Propagating Christmas cactus water vs soil with updates

Here is the first updates for propagating a Christmas cactus comparing both the soil and water method!
See another propagating cactus video here: • Propagating a Christma...

[@camillacaney1071]

Just visited my parents and was talking to my Mum about the Christmas cactus my Nan gave her (who passed away recently), and watched this so I can now bring a little bit of Nana home with me ☺️ thankyou!

[@frannnlife]

Aww that is lovely!

[@brandythomas1420]

My mom passed in Jan and I am watching to split hers with my sisters 🤍

[@stephanie3389]

when you pass on your cactus its then an Heirloom Christmas Cactus!i read this a long time ago.i have a large one but it didn't do well this year,im not sure why.ive had her for 15+years

[@camillacaney1071]

@@stephanie3389 that's so nice!! Mine has been struggling this year too, it's just 3 little sprigs, whereas it took off the first year it was planted. Although saying that hardly any of the plants in the new house love it, maybe it was the move. I'll repot them in time for spring and hopefully they'll all settle. I hope yours gets better too!

[@emburnett1603]

Aww, I inherited my Nana’s Christmas Cactus in ‘98…still going strong ❤ it flowers around the time of her birthday.

[@recoveringliberal1689]

great comparison I love when people actually show progress over time

[@kathydbrumfieldb8753]

I've done this hundreds of times and trust me water always roots faster and I always fill my glass up at least 75% then you don't need to bother with it for a while. You can leave it in water as long as you want. In dirt I've never left it out to dry first just push it in the dirt and water. Never give a Christmas cactus direct sunlight! Goodluck!!😊😊

[@paultsworld]

Do you leave the ones that are going in water a day or so to dry - or just put them straight into water?

[@kathydbrumfieldb8753]

@@paultsworld I put them in water as soon as I cut them off.😊

[@kathydbrumfieldb8753]

@@paultsworld I always like starting mine in water, the longer you leave them in water the more roots you have. I've always put mine in water as soon as I cut them and never had any trouble with it at all.

[@kitsumyr9752]

How do you avoid rots when submerging them in water for a long time?

[@kathydbrumfieldb8753]

@@kitsumyr9752 Not one time have I ever had any kind of root rot doing this. Occasionally I'll dump the water and put fresh water in it. Goodluck!

[@samanthashears5665]

Thank you for coming back and comparing them overtime. So helpful!

[@frannnlife]

Thanks for watching

[@DavidMFChapman]

Method 3 is pull segments off the plant and throw them on top of the soil in a nearby plant pot that gets water regularly. After a while, those segments develop roots that work their way into the soil. I did this by accident!

[@MasonGant]

I did that by accident too! A dying leaf fell off of my Thanksgiving cactus and into my spider plant pot. I didn't notice until about a month after it happened. 😂

[@adampavella1225]

I sometimes spray the plant with water and the segments develop roots while still being attached to the plant

[@sparkfishes]

@@adampavella1225 i have roots at the joints but what do I do with them , how do I grow them on ?

[@adampavella1225]

@@sparkfishes cut and put in soil

[@ReapersBaby]

@@sparkfishes Gently bend the segment that is growing the root back and forth until it breaks off then pot it on and voila - another cactus 😁

[@radioman321]

I will typically propagate at the very beginning of the growing season (late winter/early spring) I just pluck the segments off and put them in the soil and give a good watering once. I’ll let them go at least a month with no water to let them dry out fully, then water again. They seem to love that and I have about a 90% success rate with them. I have a decent sized plant that came from a single segment a year and a half ago.

[@Plant_H.I.M.]

Thanks for the information

[@carolcoleman7107]

Do you put them in regular potting soil or succulent mix? Thankyou

[@Peleski]

One trick is to plant them against the side of a clear plastic container, and then you can witness the root development without having to pull the plant. I often do strike cuttings in water, but I always transfer to soil as soon as the clade has "plumped up" again. I think getting the plant into soil so it can get nutrients will, overall, speed up growth.

