Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Echeveria Propagation, Hopefully

I am hoping my newest little plant project goes well, seeing as I haven't had much experience with the world of warm-climate succulents. I am attempting to "renovate" my sister-in-law's succulent tray. She had a lovely tray of tropical succulents that I adored when she got it this past summer. Those fat, blue-green leaves and the spotted aloe did look so striking in the shallow painted terracotta pot. The plants unfortunately grew a little leggy and started to look sad, so I offered to try to fix it up.
Decapitated rosette from the top of an echeveria stem:

I have cut three echeveria to stumps and kept the root balls. The aloe looks fine and is in a separate pot. I am keeping the rosettes from the tops of the echeveria stems and many individual leaves, hoping that they will root and produce new plants. I made the cuttings yesterday, leaving the pieces open to the air on a shelf overnight (to "callus over", the websites say).
Tray of echeveria cuttings:


Today, I dipped the leaves, bare stem segments, and rosettes in rooting hormone and then stuck them in cactus soil. I will sparingly water these and wait for new growth. I hope this works! If it does, I may end up with a lot of little succulents. I just can't believe that I was lucky enough to find a few bags of cactus soil on clearance at the local hardware store in January!

Top shelf of my basement light garden right now:

I have a few orchids, herbs, and little perennials for the alpine garden growing here right now. Nothing too exciting.
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6 comments:

  1. UnknownJanuary 27, 2009 7:09 PM

    You'll do fine propagating these little darlings. I have leaves fall off mine into their pots and take root. Such lovely plants. Ours get a little straggly looking in the winter because we don't get enough light, but a few weeks outdoors brings them around brilliantly.

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  2. BarbarapcJanuary 28, 2009 2:09 PM

    They are so gorgeous. I don't blame you for wanting to maximize your return. First time I saw a herd of them was at Thomas Hobbs garden in Vancouver - he had scads of potscapes all over his Vancouver garden - their blue-ish hue looked really sharp with the coral/orange he's painted his house.

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  3. O.I.MJanuary 31, 2009 8:24 PM

    those should do just fine. I started a new echeveria just like you're doing right now and it's quite happy. but what's the trick to keep them from getting leggy? i have all these little rosettes on the tips of long, bare branches and it doesn't look especially good. any ideas?
    irena

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  4. themanicgardenerFebruary 03, 2009 10:03 AM

    Lovely shelf there. And good luck with the rooting.
    --Kate

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  5. breannepFebruary 13, 2009 9:13 PM

    I'm curious what seeds you are starting now...do you start perennials really early inside? I am trying to figure out when to start my perennials... I am in a Northern zone too, but not quite as far north as you...

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  6. GardenistaFebruary 14, 2009 8:02 PM

    Hello there. For the answer on my blog -- to the question of what I have growing now -- not too much. I only start slower growing plants that don't get too tall now. For perennials, I have a few Echinacea, primulas, the Jovibarba, and aquilegia. I am trying to start some gentians too. Large plants like Delphiniums would get too tall if started now. Most annuals and the tomatoes will be started in March and April, since I can't plant out till June.

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