Echeveria is an unusual succulent of the family Crassulaceae. In the wild, it can be found in Central and South America. Refined "stone roses" from fleshy leaves attract many gardeners with intricate shapes. In everyday life, Echiveria can be seen in flowerpots or wide table pots. It looks great when grown individually or in the company of other similar specimens in a succulent garden. Caring for a bush is very simple, the main thing is to choose a suitable place.
Botanical Description
Echeveria is a herbaceous plant that is completely devoid of stem or has a soft, lodging stem. The rhizome is located in the upper layers of the soil, so the flower does not need a deep pot. A short bush consists of many leaf sockets located one above the other. The height of an adult curtain is from 10 to 40 cm. The diameter of the outlet is usually 15 cm.
Fleshy leafless leaves are painted in a bright green or bluish tint. They may have a pointed or rounded edge. The length of the leaf plate is 3-25 cm, and the width is 1.5-15 cm. The color of the leaves is monophonic, but sometimes there is a whitish or pinkish coating on the surface.
Flowering occurs in the spring-summer period and can last up to 3 weeks. At this time, a dense peduncle 20-40 cm long grows from the center of Echeveria. A loose spike-shaped or paniculate inflorescence crowns its top. Small bell-shaped corollas are painted pink, yellow or brown. In place of wilted buds, miniature seed boxes ripen.
Popular views
In the genus Echeveria, there are up to 150 species, there are also decorative hybrid forms.
Echeveria agave. A stemless plant with thick pointed leaves forms symmetrical rosettes that resemble the flowers of water lilies. The edges of the leaves are slightly transparent and have a pinkish tint. Flowers bloom in summer and are yellow-pink in color.
Echeveria graceful. This grassy perennial with a short thick stem is very popular. Its fleshy bluish-green leaves adhere closely to each other, which gives a resemblance to a stone rose. In summer, orange-red miniature bells open on a high peduncle.
Echeveria Derenberg. The plant has an elongated creeping shoot and leaf sockets tightly pressed to each other. Wide leaves with a slight sharpening at the end reach 4 cm in length and 2 cm in width. The light green surface is covered with a matte whitish bloom with a reddish spot on the end. At the end of spring, a short dense flower stalk with orange buds grows.
Echeveria humpback. The flower has a short stem and diamond-shaped flat leaves. The green surface at the base acquires a pinkish tint. Light red buds are collected on a dense erect peduncle. An interesting hybrid variety is Echeveria Nuremberg. It differs in pink-gray wide leaves, which are located on an elongated, gradually exposed bare stem.
Echeveria propagation
At home, the propagation of echeveria is carried out in the following ways:
- Sowing seeds. It is necessary to first grow seedlings. Crops are produced at the end of February. Seeds should be placed in a flat box with moist sand and peat soil, do not sprinkle on top. The container is covered with a film and kept at a temperature of + 20 ... + 22 ° C. Shoots appear after 2 weeks. When 3 leaves grow, seedlings dive into small flat pots of several pieces.
- Rooting of stem cuttings. In mid-March, apical cuttings with 2-3 leaf rosettes are separated from the main plant, dried in air for 3-4 hours. After that, the sprout is pressed into the sandy soil. You can add some compost soil. The soil is moistened in a timely manner. Echeveria is grown in a room with bright diffused light at a temperature of + 22 ... + 24 ° C. Rooting occurs within 7-10 days, after which the seedlings can be transplanted into separate pots.
- Rooting leafy cuttings. Reproduction of echeveria leaf is considered quite difficult. It is necessary to separate the large lower leaves without damage. They are dried for several hours and placed on wet sand horizontally. It is necessary to regularly moisten the soil, but not to allow flooding. The first roots will appear in a month, and a small full-fledged plant will form only in 3-4 months.
Transplant Rules
Echeveria is a very delicate plant, so extreme care must be taken when transplanting. Young specimens are transplanted every spring, older plants are transplanted every 3-4 years. It is important to choose small pots with drainage holes at the bottom. First, a layer of pebbles, expanded clay or pebbles is laid in the container and only then light nutrient soil is poured. The land for echeveria is made up of such components:
- crushed red brick;
- charcoal;
- peat;
- loamy soil.
It is better to choose shallow drawers or pots and plant a peculiar mix of echiveria and other succulents in them.
Choosing a place for the plant
At home, caring for echeveria is simple. Much attention should be paid to finding a suitable place. Like most succulent forms of plants, this flower loves the bright sun and is not afraid of direct sunlight. The best place for it would be the southern window sills. In the summer it is useful to transfer the echeveria to fresh air, but protection from drafts and precipitation will be required.
The optimum air temperature is + 22 ... + 27 ° C, even intense heat rarely causes problems. In the winter months, Echeveria comes to rest and you need to lower the temperature to + 6 ... + 8 ° C. If in the winter the room is too warm, but not light enough, the stalk will stretch very much and expose itself.
With the help of artificial changes in temperature and lighting, you can transfer the flowering of Echeveria. 2 months before the appointed date, you should place it in a room with an air temperature of + 15 ... + 18 ° C and provide daylight hours of 12-14 hours.
Care for home echeveria
Echeveria needs moderate watering with warm, purified water. Between irrigation, the soil should be completely dry. Flooding quickly leads to decay of the roots and lower leaves. It is important that the water does not accumulate near the stem. If the flower suffers from drought, the leaves become soft and may frown. In this case, watering is done more often. Excess fluid must leave the pot unhindered.
Succulents do not need high humidity. They react poorly to spraying and bathing in the shower.
Feeding echeveria very carefully. Excess fertilizer causes leaves to rot. If the soil is updated often enough, then you can completely abandon top dressing. If necessary, a portion of fertilizer is applied monthly from the beginning of flowering until the end of summer. You need to use compositions for cacti.
With improper care, echeveria suffers from fungal diseases. Parasites almost never settle on leaflets due to the dense skin.