[@leegoo484]

I have never had success with the water technique, though others have. The problem with water roots is once transplanted to soil it takes time for the cutting to readjust to the soil medium. My best success is to lay cuttings on slightly damp sphagnum moss (the type used for orchids). They root in a hurry in this. Just keep the moss barely moist. They also adjust to planting medium. I do not use soil as these are epiphytes (tree growers). I use a mixture of fir bark, Orchiata Pine bark, pumice and zeolite (used for aquarium ammonia filtration) and small type hydration clay pellets used for hydroponics. I also insert a bamboo skewer into the mix and this stays with the plant . Pulling out the skewer reveals whether you need to water or air. Like testing a cake.

[@ellenhaben1217]

I like water and soil,and orchid bark propagation. Your method sounds to complicated.😉👍💚

[@Dumbstuffwatcher]

I put a cutting in all-purpose soil in February and it's grown at least a node a month

[@jadesadventure4150]

I would love to see a followup of these propagation to see how the plants transitioned into soil, how strong they are and how much they've grown

[@kathydbrumfieldb8753]

The longer you leave them in water the more roots they have. Just buy correct soil and transplant when you think they have enough roots. I like to see a lot of roots before I plant mine. Goodluck!

[@brendamaun5455]

@@kathydbrumfieldb8753 What is considered "correct" soil? TY

[@kathydbrumfieldb8753]

@@brendamaun5455 Go anywhere that sells potting soil. Even Walmart sells it, and get cactus soil. You'll want to get some houseplant fertilizer for Christmas cactus. It's not that expensive and last forever and you'll only need a really small bag of Christmas cactus soil. If you need anymore help just let me know. Goodluck!

[@CampingforCool41]

Thank you for this video. My Christmas cactus has been dying of root rot so I’ve had to completely chop off all the roots. It’s already very wilted so it might be too far gone but I’m going to try the water propagation method.

[@keeleyiero-way4033]

Thank you so much! I am going to try this method for my cuttings tonight. I'm so glad you showed how long it really takes to root. Very helpful and educational 😊

[@frannnlife]

Aww thank you - glad it helped. Good luck with your cuttings!

[@PetalsonthePavingSlabs]

Thanks for this, you've inspired me to get a christmas cactus myself, part of the fun of it will be in propagating to make new plants with!

[@frannnlife]

Petals on the Paving Slabs that’s great! You’ll soon have more Christmas cacti than you’ll know what to do with! Enjoy!!

[@gg-kd5cz]

I am enjoying seeing your update videos! I'm new to succulents and propagating them and hope to have success in the future! Cant wait for more videos in the future!

[@frannnlife]

Brandy Murphree thank you for commenting! Glad you like my update videos... more will be up soon!

[@miriamcarrera4538]

learned how to propagate Christmas cactus. . thank you

[@heatherhui938]

Great comparison - thanks for sharing!

[@raymondhill3]

Very Good! Thanks for your patience and excellent video.

[@plantmama7442]

I did this and it worked!!! Mine is finally getting it’s first flower:). Water propogation I think is best for getting the roots going and then planting. Thank you!!!

[@frannnlife]

Glad it worked for you 😊

[@genomic_]

How long did it take for root growth in water? Thank you!

[@user-zt6pv9eb7y]

I neglected mine during the summer and two big branches died and fell off. I dipped them in rooting gel, propagated in water and now there are roots all over it! Going to plant it in some cactus/succulent compost today. Rooting gel is the one!

[@ZVEKOfficial]

Water propagation is definitely the way. I put 2 tiny stems in a glass of water and they grew 1-2 inch long roots within 3 weeks!

[@anthonylewis62]

suzanne here, they always root in water much faster, found that out years ago,

[@His-Joule]

anthony lewis I’ve grown them completely in water and my mother plant would bloom 4 times a year - so many huge blossoms it was unreal - I love telling people that if they grow plants in water there’s never the worry of overwatering and subsequent root rot lolol

[@madisonc1588]

@@His-Joule I wonder why cacti grown in water can't be overwatered. Is there a scientific explanation? It's fascinating!

[@speca369]

Do you put them in a window?

[@pinkpeterbilt80]

How long should the roots be after water propagating to plant it in soil

[@marissafranche3331]

Vermiculite is the way to go, that and coco coir doesn’t rot. Us mycologists use this for our mono tubs 😉 works wonders

[@lindam.4410]

Thank you. Great demonstration!

