Care rules
Sedum (sedum) is an unpretentious flower. It can grow on any soil and is able to take root in all places. But if you do not take care of the plantings, then they are unlikely to be beautiful and lush, and flowering will never begin. But do not worry about sedum, planting and leaving are not too difficult. It is enough just to water it, feed and loosen the soil. Here are the basic requirements:
Watering.
It must be remembered that stonecrop does not like excessive waterlogging. While the plant is young, it should be watered moderately and regularly. It is best to navigate depending on the dryness of the soil. If the soil has already dried out, then you can already water it. As for older individuals, even in extreme heat, they do not need abundant watering.
Mulching, loosening.
The sedum flower categorically does not tolerate weeds, which may be located nearby, since after watering it is periodically necessary to weed. In addition, it is necessary to loosen the soil, making it lighter. In addition, this is how it is saturated with oxygen. Depending on the selected compositions in the garden, you can use different mulch. Pieces of bark and small stones are great.
Top dressing.
Sedum flowers are not picky about feeding. But professionals advise adding a little fertilizer 1-2 times a season. This will speed up the growth of the leaves and make the shrub more lush. The first time the flowers are supposed to be fertilized before flowering. It is recommended to use a solution with manure. Nitrogen fertilizers are great. The second time it is best to use complex mineral fertilizers. They are supposed to be introduced after flowering.
Wintering.
Flowers need to be pruned before the cold snap begins. It is best to cut off all the shoots before this. In addition, if exotic varieties of sedum are chosen to decorate the garden, then it is best to take care of their shelter. For this, mulching is used. You can also simply cover the shrubs with material. In the spring, everything should be removed and the flowers should be freed from excess, so that nothing prevents new shoots from growing.
Reproduction
Stonecrop propagation occurs by seeds, cuttings and dividing the bush. With any of the methods, the culture takes root well under conditions of proper care.
Seeds
There are two ways to use this method. Seeds are planted directly in open ground in a permanent place, or seedlings are first grown, and later the matured sprouts are transplanted into a flower garden.
It is recommended to plant by seed in the second half of April - early May. Before planting, the seeds are soaked in a solution that stimulates root formation. The treated seeds are sown in the ground and sprinkled with a thin layer of sand. This measure is necessary in order for the weak young growth to make its way to the surface.
According to the second method, seeds are sown in boxes with a substrate consisting of a mixture of earth, sand and humus. The prepared soil is moistened before planting. Boxes with seedlings are covered with foil to avoid moisture loss, ventilated and irrigated every other day. When young plants have 2 full leaves, they are ready for transplantation to a permanent place.
Remember that plants grown from seeds begin to bloom in the second summer after planting.
Cuttings
Any outgrowth of an adult sedum is suitable for grafting. Planting is carried out in a greenhouse or outdoors. All lower leaves are removed from the cutting and deepened into the prepared soil by 3 cm
It is important to regularly moisturize the soil and provide some shade.After 30-40 days, the cutting will take root, this will be noticeable by the appearance of new leaves
When replanting, move the rooted cutting along with the soil so as not to damage the young roots.
Dividing the bush
Each five-year period, the sedum is transplanted to a new place, this is the most convenient time for reproduction by dividing the bush. It is recommended to transplant in the spring. The plant is dug up, carefully divided into several bushes, the damaged areas are treated with activated carbon and left for several hours in a dark place. Plants are ready to be transplanted to a new permanent location. Before transplanting, the soil is carefully prepared, all weeds are removed and leveled.
Common sedum (hare cabbage) and other varieties
In this section of the article, you can familiarize yourself with the photos, names and descriptions of the types of stonecrops, the most common in plant growing.
Common sedum, or hare cabbage. It is found in many regions of the European part of Russia, Western and Eastern Siberia, and the Far East. It grows on sandy soils, in pine forests, among bushes, in river floodplains, in meadows and forest glades.
