Propagating, planting and tidying up scruffy Sempervivum

[@rickfromhell]

I was walking to the garden center, and found a sempervivum just laying on the sidewalk, so I stuck her in my backpack side pocket and went on my way. I got a Sedum and a new lily and found another fallen sempervivum amidst the plants at the garden center, and the cashier said I could just keep it when I offered to pay for the chick. So I have two now that I planted and I’m so excited! Thank you for the inspirations Becki ❤

[@peggymalabuyoc9150]

Excellent video and so fun to watch! You have so many Chicks for another pot. What fun! I love starting new pots of Hen and Chicks . 🥰. Job well done on this video! 👌🪴🥰

[@spencermcbride3368]

Thank you for sharing that story about your Mother and the brick that she had planted in. It warmed my heart, just discovered your channel. Great content!

[@PumpkinBecki]

Thank you so much Spencer. Sometimes I worry that I'm waffling, so edit lots of my chatter out of the final videos, but my mother's passion for gardening definitely rubbed off on me and it gives me joy to share little stories about her xx Welcome to my channel, I look forward to seeing you in the comments again soon xx

[@xtrmfisher]

I just inherited my grandmother’s hens and chicks (3 huge planters) and I was wanting to learn how to tidy them up. Thank you for the informative video. This really helps.

[@PumpkinBecki]

You are so welcome. What a wonderful way to remember your grandmother, I'm glad they have come into your care xx

[@mogbaba]

I had a couple of these some 20 years ago. When I moved to a new home, I left them there. Now, I have again moved and this house is the perfect home for this gus. I needed some information and your video gave me absolutely everything I needed. I wished to carpet around my rose bed and found a very nice spot where the water just runs away. It is very important because I live in western Norway with over 300 days of rain.

[@PumpkinBecki]

That's a lot of rain!! Goodness me! I'm very happy that you found my video, that it's been helpful, and that you will be growing gorgeous sempervivum again ❤️ xx

[@skylarmickel]

I love sempervivum so much been collecting for many years. Thank you so much for making a video on them there or not many videos on KZbin for sempervivum. People in the UK and in Europe are so lucky either so many varieties I see in videos that you just can't get here in the United States. Like sempervivum Devil's torch have been hunting for it seems like forever.

[@justindo5234]

It's great to have your video on Sunday 🙂

[@PumpkinBecki]

Thank you Justin, I really appreciate your support, and taking the time to comment xx

[@justindo5234]

@@PumpkinBecki 😍🙏

[@GrannysGarden]

I planted a succulent area in my garden last year as a total experiment to see how they dealt with the very hot summers and the really cold winters. I had the Sempervivums, Echeveria and Haworthia on trial. All of them sailed through months of nearly 40 degrees Celsius. But then this winter we had the huge blizzard followed by 2 weeks of minus 13 degrees Celsius. They all survived the blizzard which took 2 weeks to melt, but the Echeveria and Haworthia died during the Artic blast that followed after the snow had melted... they turned to mush. However the Sempervivums looked amazing all through it. What incredibly hardy plants they are. Great close up shots Rebecca!

[@PumpkinBecki]

They really are incredible little plants aren't they Ùna xx Interesting that your Echeveria and Haworthia survived the snow, I wouldn't have thought they'd have coped with it. I know snow is quite insulating, but still 🤔 I'm saving up for a macro lens so I can get some better close ups, especially of the pygmy sundews, they are minute 😆

[@GrannysGarden]

Oooooh Macro lens.....that sounds fabulous.

[@MrWolfheart111]

I found a completely white sempervivum chic under a hen a couple days ago, completely hidden under the mother. I thought it was a ghostpipe at first, thats how white she is. Fun to see what she becomes. Perfect condition but small. :) Bless.

[@PumpkinBecki]

Crikey! I've just Googled Ghost Pipe, they're incredibly beautiful!! I've never had a Sempervivum do that before, how fascinating I wonder if it will colour up now its exposed to daylight 🤔 Keep me updated 😊 xx

[@frightnightsociety8635]

Thank you so much! Love this!!

[@PumpkinBecki]

Yay! I'm so pleased Andy, I hope it gives you the confidence to give your sempervivums a freshen up too :) xx

[@wildberrygarden]

Really informative, thank you!

[@PumpkinBecki]

Thank you Catherine 😊 And thank you so much for taking the time to comment xx

[@johnfordfw1]

This is great information. Thank you for sharing with us.

[@PumpkinBecki]

Fantastic John, I'm very glad you enjoyed it xx

[@harryjames2299]

Very helpful. Thanks.

[@PumpkinBecki]

Thank you so much Harry, I have lots of Sempervivum videos on my channel, I do hope you have a look 😊 xx

[@trilliance]

Thanks for this. I've had a HUGE pot of them that surprised me by living in the snow under our deck for the past 6 years. This year they all grew tall because we didn't take it out from under the deck soon enough. I cried. Now I'll just rip em all out and try to see if there are any that aren't long. :(

[@PumpkinBecki]

Hi CH, huge apologies for the delay in replying to you. Sempervivum really are amazingly tough little plants, I hope you managed to rescue some of them xx

[@bristolveggiebeds5310]

Great video!