[@Amaling]

Wow a massive difference, yeah the water is for sure better, thanks for showing the 3 week intervals!

[@drewh676]

Thank you for sharing this helpful experiment! I have 3 dried stems, and now I know I'm going to propagate them in a cup of water.

[@redredwine1277]

Excellent info 🎄Thank you, Merry Christmas🎄🎉

[@msher479]

Helpful! And the way you talk is so pleasant

[@emmalouie1663]

Interesting. I had no idea a cactus would root in water!

[@CoCoCat1234]

You have the most relaxing voice and accent to listen too! 😅 Thanks for this informative video!

[@kinseyrobeson3959]

I could listen to you talk about plants all day ❤️ 🪴

[@frannnlife]

Thank you for watching 😄

[@whispergirl77]

Thank you for this experiment. I now know what to do with my Christmas cactus to make more!

[@Leosandoval-pd6di]

Thank you! I was debating propagating with water vs soil. This helps a lot.

[@jojessie8187]

Thanks~ My holiday cactus is getting bigger so i need to propagate to share with my friends.

[@lbyerly]

That tooth-pick prop is fantastic!! 🥰

[@nobrainsnoheadache2434]

Nice to know what to do with the root growths at the top of the growth, I am propagating some right now in my aquarium sump as an experiment, I'm not a plant novice but farther from an expert :) It's been about 3 weeks or so, and I have a little bit of growth at the bottom but 5-6 tendrils at the top so I guess I will separate them :) For my experiment I have snake plant (2/3 going nicely, one clump rotted away at the base; 1/1 Christmas cactus; 1/1 spider plant that has already grown another pup; 1/1 burro's tail cactus; 1/2 so far with a broken aloe leaf that isn't working and another one more like a plantlet that had been sitting dry 6 months or more that now has an inch long root). I guess you could say my experiment has been a success :) thanks for making this post!

[@mikec3820]

we always root our spider plants in water they grow roots fast. im trying the same dirt/water experiment with my portulacaria afra i got to make bonsai from. some succulents like water rooting some do not i have found. also my ficus retusa rootied in both dirt/water but seems to have done better in dirt. the cuttings all had 2 leafs the water ones just had enough roots to pot. the one in dirt already has a 3rd leaf and is firm in the pot.

[@paulwilliam4769]

Nice and well put together video, thanks for sharing.

[@frannnlife]

Thank you for watching!

[@sangjatiproduction5643]

Nice experiment. Good job. Thanks for sharing for the good info.

[@frannnlife]

Thank you for watching!

[@JoleneSailer]

You have such a soft, sweet voice that I found myself leaning into my laptop! Thank you for the video dear, I will try both methods.

[@joannatv0413]

🏜 Great beautiful Christmas Cactus 🌵! Thank you so much 💕 From Korea 🇰🇷

[@frannnlife]

Thank you for watching!

[@ericaracz]

The first video I watched said to propagate them in soil but when I collected some stray cuttings from my very old Christmas Cactus today my instinct was to put them in water. I decided to check out KZbin again and I found your video and sure enough it seems like water is the way to go. I have found that water works great for most succulent cuttings especially since I like to pick random ones when I am on walks and just stick them in water when I get home and plant them later. I have always found that the ones I put in water as opposed to soil grow roots faster.

[@Blinx1989]

Very helpful, thank you!

[@johnvonhorn2942]

This is a great experiment. I'm going to take around twelve cuttings off a huge Easter Cactus that's seen better days and leave them in a glass jar in my little, heated propagator. Thanks.

[@frannnlife]

Sounds great, hope it works out for you! I have another video where i carry out the same experiment and the results are different if you want to check it out :)

[@gregboshell4532]

I just rooted about 7 in water and I had roots in about two weeks

[@myterracegarden1067]

Great information 👌

[@chv9178]

Omg thank you for doing this

[@mayarada2059]

Nice tip of how to propagate Christmas cactus, thank you and see you later

[@suzanmiller558]

I’m getting four leafs tomorrow; each a different color and I will be propagating them in water. Thank you

[@michaelcalico2628]

hi great video i see a lot of videos saying to keep out of sunlight but i have been keeping mine in my front window on my radiator cover all year round and they are growing like crazy also when I trim them I have more plants then I can handle and in the winter when the heat is on they are kept very warm also i took in a plant that was over 50 years old and was not growing now that i repotted it and placed it on radiator cover by the window its beginning to grow new leaves so i would say if a plant likes a certain spot keep it there even its in the sun ..

