Propagating Do's and Don'ts for Succulents and Sempervivum

[@PumpkinBecki]

NB: I've just discovered that you CAN prevent sempervivum from going to flower but you HAVE to catch the extending stalk at the very earliest stage possible, cut out the centre of the crown (leaving the rest of the crown planted), and it could product pups (chicks) just like the Echeveria I show you! My mind is blown 🤯 and I can feel another experiment coming along 😃xx

[@jamee_maree]

If you have done that experiment, can you tag it in your comment for ease? Just a thought for viewers. Me personally - I’m just gonna go find it rn lol.

[@littlebeebs1]

Great video! The best video about Sempervivums. Nobody else goes into the detail that you are going into. I have become addicted to Sempervivums and I have a lot. I have some that were in temporary trays and I made the soil quite rocky. But I still had some have rotting leaves on the bottom from rain . I am about to take care of them the way you are taking care of them in the video. It’s hard to get a perfect balance sometimes with different species of Sempervivum. Some like more sun than others. I’ve had some scorch. I have actually had some freeze and die , believe it or not. They were looking absolutely stunning until I removed my shade cloth from the back porch and let the snowfall on them for the first time last year. It got down to 16°F. I removed the shade cloth because it was catching snow and getting damaged. Wish I’d left it up . I was really surprised that I lost several of them considering that they had done so well with all the cold weather last year . I love your accent. Thank you so much😀. Sempervivum are just gorgeous year round . You get gorgeous colors in winter when everything around you looks dead . They brightened my winter so much 🤩

[@PumpkinBecki]

Hi Jennifer! Welcome to the channel, huge apologies for the delay in replying to you xx What a lovely comment, thank you, and I'm so glad you're passionate about Sempervivum too, they really are fascinating. I'm surprised you lost some to snow, maybe they were weaker/older ones that were on their way out anyway? Most can handle US zones 4 to 9, maybe it was the shock of the sudden exposure to the moisture of the snow? I think it's about time I made a new video about my Sempervivum, they could do with a tidy and it would be the perfect opportunity to bring you all along with me :) xx

[@jtidema]

Great job! I found this video a year after you recorded it, and I'm very impressed. I knew a bit of this, having worked with succulents and sempervivums for a few years. I live in New Jersey and have a few varieties outdoors, but most in our sunroom (not heated). Your clear explanations and many visual examples really helped me to fully understand and feel more confident - I think I'm going to head to a local nursery when spring truly arrives and expand my semper garden!

[@PumpkinBecki]

Oh Janet I love this!! Thank you so much

[@RosarioCostanzo]

Hi Rebecca, your sempervivum bowl is simply awesome. A true beauty!! I love cactuses and succulents because they are so easy to propagate and, in a certain way, you can have the same plant with you, virtually forever. Nice and interesting video

[@PumpkinBecki]

I completely agree 😍xx

[@kimykim45]

This video was so filled with good useful info ❤ so glad I come across this one. Thanks 🤗

[@PumpkinBecki]

Oh you are so welcome kimykim xx Can I ask if you did a specific search, or did I come up in your recommended list? I hope to see you around again xx

[@kimykim45]

@@PumpkinBecki I believe I searched succulent care or propagating succulents. That’s usually where my head is. I believe I subscribed to your channel if not I will be. Enjoy your day and thanks again

[@dianejohnston3733]

Excellent points - thank you

[@PumpkinBecki]

Thank you so much Diane ❤️ xx

[@cmonyx1]

Such a great video!!!!! Thanks for this wonderful information your accent and calm voice is beautiful!!!! Thanks again.

[@PumpkinBecki]

That's so kind of you Evan, thank you :) And a very warm welcome to my channel xx

[@justindo5234]

Hi Rebecca 😀, I was searching about propagation since last week, then boom your video was here. Thank you for the beautiful video ❤️👌

[@PumpkinBecki]

Ah that's great Justin 😁 I'm very happy to help 😊

[@rebadicu]

What an informative video!! Thanks Becki!

[@PumpkinBecki]

Thank you so much Renuka 😊 I really appreciate that xx

[@marianneburns6521]

I have recently found these round a tree stump in my grdn (in Scotland).......

