Hi There! Did you know you can propagate succulents? Yes, you totally can! So what does propagate even mean…basically, you can grow a new succulent by taking a leaf off of the parent succulent. That’s right, a new succulent will grow from a freaking LEAF y’all! This has become one of my favorite hobbies, so I’m so excited to share with you how to do this. Follow the steps below to learn how!
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Step One : Find a Tray or Pot
I usually use a tray because they have more space for leaves. You can find these at any nursery or hardware store, and they’ll usually give you some for free! If you don’t have a tray, a pot will work just fine. Anything that you can put soil in will work! I also like these little trays below, they have a closed bottom so you can skip the burlap step below!
Step Two: Place Burlap
If you’re using a pot you can skip this step. If you’re using a tray, you’ll need to place burlap down to cover up the large holes in the tray so the soil doesn’t fall through. You can also use newspaper for this step. I prefer to use burlap because it lasts longer.
Step Three: Fill Container With Soil
Whatever container you decided to use, it’s time to fill it with soil! You can use cactus soil if you’d like, however, regular ole potting soil works just fine! That’s what I use. It’s slightly cheaper, and gets the job done. I have purchased cactus soil before, and I can’t say that I notice much of a difference.
Step Four: Gently Wiggle Leaves Off Succulent Plant
You’re finally ready to get those leaves! Grab your succulent with one hand, and then grab the leaf with two fingers and gently wiggle back and forth until it pops off of the stem. You’ll want to pull leaves from the bottom of the plant, and then move up the plant. Only remove healthy looking leaves, and only use leaves that broke off with a perfect break.
Click the picture to shop succulents! 
Step Five: Place Your Leaves
We’re finally at the fun part! Placing leaves is super easy, you literally just lay them flat on top of the soil. SUPER simple right?! You do not need to place them within the soil whatsoever. Feel free to get creative and make designs, that’s my favorite thing to do! When I don’t have time for that (mom life) I literally just throw them on the tray and they propagate! I’ve seen people propagate by just throwing hundreds of leaves in a tray with no soil, and they STILL propagate…needless to say…YOU CAN DO THIS!
Step Six: Tray Placement
The most important thing about propagating succulents is the placement of the tray. Place your tray in indirect sunlight. If you place the leaves in the sun they will burn! Basically you want them outside, but in a shaded area. (Porch, side of house that doesn’t get sun, etc…) If you’re propagating during the rainy season, make sure your tray is protected from the rain so the leaves don’t get overwatered.
Step Seven: Watering Your Leaves
You did it! Your tray is set up and your leaves are ready to propagate. The only thing you have to do is water and watch them grow! I typically mist my leaves with a spray bottle once a week. During the summertime I usually do this twice a week. You basically want to get the soil a little damp, but not soaking wet. Remember that there is water in the leaf itself that the new plant will pull from.
Last Step: Be PATIENT!
Within a couple weeks you’ll start to see roots growing. Shortly after, a new plant should start to emerge. Know ahead of time that not every leaf will propagate, so don’t think you did something wrong! It takes months to get a nice looking little succulent, so be patient! Once the mama leaf dies off, you can replant your succulent in a regular pot and water it like a normal succulent. Do NOT pull off the mama leaf, let it fall off naturally. If you pull it off too soon, you could pull the roots off with it!
In need of a greenhouse? I got these 4 tiered greenhouses from amazon! I have two of them, and I place them in the shade and they are PERFECT for my leaves! They can be a little unstable when it’s windy, so just make sure you tie it down after placing it. They can also be used for seeding or any potted plants!
This is the type of mister I use for my leaves. It’s AWESOME! I encourage you to STOP using a spray bottle and get one of these! My hand would get SO tired of constantly pumping the spray bottle, so I LOVE that you just give this pressure mister a few pumps at the top and then just hold the handle down and the water comes out! So awesome…
I hope you have a BLAST propagating! It is seriously one of my favorite hobbies. Not to mention, I save a ton of money! Succulents can be expensive, so it’s awesome that you can create your own so easily. It’s also SO rewarding watching something grow from a freaking leaf! Try it out, and make sure you tag me in any progress pictures! <3
About the Author: Ericka Campbell
Ericka is a 30 year old blogger living in Healdsburg, CA with her cowboys (husband and son) and ridiculous amount of animals. When she’s not blogging she’s in the garden fighting weeds, hanging with her girls (which means her chickens), taking pictures of flowers, or chasing Cowboy Cade around so he doesn’t destroy her plants. Whatever she’s doing at the moment, she probably has a glass of red wine in hand. She’s from California, but she sure as heck says “y’all.”