Randomly remove a few leaves from your succulent plant, twisting gently to remove the entire leaf without tearing.

On leggy growth, these can be removed from the bottom portion of the stem, which will be discarded.

For plants like Christmas cactus, you may need to use scissors to remove an individual leaf.

If you are “beheading,” use your scissors or clippers to cleanly cut the stem about an inch below the lower leaves of the plant head.

Set the cuttings aside in any type of container or tray.

They’re not fussy. No potting medium or water are needed.

Check them in about five days and see if each has formed a callus on the cut end.

This protects the exposed soft tissue from bacterial penetration.

Watch for the growth of roots over the next few weeks.

Leaf cuttings will begin to wither as they become food for emerging new plants.

4. Plant

When roots form, fill well-draining containers of your choice with potting medium, or select a garden location suitable for planting.

You can also opt to mix a handful of sand or perlite into regular potting soil.

Succulents thrive in sunshine and well-drained soil. Without sun, they grow pale, and with too much water, they rot.

Plant in a sunny spot in early morning or late afternoon, when the sun is less intense.

Mound soil up to raise the cuttings above the edge of your container, or garden surface. Gently tamp the soil down to secure the roots, and do not water.

Embellish with decorative stones or pebbles as desired.

The next day, water sparingly and gently tamp the soil down again.

As your new plants acclimate to their surroundings, growth will accelerate.

At this point, it’s time to purchase a succulent/cactus food, like Miracle-Gro Succulent Plant Food, available on Amazon. Administer per manufacturer’s instructions.

There are other techniques for propagating succulents, including placing cuttings on top of potting medium to callus off, thus enabling them to root themselves directly into the soil.

This method is great if you want to start your own potting nursery for many cuttings at once, however, you must keep the soil completely dry while the cuttings callus off and form roots.

Plan to spend a few weeks on the propagation process, trying various methods and noting results. A gardening journal is great for record-keeping.