[@PumpkinBecki]

Thanks as always BVB xx

[@andersnrregren9087]

Oh my found your Channel last Week cus bonsai and i only grow trees in pots but after my granddad died i picked a few house leaks from His pots and been growing them

[@PumpkinBecki]

Anders I love that you have something from your grandfather's garden, like I have something from my mother's. I hope your Sempervivum thrive and make you think happy thoughts of your grandfather xx

[@andersnrregren9087]

@@PumpkinBecki i live in a caravan park and put up a note that i was Looking for sempervivum house leaks or (hus løg) in Danish and ppl have old sempervivum growing all over and allmost every One have a history to go with it so glad you reminded me of The joy of The little gems

[@IAmHumanJake]

Oh very nice. Kind of video I like. These can stay outside in a pot like that during winter right? Zone 5

[@PumpkinBecki]

Thank you very much Jake, yes most Sempervivum are hardy down to zone 4. It's worth giving them some protection if it rains a lot for long periods of time. A cold frame or a simple sheet of perspex to create a roof will help deflect rain without losing light xx

[@appiehappie7923]

Here in Holland the nickname is also : donderloof. Thunderleaf, becourse they use to believe when you plant them on your roof the lighting would not strike.

[@PumpkinBecki]

Oh I really like that!! Thank you so much Appie ❤️ And as I hate thunder and lightning, maybe I should wear some on my head as protection...I'm serious 😊xx

[@appiehappie7923]

@@PumpkinBecki It is worth trying, last year we were in the Dordogne, France and the whole roof of a shed was covered with it. Asked if I could take a piece, of course!

[@jasonluke6364]

They remind me of pinguicula. The way they really dont need a lot of soil and they really dont need much water

[@PumpkinBecki]

Maybe that's why my Ping died...I killed it with kindness 🤦‍♀️😆

[@jasonluke6364]

@@PumpkinBecki Dont feel bad. I've done the same thing

[@emilytheforestdweller2556]

This is such a helpful video thank you! I'm brand new to sempervivums but already know I'm going to want to collect so many 😅 I just took a few chicks off of a plant I bought and put them into new pots to grow on. Once I popped them in I gave them just a dash of water to settle them in but it washed the littlest ones out. I'm guessing they'll be okay and put down roots over time? I'm working my way through all your sempervivum videos, would love to see a tour of all your varieties/planters. 😊 Subscribed.

[@PumpkinBecki]

Emily that's wonderful thank you so much 💜 Yes even the little sempervivum will be fine sitting on the soil surface 😊 They are super addictive, enjoy them xx

[@nikishedgehogcottage1]

​@@PumpkinBeckimy pups are just sitting on the surface but not growing roots, is it because it's not growing season please? I keep them dry as I don't want rot. They are in the house on a bright windowsill, as I don't have a dry spot in my garden which gets waterlogged in winter. Thank you for your beautifully done videos! Xx

[@littlebeebs1]

Do you put any in ground? I’m trying that this year . It’s tough where I live . The best place is the back side of the house cuz it faces East . The front west side gets too much afternoon sun . My husband and I made a shade frame for them in the front yard . The back yard is my dog’s fenced in lot . He destroys plants . Hopefully he will grow out of it . So far , my semps are doing pretty well in ground . I made the soil really rocky . Thank you for the video. Glad you got your mom’s sempervivums ❤️

[@PumpkinBecki]

Strictly speaking no, I don't plant them in the ground at the moment, though with our current hot, dry weather it may be that they survive better than my herbaceous perennials! I do have some planted in my Fairy Gardens. George the Dragon's garden is probably the deepest (approx 15"). My plants are south/southwest facing, and get lots of direct sun from mid morning to early evening, but as my weather is generally quite gentle, they can probably tolerate it easier than yours. Yes I keep my plants well out of Katie and Darcy's way, they enjoy "pruning" my heuchera for me...though I don't appreciate it as much as they do :D My mother's Sempervivum is so unusual, it's even got creamy yellow flowers, whereas all my others are pink, and its absolutely thriving. It makes me smile every time I look at it xx

[@littlebeebs1]

Hi there! Thank you so much for your reply. I am sorry that I am late in seeing your reply . Do you think it is safe to repot sempervivums that are in nursery pots in the winter? I have at least 60 that are in nursery pots that are biodegradable. They are full of fertilizer beads . Some of them aren’t doing so well and I would love to clean that soil and fertilizer off of the roots and put them into nice pots. But I worry about messing with the root system in the winter time .Do you think that they would be safe if I cleaned up the roots and put them in fresh , free draining soil for the winter? I wonder if fallen chicks can root and establish in winter as well . I have some chicks that fell off of them and I don’t want them to die . We have drastic temperature swings here . Some days as high as 60 Fahrenheit , then the next week , 20’s and 30’s Fahrenheit. We got down to 8 Fahrenheit at Christmas. Thank you . I love your videos and revisit them often. Just can’t find any advice on repotting in winter . 🤗

[@margaretbartlett]

Hi loved your video. I'm new to this. Can Sempervivum be planted in builders sand and compost in the garden. Thank you, Margaret

[@PumpkinBecki]

Hi Margaret, thank you so much

[@margaretbartlett]

@@PumpkinBecki Hi again thank you so much for your quick reply. I live in the south of England. Same as you the weather has been really topsy-turvy. Where I want to plant them is on a slight slope. We live on the side of a hill. We will go and buy plenty of grit later today. Many thanks for the information. Margaret.