[@ParadiseAtHomeGardening]

Mine did root well in soil media

[@indracahyadi9]

Good job 👌

[@GreenEasylifeUK]

Wow Thank you for sharing this video

[@eileenemberger3969]

Great video

[@susanwalkergirl]

Thank you for the video. When you put the cutting in the potting soil, was the soil pre-moistened?

[@mrstefansgreens]

yes the water method is much faster and much easier before planting them in soil.

[@petuniahead9982]

Thank you. Trying to root some of mine.

[@julietaba]

Thanks for sharing

[@ellietobe]

I watched three other videos on propagating Christmas Cactus and they were all the soul method. This seems pretty obvious that the cutting much prefers the water method. I am trying this now. It is late in the year so I am not too sure how successful this will be but I’m hoping.

[@ponyrang]

That's a great video. I will always cheer for you in Korea I'm looking forward to a great video. Have a nice day.

[@jostandaar6922]

do you water the soil in the pot?

[@lindamckelvey7980]

So many brands of cactus/succulent soil to choose from, Can anyone comment on a soil that worked best for you?

[@happytobehere5645]

Was there the update on water propagation?

[@SDQuilter]

Thank you so much for the information! My sister just sent me pieces of my mother's Christmas and her Thanksgiving had this. I think I'm going to split them apart and do some in water too now.

[@meshaedwards5940]

If your rooting in water, can it be down without drying?

[@nicolekinzelman7160]

If I started propagation of Christmas cactus in soil, can I take the cuttings out of soil and put in water - or am I better off just leaving in the soil?

[@3passionflower]

tks

[@theduffster1985]

How long did you keep them in the water before you potted them in soil?

[@krenshapaid3982]

You gave me solutions

[@darleenmiller8427]

how often did you water in the soil? Ty

[@philiphuntley8277]

What time of year in the U.K do you do this ?

[@koreansucculentplants5224]

안녕하세요 전 한국 korea에서 다육이를 키우는 가드너입니다. 자연환경이 달라서 키우는 모습은 다 다르지만 모두 다육이를 사랑하는 마음은 같네요 ~ 친구 맺고 갑니다 ~

[@geoffos42]

translation: Hello, I am Gardner who raises Suyuk in Korea. The nature of the environment is different, so they are all different, but everyone loves them. I'm making friends

[@redredwine1277]

Thanks, excellent info 🎄☃🎉

[@BenAstridge]

Seems like these little guys take their time then hm. I was concerned that the ones i put in water weren't drinking n growing enough but it seems they're just slow. If anyone in the comments can help, i just moved them to soil as i read from someone else's comment that roots in soil grow stronger and end up creating a stronger plant, it just takes a bit longer. Is this a better idea?

[@frannnlife]

Yes most propagations take their time and it can feel like its taking forever - but it will eventually grow. I have found that both soil and water works well, i think its just personal preference, maybe try both and see which you prefer :)

[@Chimp981]

Cute video and nice accent 🥳🥳💃🏼

[@SubscriptionToLife]

I bet the ones started in soil would eventually become stronger plants in the end versus the quicker start of rooting in water, they are different types roots, each evolved in the medium they were created.

[@mercurydude]

A medium way between these two would be to grow it in sphagnum moss. It gets the constant moisture a glass of water offers, but the moss also offers some solid resistance that the roots won't find in water, so it creates stronger roots.

[@SubscriptionToLife]

mercurydude great thought my dude thank you

[@sissyk9924]

What kind of soil do you use? Im desperately trying to save mu Christmas cactus..ty for ur video

[@SubscriptionToLife]

kirra wilburn use sand for a 1/3 or a 1/4 of your potting mix, find sand at your local river or beach

[@elenagorba9096]

@@sissyk9924 Hello.. If it is not too late. I watched a video recently, and it was said as Christmas cactus is an epiphyte that in nature grows on tree branches in Brazil rain forests - they need the soil mix a bit similar to orchids. What was suggested in equal parts: organic potting mix, orchid bark and perlite. I got to know about orchid bark for the first time - as I was always adding sand, but will try this one now, I got some good amount of orchid bark left. Hope it helps.. 😊

[@Bellas61]

Should I just take the one i did in soil and throw it in some water now? Or do I commit to the soil thing

[@frannnlife]

Has it already got roots from the soil? I have never tried this so i am unsure, sorry!