Sedum hare cabbage is a perennial herb up to 60 cm high. The roots are tuberous, spherical-thickened. Stems single or several, light green, often curved at the base. The leaves are opposite, oval, fleshy with a bluish bloom. Flowers pink or pale yellow, collected in dense corymbose or loose paniculate inflorescences. Blooms in July - October. The seeds ripen in September - October.
In nature, there are several subspecies, varieties have been bred that differ in color of flowers (greenish or yellowish white), stems (green, red, purple and others), leaves (green, gray-green, bluish-green, reddish and others).
Sedum of Morgan (S. togganianum). Most suitable for indoor conditions.
Domestic sedum is a succulent plant belonging to the bastard family. In the wild, it grows in Mexico.
As you can see in the photo, this room sedum has long shoots of light green color, which reach a length of about 50 cm:
Its stems are densely covered with fleshy subulate leaves growing downward, which allows it to be used as an ampelous plant for the southern window. Numerous leaves of a rounded, slightly elongated shape are similar to waxy. They are located on the stem in a spiral, forming a kind of weaving. This type of stonecrop has a bluish color, which gives a gray waxy bloom on the leaves. Morgan sedum blooms with small pinkish flowers that form an umbrella inflorescence.
Sedum white (Sedum Album L.). It got its name for its fragrant white flowers.
Perennial, evergreen, bare herbaceous plant, forming in the vegetative state low mats up to 20 cm high. The bases of the stems spread along the ground and are equipped with thin adventitious roots. Vegetative branches are short, with crowded thick oval or elliptical small blunt leaves up to 1 cm long.
Pay attention to the photo - in sedum (sedum) of this species, the flowering shoots are straight, vertical, slightly reddening with thick leaves up to 1.5 cm long, thicker in the middle of the peduncle:
The flowers are white, collected in small-flowered umbrellas with curls, forming a paniculate inflorescence. Blossoms in June-July; bears fruit in August-September.
Varieties and forms differ in height (from 1 cm to 20 cm) and leaf color (green, red, orange-red, pink, and others).
Sedum hybrid (Sedum Hybridum L.). Grows on rocky slopes, rocks, on sandy, pebble coastal edges, mountain steppes. Found in the Urals, southern Western Siberia, Eastern Siberia.
A perennial herb that forms low rugs 8-15 cm high.Rhizomes are horizontal, slightly woody, cordlike, located shallow underground. Stems are numerous, branching, ascending, 10–30 cm tall, green, of which a few are flowering, the rest are vegetative. The leaves are alternate, green, flat, spatulate, wedge-shaped at the base, obtuse above, coarsely toothed. The inflorescence is apical umbellate, consisting of several curls. The flowers are yellow. Blooms in July-August; bears fruit in August-September.
Reproduction methods
Sedum caustic can be propagated using several methods at once. It can be sown with seeds in 2 patterns. In the first case, in the third decade of April, the soil is prepared in the open ground, and then seeds are introduced into it. It is not necessary to deepen them strongly, it is enough just to sow over the plot and lightly sprinkle with a layer of sand.
Also, seeds for seedlings can be sown in advance. To do this, drainage is placed in the container, on top of it is a soil mixture of 1 part of garden soil, 1 part of sand and 2 parts of humus. Then the resulting soil is moistened and seeds are applied on top of it. They are kept under film or glass until shoots appear. Next, the mini-greenhouse is removed, the plants are kept on a well-lit windowsill, if necessary, prolonging the daylight hours with the help of lamps.
Cuttings are another common breeding method for stonecrop. Any adult plant bush is suitable for the procedure for cutting shoots. A healthy and strong part of the branch is cut off, choosing a length of 5-7 cm, placed in the soil with a deepening of the base by 3 cm. Rooting will take at least 30 days. The cuttings are taken care of at this time as an adult plant.
Sedum needs a periodic transplant - every 5 years it is transferred to a new place on the site. The procedure is carried out in the spring, in April, and if you want to propagate the plant on the site, during this period you can divide the bush. It is carried out with a pruner or a garden knife. The areas of separation on the cuts are sprinkled with crushed activated carbon. The bushes are dried for several hours, then placed on the places chosen for planting.
