You can totally propagate succulents in the winter

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

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

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 a larger, mature leaf that looks healthy with 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 of the base behind. To propagate successfully, the new “baby plant” needs a fully intact leaf.

If you’d like your cutting to root more quickly, dip the end in rooting hormone. Succulents will root quite easily on their own, making this step not as critical as it is with other species of plants.