[@justindo5234]

The brush was a great idea, I need one

[@tracywalker5431]

Thank you so much for your awesome video. I knew a lot that you were teaching. But the one thing I don’t know & was waiting for you to go into, is what & how do you grow the pups that have no roots???? I have a lot of them from my Sempervivum hedgehog, that I love & she’s given me many pups. But there’s no stem & no root! Can you please help me? Thank you,again, Tracy

[@PumpkinBecki]

Absolutely Tracy...just put them on the soil surface, those Sempervivum pups will soon sprout roots and get growing. If you're likely to get a very wet winter, it may help to put a temporary "roof" over them to give them some shelter xx I'm excited for you! Let me know how you get on xx

[@Mr_Momentum]

Love it when I learn something new 😊 thank you

[@PumpkinBecki]

Oh fantastic, thank you 😊 I really appreciate that xx

[@Amelia.B-12]

I just transplanted several of mine from the front yard to the back yard. I hope they survive. I didn’t know I was supposed to allow them to “callous” for some time

[@h.d.1750]

Thank you for the sempervivum videos! Its not nearly as popular as it should be. 😊

[@PumpkinBecki]

Thank you H.D. I absolutely love them 😊 Once Bonsai repotting season is over, I'll make some new Sempervivum content, promise 😊 xx

[@h.d.1750]

@@PumpkinBecki awesome!

[@pammy2cats]

hello Rebecca thank you again for such a great video! I feel that I am learning every day! as a succulent novice/virgin!!!(is there such a thing!!) I need all the help I can get! I originally found you through your dragon garden! but now I love succulents! and find them easy to use in my miniature/fairy gardens! the only thing I really think is confusing me at the moment is difference between indoor and outdoor succulents?! luv and hugs Pammie x x x

[@PumpkinBecki]

It's always so lovely to read your comments Pammie, and a delight to know you enjoy my videos and are working your way through my back catalogue 🥰 It will depend on your zone as to whether you can grow succulents outside. For me our winters are too cold and wet for tender succulents to live outside year round, but they can definitely have a summer vacation outdoors 😊 But it's important to acclimatise the plants and maybe offer them protection from direct sun and heavy/prolonged rain xx

[@onethousandwords]

I learned SO much in this one video, thank you! My kitchen succulent got taller than a dog over the winter and I didn't know how to save it. Now if only you knew what to do about a leggy rex begonia, I'd be set! XD

[@PumpkinBecki]

Thank you so much! This means the world to me xx

[@elizabethaja]

I know it may be basic to many, but what is the best method for propagating leggy offshoot chicks from my summer pots in zone 4? I am going to indoor overwinter some hens&chicks that got very leggy and many chicks have become detached. Some have roots and some do not. ❤️ your channel tonight, thank you for such great content!

[@PumpkinBecki]

Hi Elizabeth, thank you so much xx Do have a look at some of the other videos on my Sempervivum playlist, they should answer most of your questions. Sempervivum are very obliging. When you say they are leggy, do you mean there is a long brown bare stem connecting the chick to the hen, or one which has a green stem covered in leaves? Don't worry about whether they have roots or not, simply sit them on the surface of very gritty soil and they'll soon take root xx

[@lojinnamohammedalkhashab6579]

Hello, first of all I would like to say that you're plants looks absolutely beautiful. About a couple of months ago, my mother plant went black from the inside out out of nowhere and then dry, the babies are still there fine so far but I have no idea what happened and what to do, please help

[@PumpkinBecki]

Hi there, thank you so much for taking the time to comment, I really appreciate it xx There's a couple of possible reasons the mother plant might have died. 1) Age. The mother plant may just have reached the end of her natural life. Most of the time it will begin to stretch up into a flower spike, but sometimes they don't, they have their pups and then die off. 2) Moisture. If the mother plant was in a heavier, moisture retentive soil, it's possible that it got too wet at the roots and essentially rotted off. It managed to make pups before it died, and because the young roots are shorter they are less likely to get into the wetter soil the mother was living in. I think its worth you lifting the clump, assessing the soil and adding grit and drainage material. Then remove all the pups from the remains of the mother plant, dispose of the mother and replant the pups (just like in my video) in the nice gritty soil you've prepared. They are very tough little plants, the biggest killer is too much water. Good luck and let me know how you get on xx

[@MsKingX]

I've had that happen. Year later, babies started growing from the dead black stem. While bowl is full now. Succulents are rambunctious little buggers lol

[@ceekaylongbeach]

Hi, Just found you! When is a good time to clean up the semp pot? After hot summer or wait until spring? Thank you!

[@asdf9890]

Great video, I love your educational video like delivery. Thanks! Is a cactus type mix (has a lot of perilite) good to transplant these in?

[@PumpkinBecki]

Hi ASDF, yes a cactus and succulent soil mix will do very well 😊 I'm so glad you enjoy my channel, it means so much to me xx

[@bristolveggiebeds5310]

Great advice! Some of mine don't look their best!

