Propagating succulents quietly became my meditation practice

I never thought much about plants until a friend gave me a jade cutting last year. Sticking it in soil and watching it root felt oddly satisfying, so I tried it with more succulents. The repetitive motion of preparing cuttings, checking for roots, and transplanting them has a rhythm to it. After a few weeks, I noticed I was less jittery in the evenings, almost like it replaced my habit of scrolling through bad news. It's not exactly zen, but there's something about the patience required that slows my brain down. Now I have a shelf full of baby plants, and my partner jokes that I've joined a quiet cult. Honestly, it's cheaper than therapy and more rewarding than most hobbies. If you're looking for a low stakes way to unwind, I'd recommend giving propagation a shot.

3 comments

3 Comments

charlesm111d ago

Have you noticed if the patience required changes when propagating different succulent varieties? In my experience, the slower growers like some echeverias really force you to slow down, which might amplify that meditative effect. Your description of replacing evening scrolling with plant care hits close to home for me, as I've found similar calm in repetitive, tangible tasks. That low stakes, high reward cycle you mentioned is surprisingly effective for unwinding, at least in my view. My own collection started from a single cutting and now occupies every sunny windowsill, so I'm definitely part of that quiet cult too.

lisa_lopez9019h ago

Never saw the appeal until my first prop survived.

the_paul1d ago

Oh, absolutely, @charlesm11, the patience game changes drastically between varieties. I've got some haworthias that seem to mock my daily checks by not growing at all, while the jade cuttings sprout roots like they're in a race. That forced slowdown with the slowpokes really does turn care into a kind of zen practice, far better than mindlessly refreshing apps. My evening ritual now involves misting props and rotating pots, and I swear it's lowered my blood pressure more than any meditation app ever did. It's funny how one spare leaf can lead to a windowsill takeover, but I'm not complaining about the quiet company. We're all just out here nurturing our tiny, slow-motion empires, and honestly, it beats doomscrolling any day.