[@user-sl1wl1jf2j]

thank you for information!!! κατάλαβα γιατι συνήθως χάνω τα μοσχεύματα!!!!

[@aprilbatley9265]

Recently I started rooting some thanksgiving cactus cuttings in water and I noticed on of the cuttings looks like it’s trying to rot, I took that cutting out of water to dry up some in hopes of saving it, so u have any advice in my situation

[@frannnlife]

Sorry my reply is abit late... i would probably put it in some dry soil and maybe start to water it after a week when it has dried out abit

[@probochronicles3991]

I have a clipping I've been growing in water for a few weeks now, and it has really nice roots and growth. I want to pot it, but I don't want to shock it. Should I let it dry for a bit before planting in soil, or do it immediately? Thank you....

[@frannnlife]

Sorry for the delay... I would move it to soil immediately and keep the soil moist for a few weeks while it adjusts

[@user-bp3yf5ox6i]

개발 선인장 물꽃이 된것 처음 알았어요 좋은 정보 감사 합니다

[@geoffos42]

I love Google translate! (나는 구글 번역기를 사랑합니다) "It was the first time that I developed a cactus water flower. Thank you for the good information."

[@texasceechelle]

A clock just fell on top my Christmas cactus and it’s full of flowers. Ugh. So, I will try all these methods. Thanks. All the great comments too.

[@peterjones3617]

By accident I discovered that rooting in water was faster if the root area was not in full daylight. I put some in a coloured very small vase and some in a clear glass and the ones in the coloured vase developed roots about 5mm long before the others had produced any. I put half of the ones in the plain glass in a plain glass around which I wrapped a piece of foil, so the bottom was shaded but the tops were in the light. About a week to ten days later the shaded ones had good roots but the others only had very small root initials but on moving these into a shaded area they too grew the roots quickly.

[@barbgardiner5719]

Green glass seems to be the best for rooting

[@chomama1628]

These are jungle cacti in their native habitat so they cannot take full sun so a dappled shade is best or the foliage will burn.

[@brendamaun5455]

Kathy D. Brumfield.. TY!

[@n.w.414]

Interesting, ty, maybe if you kept the soil fairly moist they might have done better? Thanks for your time.

[@frannnlife]

Yes i agree, i definitely should have watered it more often! Thanks for watching!

[@AlmostBipedal]

How are you ensuring that you are not breaking the roots off each time you pull the cuttings from the compost?

[@frannnlife]

AlmostBipedal they were only loosely in the soil but I would usually use a little stick to loosen up the soil a little beforehand if needed :)

[@laylalina430]

hello, could you tell me when is the right time to put the cactus in the soil after water propagating? mine has already quite a big root so I was wondering when is the right time to put it there! thanks

[@frannnlife]

If you have good roots forming then you could transfer it to soil at any point really, it should adapt to the soil and continue to grow roots :)

[@Peleski]

I transfer mine as soon as I can see root, and the plant has plumped up with water again. It has plenty of internal water to keep growing. I do use my fishtank water which has tonnes of nutrients. It would however, be interesting to know if they grow faster overall if you leave them in water longer.

[@sarydanier6384]

@@Peleski ]]]

[@TurtleTimeVoiceOvers]

Do you have to wait for them to callous over before they go in water? I know you do for soil. I’d never seen them done in water.

[@frannnlife]

Yes I think it’s more important to let them callous over before adding to them to water otherwise there’s a high chance it will take too much water and rot. I usually wait a few days :)

[@TurtleTimeVoiceOvers]

@@frannnlife Thanks :)

[@sheilawhitworth4119]

I wonder if they would root lying on a damp sponge

[@geriwoda3985]

Do you have to change the water or add water to them

[@frannnlife]

Yes I changed the water around once a week and topped it up throughout the week if needed :)

[@Earthw3rms]

So would you propagate in water and once there are a good amount of roots plant in soil?