[@PumpkinBecki]

It won't take much to ginger them back up BVB 😁🪴

[@littlebeebs1]

Will they grow in just pumice, Turface and chicken grit ( granite) ? I’m gonna try it . Too much rain this year is rotting many of my babies and it’s killing me ! Sempervivum are my favorite succulent now and I’ve lost hundreds of dollars of them to all this rain. -‘d they were In pretty gritty soil . And clay pots . One of the pots is sealed and it is doing the worst of all my pots that aren’t plastic. I just wonder if the babies will root in plain rock with no soil . Will they root with just rock ? I’m considering using pea gravel too . And amending my Sempervivum beds with more pea gravel . Thank you for your videos ! You’re awesome 😎

[@PumpkinBecki]

Interesting question Jennifer...I don't know, and I'd be interested to hear how you get on. I would have thought they would be quite happy, as I've seen them growing straight on tile rooves in France. I would limit the amount of Turface in the mix, as I understand that is quite an "organic" component and might hold too much moisture. They should do well on pea gravel, and adding it to beds is an excellent idea. I might suggest you put your pots on feet, or stand them on gravel so any moisture flows straight out of the drainage holes. Any pots that don't have holes are no good for Semps, so either move them to a different pot, or add drainage holes :) You could also move pots to an area out of direct rain, or make a little temporary canopy for really rainy seasons. One of my subscribers puts his in a cold frame with the roof propped open, just to give a bit of shelter. Good luck, and please keep me posted with your results xx

[@GrannysGarden]

Great video Rebecca. It reminds me I need to clean up my Sempervivums. Over the last 2 weeks I have been finding the pups about 4-6 inches away from the parent plant. I don't know what is doing it....birds hunting for insects and dislodging the pups??? A mystery

[@PumpkinBecki]

More than likely Una :) I have to pop wire cloches over mine in the spring, because the birds just tear everything out...don't they realise it makes it almost impossible to keep track of my varieties :D xx

[@GrannysGarden]

@@PumpkinBecki those pesky birds just don't follow protocol 🤣

[@PumpkinBecki]

No, I'm thinking of placing an ASBO on them Anti Sempervivum Bird Ordinance 😉🪴🐦🚫xx

[@GrannysGarden]

@@PumpkinBecki 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@tinaclifton5668]

What do you use to make your compost gritty for the sempervivum?

[@PumpkinBecki]

Hi Tina 😊 Thank you for taking the time to comment xx I buy a bagged product called "horticultural grit". Generally speaking it is quartzite or granite in small, rough pieces. Lots of different companies produce and sell it, and they are more or less the same, just be sure it's not smooth like pea shingle is xx

[@Royaliize]

Hi becki i did some research of the family. The rollers at around 12:30 they aint semps they are infact Jovibarba that are in the same family! They got rollers as offspring and light Bell shape Flowers, where semps have star like open flowers! I found out i had a jovibarba in My collection the other Day, amazing plants! I just wanted to let u know. Heh

[@PumpkinBecki]

Ha! Well there you go, you learn something everyday. I thought Jovibarba was a variety name of a semp rather than a different family member! Thank you for that :) xx

[@frauleinzuckerguss1906]

8:24 What kind of Sempervivum is that? My dad recently gifted me a Sempervivum mix he found at the store and some of the plants look like this (just more red at some tips and opened up). And I am very new to properly caring for succulents so I have no idea what specific kind of plant it might be (and whether that is relevant to how to care for it).

[@PumpkinBecki]

Hi there :) It's tricky to say for sure what my plant is (because Sempervivum will cross pollinate so easily), but probably either Sempervivum tectorum, or Reinhard. I absolutely are Sempervivum, I hope they bring you lots of joy as well xx

[@Amelia.B-12]

What do you do with those tiny little baby long shoots?

[@simplysavvylife]

They are so beautiful and reproduce well . I am hoping to propagate them in my front bed for some ground coverage as they are beautiful, spreading and hardy but it doesn't get as much sun as they would like..I live in Michigan but have had them outdoors as perennials before. Is fall a good time to transplant and can they make it as perennials this far north?

[@PumpkinBecki]

Hi there, please forgive my delay in replying. Semps can survive down to -30F, the biggest problem will be if they are in wet soil for long periods long time and it's very cold. If you can make sure there is really really good drainage then they should be absolutely fine. I have success moving my Semps at any time of year, in fact my blackbirds have dug up most of my Sempervivum planters, scattering the plants all over my patio, they were there for a week before I spotted what had happened, and they are all happily waiting for me to scoop them back up, they are very forgiving xx

[@simplysavvylife]

@@PumpkinBecki it's a pretty dry area, and the soil has some gravel and rocks in it so I think it will work well. The ones I tried to transplant last fall didn't root well but I have more babies to try this year.