Location features and soil
All varieties of sedum are quite unpretentious in the choice of soil and feel good on any soil, with the exception of too wet swampy soil. Crops prefer sandy soil with little organic fertilizer.
Sedums are mostly light-loving plants, with the exception of stonecrop. Poorly tolerates direct sunlight. Sedum prominent and three-leaved are tolerant of shaded areas, however, in plants located in well-lit places, the foliage is juicier and brighter in color.
Some species even develop a characteristic blush or tan. If the plant does not receive enough light, the leaves begin to fade, the stems stretch out, and the flowers do not appear at all. Sedum loses its decorative appearance and deforms. Sedum is drought resistant. They grow in one place for up to 5 years without the need for a transplant. Sedum should be placed away from trees so that it does not fall asleep in autumn. The plant will not be able to break through to the sun in the spring and will die.
Indoor cultivation
Seeds are used to grow sedum in pots and cassettes. At the beginning, they are soaked in a solution that stimulates the formation of the root system. After drying, they are sown in cassettes or pots with a volume of 200 ml. The soil substrate must be moist. Due to the fact that sedum seeds are very small in size, it is difficult to place them individually, therefore, they are sown closer to the edge, so as not to damage the root system of the shoots during subsequent separation. Sprinkle seeds on top is not worth it. The seed cassettes are left in a well-lit place at a temperature of 20-25 degrees. Cover the pots with foil to avoid moisture loss.
The seedlings are ventilated every 2 days. If the soil is too dry, it is moistened with a spray bottle.
When the first shoots appear, the soil is irrigated with a solution Epin-extra for stimulating the growth of young shoots.
The regrowth of two leaves serves as a signal that it is time to transplant young plants into larger pots. The best choice would be pots with a diameter of 8 cm. Experts recommend using a peat substrate for transplanting young shoots. But it will be difficult to use peat tablets for sowing seeds.
Outdoor cultivation
Sedum is planted in open ground throughout the warm season from mid-May to October. In general, sedum is an unpretentious perennial plant, but it feels best in light sandy soil.
The plant does not like stagnant water, so it is important to prepare a special substrate if there is heavy, moist soil on the site. Sedum prefers open sun areas
Avoid planting light-loving plants in shaded places, in such conditions they are depleted, tend to grow upward, foliage fades and loses its fleshiness, sedum stops blooming.
To prepare the soil when planting sedum, it is recommended to take sand and organic fertilizer based on humus in the proportion: 1 part of sand and 3 parts of humus. A well-mixed substrate is placed in a hole 20 cm deep and half a meter in diameter. Plants are planted in a prepared place. The soil around the new seedling is sprinkled with fine gravel or crushed stone. In such a soil and in a sunny place, sedum will delight the eye with good growth and regular flowering. In one place, sedum grows for 5 years.
Sedum sedum: reproduction in the garden and at home
Reproduction of sedum is carried out using:
- Seeds - purchased or self-collected, always fresh. Sowed from March to April in containers filled with compost, sand and earth in equal proportions. The soil is pre-moistened, after planting, they create a greenhouse effect using a plastic film. They are sent to a room with a temperature of 5 degrees, periodically ventilated and watered. After 2 weeks, the pots are transferred to a room with a temperature of 20 degrees - the sprouts should appear in 7-14 days. After the formation of two sheets, seating and hardening are carried out. Planting work is carried out after the end of frost, the first flowering is expected for 2-3 years.
- Cuttings - they are cut from the upper sections of the stems 15 cm long. The lower foliage is removed, and the trimmings are dropped into the pre-moistened ground. After 48 hours, watered, after the formation of the roots (2-3 weeks), a transplant is carried out.
Stonecrop can also multiply by division - adult bushes, not less than 4 years old, are dug up. After cleaning from the ground, pruning of diseased or rotten stems and roots is carried out. Divided into several parts, each should have kidneys. Sections are dried, sprinkled with activated carbon powder and planted after 2 days.