[@robinrowe8025]

Yes

[@frannnlife]

Yes - this way is probably better if you want quicker initial growth😊

[@sjusovare]

It's a popular belief, but... roots grown in water are aquatic roots, and are useless once put in soil. So yes, the plant makes lots of roots in water quicker than in soil, but then you plant it in soil, those roots are useless and die so the plant has to grow new roots adapted to soil, exactly as if you had propagated it directly in soil... Basically the time spent in water.. is lost. The only reason to propagate in water is if you intend to grow the plant in hydro or semihydro methods.

[@elenagorba9096]

@@sjusovare that's a very interesting fact. Thank you!

[@tommyhodges2105]

What kind of soil you used for the Christmas Cactus?

[@frannnlife]

I used a pre-made cactus and succulent mix by the brand westland. You can get it on amazon!

[@handley2645mh]

Interesting. I have never had much success trying to root mine in soil.

[@frannnlife]

Maybe water would work better for you, give it a try - it’s a little more fun than soil!

[@aussiegirlsofficial]

For the ones you put in the water first, at what point do you move them into the soil?

[@crystalgarden5359]

Phylina Zhang when you get some nice white roots showing. I have a Christmas cactus video up if interested thanks

[@frannnlife]

I would suggest to leave them until you see some good roots but I left mine for a few months and they just kept growing! So maybe just see how your cutting reacts :)

[@brittanyg7887]

Is it possible to put my christmas cactus directly in the water of my hang on the back fish tank filter? Is it bad for it? Currently i have it in a pot sitting in the flow of my filter (been there for a year)... but was wondering if i should take it out of the pot and place the roots right in my filter.

[@CatofTailsNine]

@@brittanyg7887 I know this is an old post, but Pothos plant is very popular for this application. It grows like weeds and absorbs nitrates from the aquarium water.

[@jimwilliams5943]

Can't say one way or the other but I read in a plant propogation article years ago that water roots are different than soil roots. The article stated that if you root by water don't leave them in the water too long before moving them to soil or they won't do as well until they acclimate.

[@amyhobson5960]

@Jim Williams, thanks. I was just scrolling comments to see if once rooted in water could I put in soil.

[@anoniemmoet8984]

Can I use water methode for epiphyllum oxypetalum ???

[@frannnlife]

I haven’t tried but let me know how you get on if you try! Thanks for watching

[@jimtheriac7249]

Would a rooting compound help?

[@EllenWongwanders]

Yes it would! I am propagating mine in soil, letting dry for 2 nights, dipped in a light coat of rooting hormone and push them into moist soil. It’s only been 4 weeks, and all of them started growing a tiny light-green new segment on top. So satisfying to watch it get bigger and bigger every day!

[@frannnlife]

I have never used rooting powder and haven't had any issues - but it may give faster results :)

[@TheCaithleen]

please mention the time lines

[@mistyspinner8745]

I have grown them in dirt just take a bit longer and need to keep water a little bit wet dont let the dirt get too dry

[@ruthndank4943]

Hi. May I ask u? Did u change the water for 3 weeks? Thanks

[@frannnlife]

I would say to change the water weekly if you can. I sometimes forgot and it would be 2 or more weeks. But I would say once a week at least if you can :)

[@ruthndank4943]

@@frannnlife thanks so much. I will try it. I'm just a beginner

[@berniceguzman4448]

First time buy I home I can keep up with it

[@missdaisy9957]

I don’t dry mine out before putting it in soil and it does great.

[@Darragh_K]

I was wondering that as I didn't dry them out either... I immeditely stuck them into a cactui & succulent potting mix. Hopefully it'll root ok.

[@crystalgarden5359]

Hi Frannn, I have a Christmas cactus video up if your interested.lots of flowers thanks for the videos

[@TheKonga88]

Your voice makes me want to look at the moon and lick a Lollipop..🥳🥳🐵🍭🍭🍭🍭🍭🍬🤶🎅☃️⛄🌜🌙🌛🐸🐸🐭🐭🎄🎄🎄🎃🎃🥳🥳🥳🎅🎅🤶🤶🤶🍭🎈🎈A very merry Christmas to you..