[@iamaduckquack]

I do bonsai and the soil needed for those is very granular and corse, no organic soil/compost, sometimes small grain bark. As I have a heap of that already available would pumice, lava rock and moler clay be useful for semps? It's incredibly well draining and has a great deal of air filled porosity.

[@PumpkinBecki]

Hi there, I definitely save used bonsai soil when I'm repotting trees, and then mix it into topsoil/compost I plant Sempervivum in. It's worth you running an experiment in your own conditions, especially as Semps produce "chicks" so readily, you wouldn't be risking much by trying a couple on a different mix. Semps are so tough they will grow straight on top of roof tiles, so whether you add topsoil/ compost to your bonsai mix or not, I'm confident you'll be successful using your blend xx

[@iamaduckquack]

@@PumpkinBecki That's great, thank you!

[@pammy2cats]

I've just watched your video and found it very interesting and informative! being a non-gardener as such and found my way to you via your dragon garden! would I be stupid in asking whether I should water the the plants after moving them? or should I leave well alone?! thank you in advance luv and hugs Pammie x x

[@PumpkinBecki]

Hi Pammie, I'm so glad you're checking out my other videos too. There are no stupid questions here, only the ones we don't ask. Yes I would always water after replanting. I think the only plants I wouldn't water straight after planting would be cuttings of tender succulents like Echeveria, Haworthia, Graptoveria etc because that fleshy stem will need time to callous over before putting in damp soil, otherwise it may just rot off :) xx

[@pammy2cats]

@@PumpkinBecki Thank you so much x x x

[@PumpkinBecki]

You are very welcome Pammie xx

[@anthonyhyde1040]

Hi Becki, I have just purchased a sempervivum planter from a garden centre, in a tin can container with no drainage holes in the bottom. Do I need to drill a series of holes in the bottom of the can or leave it as purchased? Thanks Tony

[@PumpkinBecki]

Hi Tony, welcome to my channel. Yes, if the Semps are planted direct into the tin container (rather than in a pot with drainage holes that is slipped inside the tin container) I would definitely recommend drilling holes in the tin. You don't really want water sitting in the bottom, drainage is key with Sempervivum xx

[@carolchan9001]

Hi there, can they go through winter snowy season in pot?

[@PumpkinBecki]

Hi Carol, yes they do. I have lots of horticultural grit in the soil so it drains very freely. If you're worried, you could always stand the pot on some gravel, or on little feet to keep it off the ground 😊 xx

[@carolchan9001]

@@PumpkinBecki Happy to get your reply. I bought some Sempervivum in the past weekend and set them in few pots. They are super cute and happy to see them thriving in the sun. Thanks

[@barb2062]

Some of my succulents have grown a 10-inch growth (look like leeches) on them. What can I do with them? Do they grow new babies?

[@edenenage9314]

How many days before water im from the phillippines thank you♥️

[@PumpkinBecki]

Hi there, thank you for watching and taking the time to comment xx Sempervivum are not like succulents, you don't wait for anything to callous over before you plant it. If you like, you can water the soil first and then place the Sempervivum where you want them. If it's very dry, you can water them the next day but then you don't need to fuss about with them, they are very tough and will adapt to most situations. Just make sure your soil is free draining, and add horticultural grit if it isn't. I hope that helps xx

[@daphnebrassett2384]

When to water after repotting?

[@PumpkinBecki]

As soon as you like Daphne, just remember that if the chick's don't have roots yet, they won't be able to take up water anyway xx

[@mauravandehey6584]

Do you leave them out all winter? And how cold do you get in the winter?

[@PumpkinBecki]

Hi Maura, yes I do :) Sempervivum are incredibly hardy, down to -20C (-4F). We get down to around -5C in the depths of winter here. The biggest thing you can do to protect Sempervivum from winter damage, is to make sure there is lots and lots and lots of horticultural grit in your compost mix, whether you are planting them in the ground or in pots like me. They absolutely hate sitting in wet soil. I have a whole Sempervivum playlist here on my channel if you'd like to check it out :) xx

[@mauravandehey6584]

@@PumpkinBecki thank you! I will check them out!💚

[@jhonPriego-dp5fd]

8 becki right

[@Pareshbpatel]

Just what I needed to learn. Thanks. {2022-09-02}

[@PumpkinBecki]

Wonderful news Paresh, thank you xx