Winter cuttings
How to transplant
Transplantation of outdoor plants is carried out after 5 years. After digging, they cut off all problem areas, divide the bush and then plant it.
Apartment varieties move every 2 years (young) or 3-4 years (mature and overgrown plants)
The transplant is carried out with utmost care - the foliage easily breaks off the stonecrop
For reference! In case of urgent need, movement is allowed even during flowering.
A shallow container is chosen, expanded clay is poured onto its bottom, a mixture of equal parts of leaf, sod land and sand is on top. Small pieces of broken brick and charcoal are added to the soil mixture. Later, you need to take care of the flower according to the standard scheme.
How to plant?
For all succulents, it is important that the site chosen for rooting is with maximum access to sunny color, since the culture loses its attractiveness in the shade. If the lighting in the garden or at home is bright, then the flowering and shades will be as saturated as possible.
As for the choice of a suitable type of soil, the perennial perfectly adapts to any soil in terms of composition, the main thing is that the gardener takes care of the presence of good drainage in the hole. Planting sedum in the lowlands should be abandoned, since moisture can stagnate in the soil in such areas.
The planting algorithm involves deepening the cuttings of the crop with the previously removed lower leaves into the soil. Then the soil is compacted and moistened. For home breeding, wide pots or other containers are usually used, but their depth should not be great, since the culture has a creeping root system: it does not go deep into the ground, but is located close to the surface.
How stonecrop multiplies
Florists and landscape designers value sedums not only for their unpretentiousness and versatility, but also for their ease of reproduction. Everyone can get a new plant, the main thing is to decide on the breeding method.
Growing from seeds
Not the most popular way. Quite lengthy and laborious
When growing in this way, you should pay attention to the following nuances:
- Time for boarding. Sowing is carried out in the fall or in the first months of spring.
- The choice of capacity. For seedlings, take small bowls or low trays.
- Soil and seed preparation. It is better to take a ready-made substrate for succulents or prepare a mixture of sand and peat yourself. The tray is filled with soil 1/3. Seeds are sown, covered with foil and removed to a cool place for seed stratification for 10-14 days. The soil is regularly moistened, and after a specified period of time, the open container is taken out to a warm place with a temperature of at least +20 ° C. Already after 2-3 weeks, the emergence of seedlings can be observed.
- Seedling care. The resulting seedlings are watered as the soil dries up, avoiding overflow. Plants are kept in a bright place, protected from direct sunlight.
- Dive and transfer. When the seedlings have two true leaves, they are seated in separate containers. As soon as the plants grow well, they are planted in a permanent place. Stonecrops such as Adolf, intended for indoor home growing, are planted in small pots.
Important! When dividing a bush, fresh cuts must be treated with any fungicide or sprinkled with chopped charcoal
Propagation by stem and leaf cuttings
Sedum is a flower that is easy enough to propagate by cuttings. As a material, you can use not only fragments of the stem, but also leaves of any size.
The leaf or stem is air-dried for several hours, and then planted in small containers filled with moist succulent substrate. The soil around the plant is well compacted. Cuttings are watered occasionally. Already after 2-3 weeks, you can observe how the stalk began to grow.
Growing sedum by grafting
Dividing the bush
The simplest and most common method for breeding succulents in the spring. The sedum is dug up, the roots are cleaned from the soil and divided into several parts, which have several young shoots and buds. The plant is air-dried for several hours and planted in a permanent place.
Growing problems, diseases and pests
The plant is highly resistant to diseases, but with excessive watering it still suffers from growing problems. With increased dryness of the air, pests often appear on the leaves and stems.
Additional Information! In red sedum, often due to poor-quality water and hypothermia, rotting of the root system can begin. Overfilling often leads to the appearance of infectious fungi, mold.
Among insect pests, the scale insects, aphids, thrips, caterpillars and sawflies are especially problematic. A sign of their appearance is the stop of the flower in development. Insects love to eat fleshy leaves and suck juices out of them. Treat sedum with insecticides.
The sedum has a wide species diversity.
