older lower leaves, then showing more stem. But it has to be done with proper timing. That is why it is ideal to do the pruning either in mid Spring or in mid Fall, to give time for the plants to form new roots and adjust to the seasonal changes.

Good luck on your plant!

tarev - these pictures are so incredibly helpful to me. It is so cool you also have a calindrinia - that reminds me of my plant! I think they are so beautiful. I am going to read your post over several times to take it in. Thank you so much for putting these photos. It has been hard for me to understand what to look for

Hey just curious those pics you posted at the very end of the callous over - so is it at this point you usually plant it? How long does it usually take for it to get like this? Damn I think I might have planted my cuttings too soon, it had begun to callous over but I do not believe it looked like this. Maybe I should take them out.

Good luck with your plant. You've been given great information. I'm sure it's on the way to looking much better. The leaves and stems root so easily that you should have a lot of plants soon. You can root more pieces right in the same pot to make it more full. You'll love it when yours blooms!

It's now called Cistanthe grandiflora. I have one and almost killed it trying to keep it in the house. I put it outside last summer and it was much happier. It can't stay outside here in our NM winter, so it's now in my greenhouse until it warms up. Here is mine.


You can see some other plants here in our database:
Rock Purslane (Cistanthe grandiflora)

Yes the information in this thread has been invaluable to me. wish i can pay you guys back for this knowledge you've given me. I have taken this plant all around the city, to plant nursery even a hydroponic shop in desperate search to help him out. But I feel what I found on here was so incredibly helpful and has given me hope. I am hoping so much just one of these cuttings will root, then I can continue the plant on, and continue to propagate in the future I'm still uncertain on keeping him in vs. outside , seems there's some disagreeance on that (which is great - i'm glad you guys all have the experience enough to have such opinions on these things.) i am just gonna have to do some trial and error with that i believe and see what responds best. (maybe i will keep some of the cuttings outside and some under grow lamp.) luckily the rains are subsiding here!

I wrote a small card with his name on it - rock purslane, Cistanthe grandiflora, and put that above the plant so I'll remember!

It's a good idea to try a few different places for your plant. They tell you fairly quickly when they are happy or sad. If you're in Southern Cali it would probably love to be outdoors if you have a slightly protected place like a patio or overhang. I used to live in Manhattan Beach and Venice, and I grew most of my plants outdoors all year.