Propagating Pachypodium: Grow From Seed in Early Summer, or Root Cuttings of Branching Species

Seed is the usual way

Most Pachypodium are propagated from seed. Seedlings develop the characteristic swollen base gradually from a young age. Branching species such as P. lamerei and P. densiflorum can also be grown from stem cuttings.

Plants grown from cuttings tend not to form a rounded, swollen base. For species grown for that shape, start from seed.

Sow in warm weather

Sow once the weather is reliably warm, in late spring to midsummer. The seed needs warmth to germinate, and sowings made in cool weather come up unevenly. Fresh seed germinates best, so sow soon after you get it. Soaking the seed overnight before sowing helps it sprout evenly.

1. Soak the seed overnight The night before sowing, put the seed in a saucer of water. Seed that has swelled slightly sprouts faster once sown.
2. Prepare a clean mix Fill a shallow pot with clean, unfertilized seed starting mix or fine grit and moisten it before sowing.
3. Space the seed out Lay the seeds so they do not touch and cover them very lightly. Water from below so the seed is not washed around.

Keep it moist until it sprouts

Until the seedlings appear, do not let the mix dry out. This is the one stage when you keep things damp, unlike the dry care adult plants get. Keep the pot in bright shade, and when the surface starts to dry, stand it in a tray of water to soak up from below.

1. Use bright shade Direct sun dries the mix quickly and can scorch tiny seedlings. Choose bright shade out of rain and strong wind.
2. Water from below When the surface begins to dry, set the pot in a tray of water to soak. Watering from above can wash out seeds and seedlings.
3. Add airflow after germination Once most seedlings are up, move them gradually into moving air. Constant damp makes soft seedlings that can rot at the base.

Grow seedlings on a little richer

As true leaves develop, give the seedlings more light. Young plants grow faster in a mix with some organic matter, and with slightly more water and fertilizer than mature plants. Switch to the lean, dry regime of adult plants once the base has thickened.

1. Prick out crowded seedlings When leaves begin to touch, lift seedlings with their mix and pot them up singly into small pots without disturbing the roots.
2. Feed with diluted fertilizer During active growth, give liquid fertilizer at label strength about twice a month. Fed seedlings grow larger leaves and thicken faster.
3. Keep the first winter warm Small seedlings are more tender than adults. Keep them around 50°F (10°C) indoors through the first winter and water sparingly rather than not at all.

Pot on to build the base

Seedlings start to thicken at the base within their first two years. Growth slows once roots fill the pot, so move them up one pot size every spring or every other spring. As the base fills out, shift gradually to the drier care used for mature plants.

1. Move up one size in spring When new leaves appear in spring, move the seedling into a slightly larger pot without breaking up the fine root ball.
2. Raise the base a little Each time you repot, set the swollen base a bit higher above the mix. It stays drier and its rounded shape starts to show.
3. Transition to adult care Once the base is about as thick as a thumb, water only when the mix is completely dry and keep it dry through winter.

Cuttings from branching species

Branching species such as P. lamerei and P. densiflorum can be grown from stem cuttings taken in warm weather, from late spring to late summer. Cut stems release sap, so wear gloves and rinse it off your skin if it gets on you.

1. Cut a 4 to 8 inch stem Use a clean blade to take a healthy stem 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm) long. Wear thick gloves to protect your hands from spines.
2. Let the cut dry Leave the cutting in a shaded, airy spot for several days to a week until the cut end has dried and sealed. Planting it wet invites rot.
3. Plant in dry mix Insert the cutting into dry, fast draining mix and wait a few days before the first water. Roots typically form in two to three weeks.

Keep the cut on the parent plant dry until it seals too. New branches often sprout just below the cut.