Beautiful sedum is famous for its wide variety of species and varieties. It is easy to look after them, because they do not like excessive attention. It is necessary to prepare a place for detention in advance and create the necessary climatic conditions.
Care
The sedum plant is very unpretentious in care. It is ideal for people with a lack of time.
Landing
Planting stonecrop is best done in the spring, when the active growth period begins.
You can also do this in the summer or fall before the onset of frost. In winter, planting is possible only indoors.
Like all representatives of its kind, stonecrop is quite unpretentious and after purchase it can not even be transplanted.
Nevertheless, in order to detect root diseases in time (if any), transplantation is still recommended.
Priming
Tall stonecrops, including this species, in contrast to undersized relatives, grow better in fertile soil. Nutritious loam with lots of compost or humus is ideal.
Sedum is very afraid of the prominent bays.
The soil must provide good circulation of water and air. Plants planted in a pot are in great need of a drainage layer.
Weeding is recommended at each inspection. Coexistence with various weeds is possible, but the growth of stonecrop is significantly slowed down, and it may not even bloom.
Fertilizers
This is not to say that feeding is vital. But if you lightly fertilize it with minerals and organics from time to time, the results will be more impressive and appear earlier.
At the same time, overfeeding is too dangerous - everything can end in root rot and death.
Watering
Stonecrops are watered only indoors. Plants planted in the ground need watering only when there is an obvious lack of moisture.
Too frequent and abundant watering is dangerous, as it easily leads to stagnation of water and rotting of the roots. Most diseases arise precisely from excessive watering.
Lack of moisture occurs very rarely, since sedum accumulates moisture not only in the fleshy leaves, but also in numerous underground tubers.
Lighting
Bright sunny color is one of the few conditions that sedum cannot do without.
It is not necessary to shade it even at midday in the height of summer. From time to time it is recommended to wipe the leaves from dust with a slightly damp cloth.
The dust is able to trap a significant amount of sunlight, which is so necessary for this plant.
Thermal conditions
Sedum is a prominent member of the list of the most hardy representatives of its kind.
Adult bushes thrive at any temperature.
In winter, the aboveground part dies off, but in spring it always grows back.
There is no need to prepare for wintering. There is also no need for winter shelter.
Transfer
Every 5 years, the bush needs to be rejuvenated, as it begins to lose its decorative properties.
The plant is divided into 3-4 parts and planted at a distance of 30-40 cm (depending on the variety) from each other. This is best done in early spring.
Bloom
Flowering lasts from July to September. If it is dry in autumn and there is no severe frost, it can bloom until December and even stand in this state for a short time under the snow. The smell is pleasant, somewhat reminiscent of a rose.
After the end of flowering, the peduncles should be cut off so as not to deprive the plant of the strength necessary to prepare stonecrop visible for winter.
Diseases and pests
Sedum is a pest-resistant crop and is less susceptible to disease. Nevertheless, shrub species with wide leaves are attacked by true sawfly caterpillars in summer. Pests should be baited with cabbage leaves, which are placed under the board, and destroyed. Affected plants are treated with Aktelik or a preparation similar in composition.
Sedum is affected by fungal infections. This ailment occurs in cold, damp weather.The signs of fungus are dark spots on the leaves and stems. The damaged processes are removed and burned.
Nematodes pose a serious threat to sedum. The root system is affected, dead and dying areas appear on the roots. A distinctive feature of plant damage by nematodes is the characteristic swelling on the roots. The foliage becomes dull, the plant begins to wilt. It is impossible to save sedum in this case. It is destroyed along with the soil to avoid further spread of parasites.
Aphids and thrips often attack the fleshy foliage of stonecrops. They feed on plant juices and deplete it. They fight parasites with insecticides that target fruits and berries. This is due to the fact that more caustic species leave burns on the leaves.
The weevil is also a lover of the fleshy leaves of stonecrop. Pests are easily swept into a container or paper bag and destroyed in a fire.
Plants are susceptible to rot when the soil is too moist. Transplanting to another place in specially prepared sandy soil will help to save the sedum.
