Mousse alle mandorle

Houseplants are kind of like potato chips—you can’t have just one! One of the great things about certain types of plants is that, after the initial investment, you can use your plant to propagate « babies » that will grow into full-sized plants over time. Not only is this process really fun to watch, but it will also increase your plant population at little to no cost to you.

Propagating succulents is not difficult at all. These five great tips will have you well on your way to growing many new starter plants from the ones you already own.

Take a Leaf or Stem Cutting from Your Plant
There are two different types of cuttings that can be propagated to grow new plants: stem cuttings and leaf cuttings. To take a stem cutting, use a pair of sterilized scissors to cut off a piece of your succulent just above a leaf on the stem. For a leaf cutting, gently take hold of the leaf you’d like to use. Espoma recommends choosing a larger, mature leaf that looks healthy and has no blemishes. Wiggle it back and forth until it breaks off from the stem. Make sure the leaf breaks cleanly all the way down to the stem, without leaving any pieces behind. For successful propagation, the new « baby plant » needs a fully intact leaf.