[@PumpkinBecki]

@@simplysavvylife They may not be firmly rooted, but if the crowns are still firm and a healthy colour (rather than totally brown) they should be fine. I have some where layers and layers of the outer leaves are all brown, but the centre of the crown is still happy. In the next couple of weeks I'll strip the outer leaves off and pop them back in position :) xx Good luck xx

[@remerataarcelyn1966]

Hello! I always hear this word tossed around with this succulent, what does hardy mean? Resistant?

[@PumpkinBecki]

Hi there, thank you so much for taking the time to ask a question. How "hardy" a plant is, is usually talking about whether a plant can survive frost. Here in the UK we tend to use temperature to define if a plant is hardy, half-hardy or tender. Sempervivum can survive temperatures as low as -35 degrees celsius (-30F). Compare that to Echeveria which are labelled "tender". That means they can't survive frost, in fact they start to suffer at around 10C (50F), so they need to be brought back indoors as the temperatures begin to drop. In the USA they use "zones" to talk about the ranges of temperature, rain, drought etc a plant can tolerate. One bad factor like high rainfall may not kill your plant, but if its often cold and wet, the combination may mean you can't grow that particular plant outside in your environment. It's a big subject and I've added some links for you if you want to read more :) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardiness_(plants)#:~:text=Tender%20plants%20are%20those%20killed%20by%20freezing%20temperatures%2C,outside%20after%20all%20danger%20of%20frost%20has%20passed. garden.org/nga/zipzone

[@remerataarcelyn1966]

@@PumpkinBecki oh thank you for the detailed explanation!!! By the way, i love your voice, way of speaking and demeanor!!! It makes watching your videos super delightful. 😌

[@tonymarshall5815]

Hi, I just wondered if you had any experience with the sempervivum leaf miner yet. Horrible things!!.

[@PumpkinBecki]

Hi Tony, no I haven't. I've just had a look on the RHS website and touchwood I've never seen the signs they talk about. It also says they were spotted in the South of England in 2008, but remain uncommon. I'll have to do more research, thank you for the heads up xx

[@MsKingX]

I have am elephant ear jade that I've badly neglected because i HATE beheading them.... but they're about to behead themselves soooo 😢

[@PumpkinBecki]

Be brave, Jades respond really well to pruning and will throw out lots of new buds further down the plant xx

[@marianneburns6521]

I'm really unsure how to keep them indoors as they seem to have rooted outdoors (twins and triplets ❤). I'm not sure if i shld leave them alone or not)? I have learned alot on ur Chanel,thanks so much

[@PumpkinBecki]

Hi Marianne, welcome and thank you so much for your kind comment xx I'm not certain if you have found Sempervivum or tender succulents. If they are outdoor in Scotland, I guess they are Sempervivum. They are incredibly tough and can cope with really cold temperatures outdoors, even frost and snow. The biggest problem will be prolonged periods of rain, and waterlogged soil. If you can loosen the surface soil around the crowns, you can add horticultural grit which worms and soil life will transport down deeper and improve drainage. You could also try placing a rain shield.. maybe a piece of corrugated polypropylene sheet over the top to deflect the worst of the rain 😊 xx

[@KumarSanjay-g3e]

You are from which place

[@PumpkinBecki]

I'm from the South East of England :)

[@tshurtz25]

I cut a stalk off thinking I could get a start from it...is it no longer any good?

[@MsKingX]

Are you asking about the portion still in the soil? Or the part you chopped off?

[@CAgrace-w7w]

❤❤❤

[@PumpkinBecki]

Thank you

[@creaturedomes9364]

Succulents are cool. 😎

[@PumpkinBecki]

Yes they really really are 😁xx

[@MrWolfheart111]

Ya guy here, I had some hens and chics in a beautiful planter by my door, then one day it started to flower. Sry i felt embaresed... i have lots of female neighbors... and it looks like. ya.... I just left it.. it eventually went away lol :| truth.

[@PumpkinBecki]

Oh dear, please try again, they are such wonderful little plants xx And thank you for taking the time to comment xx

[@jamee_maree]

The hen goes into menopause ❤😊

[@abbyanderson4171]

Speak up the sound is awful

[@PumpkinBecki]

Thank you for taking the time to comment Abby, I appreciate it xx

[@susannestorm9705]

❤❤❤❤

[@PumpkinBecki]

Thank you, I hope you found it useful 😊 xx