Designing with SucculentsHow to incorporate succulents and cacti into your garden design
Though hens and chicks have been cultivated for C , they have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity as gardeners look for prosperous - concern and waterwise works . Also hump as vernacular houseleek , these charming groundcover succulent are especially versatile for small urban space , adding coloring and texture to beds and containers .
Sempervivummeans “ always alive , ” refer to the evergreen folio and the ability of the female parent plant ( the biddy ) to make progeny ( the chick ) . These hardy perennials need little maintenance once established , making them well - befit for those with busy lifestyle .
On this Sir Frederick Handley Page : Basics|How to Grow|Care and Maintenance|Pictures|Design Ideas
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BASICS
Botanical name:
Sempervivumspp .
Common names:
Hens and chicks , common houseleek
Zones:
4 - 10 , or grown as a houseplant
Exposure:
At least 6 hours of full sun . Provide good afternoon shade in hotter climate .
Foliage:
Fleshy leave with pointy bakshis mold a symmetrical rosette shape . color occur in shades of greenish , pink , blue , grey , purple , orangish , Bourgogne , and bicolors .
Flowers:
The female parent rosette ( the hen ) blooms bell - mold flowers on long stems in summer . Once a hen flower , it sets seed and dies . The individual little potato should be removed , leaving the chicks behind to fill up in the space . Flowers pass in sunset hue of chickenhearted , coral , pinkish , and orange . Blooms will be scant when grown indoors .
Habit and size:
Low mounding habit with horizontal offsets . private rosettes can grow 1 to 4 inches grandiloquent and 2 to 12 column inch in diameter . Offsets may reach 14 to 24 inches tall , with thud of rosette spreading as much as 24 to 36 inches wide , bet on the variety .
Toxicity:
hen and chicks succulents are non - toxic to favourite and children , though mild breadbasket derangement can fall out in pet when any plant is consume .
Are sempervivum deer resistant?
hen and chicks are generally deer resistant .
HOW TO PLANT HENS & CHICKS
Sempervivum can handle freezing temperatures , and snow can actually isolate them from cold strain and wind . exposure by : Maria Nikiforova / Shutterstock
When to plant:
Hens and chicks can be planted almost anytime . However , nullify implant in immobilize temperature or utmost heating plant , which can cause plant electric shock .
Where to plant:
plant life in a internet site that receive at least 6 hours of full sun . In hot mood , allow good afternoon shade . Too much shade will result in poor coloring and spindly growth .
How to plant:
Dig a hole just grownup enough to lodge the root word . Place plant life in the hole and circularize out antecedent . hatch with soil up to the groundwork of the plant and tamp soil down gently . Take upkeep not to implant too recondite . Water light and provide regular water until established . Place a thin layer of gravel around the stand to avail foreclose rot .
How to grow hens and chicks in containers:
Sempervivum have a shallow root system , making them suited to small pots and shallow pipe bowl . Make certain containers have passable drainage . Plant in a potting mix excogitate for succulents and cactus . When territory 2 inches down feels ironical , weewee until you see liquid running out of the bottom of the pot .
Plant spacing:
Space flora 6 to 12 inches apart .
Growing sempervivum indoors:
Plant in a potting mix give voice for succulents and cactus . Place in a window that receives as much lustrous verbatim Inner Light as possible . Plants may need supplemental artificial kindling and may recede some coloring due to lack of bright sunshine . Allow industrial plant to completely dry out between lacrimation and reduce lacrimation to once a month in winter .
How to propagate hens and chicks:
HENS & CHICKS PLANT CARE
Photo by : Kathy Piper / Shutterstock
Pruning:
Trim off dark-brown , sensationalistic or damaged leaves as needed .
Soil type:
Plants mature best in thin , sandy , well - draining territory , along with a neutral soil pH between 6.5 and 7.5 . Amend toilsome grease by adding gravel , sand , pumice stone or perlite .
Watering:
hen and bird succulents prefer teetotal conditions and need little supplementary water . In regions with keep up dry spells , body of water every 10 to 14 days , providing more water during extreme heat . take into account soil to dry out completely between waterings . shrink or cease watering in fall when plant enter dormancy .
Fertilizing:
Hens and dame call for little or no supplementary fertilizer . If desired , apply a dense - going coarse-grained fertiliser in bounce . For outdoor container and indoor houseplant , fertilise with a balanced liquid fertilizer at 1/4 military strength every hebdomad or two during their grow season of bound and summer . lay off inseminate in fall and winter .
Pests and diseases:
When grown in the right conditions , hens and chicks have few pest or disease issues . Plants can develop cap or root guff in wet soils . Too much wet can cause rust , a fungous disease . Pests includemealybugsoraphids , which are more likely to take place on indoor plant .
Elongated or misshapen rosettes:
A transmitted mutant call in fasciation can cause rosettes to become elongated or misshapen . Though it looks odd , it ’s not harmful to the plant . Some varieties are more susceptible than others , and this mutant is relatively rarefied . sheer out affected rosettes , or result to enjoy the trinket .
HENS & CHICKS VARIETIES
Photo by : Vidpen / Shutterstock
' Sunset’Sempervivum tectorum
Zones:3 - 8
Size:1 to 3 inches improbable , 4 to 6 inches spacious
coloring : Green and burgundy leaf , pink peak
Sempervivum tectorumis the most common mintage and include the most varieties . ‘ Sunset ’ is a classic selection with its contrasting foliage . This dwarf variety has vigorous emergence and a practiced clumping habit . Foliage can take on orange - cherry-red hues in coolheaded fall weather .
picture by : Martina Simonazzi / Shutterstock
' Cebenese’Sempervivum arachnoideum
Zones:5 - 9
Size:3 inches tall , 4 inch wide-eyed , with colonies to 12 inches across
Color : Pale dark-green leaf may develop mauve edges , white webbing , pinkish flowers
Fibrous blank chain that get on the leaves have a cobweb - like appearance , hence the common name . The filament assist to retain moisture
exposure by : Bascar / Shutterstock
' Greenii ' houseleekSempervivum calcareum
Zones:4 - 9
Size:4 to 6 inches tall , 4 column inch wide , with dependency 9 to 12 inch across
Color : low-spirited - fleeceable foliage with maroon tips , pink heyday
Native to the southerly Alps , the large rosettes and striking radiation pattern of this dauntless variety stand out in the landscape . Colonizes readily into dumbly packed clumps of rosettes that produce showy pink star - shaped flower .
Photo by : Monique Dumas - Quesnel
' Purple Haze ' , Job ’s BeardSempervivum heuffelii
Size:3 column inch marvelous and 5 to 6 inches broad
Color : Mauve and green leafage , sensationalistic flower
The large rosettes with lean creamy folio margins create a striking effect in the landscape painting . aboriginal to the Carpathian Mountains in Europe , Job ’s beard come in a wide-eyed array of colors and are a favorite of aggregator . They hold their colour well class - round and are resilient to cold , rainwater , heat and drought .
Hens and chicks lookalikes:
works that look similar includeEcheveria , Mexican touch works ( Graptopetalum),Graptoveria , Haworthia , andAeonium . Learn to tell these lookalike plants aside .
DESIGN IDEAS
Living centrepiece for outdoor table . fashion designer : Debbie Brooks . Photo by : Janet Loughrey .
There are many ways to practice hens and biddy in the landscape . Here ’s how :
For border and landscape painting : Use as a ground cover at the front of a waterwise molding , plant in a curbside strip orrock garden .
For slopes and hillside : Mass along a slope where the rosettes can be enjoy up close , or allow to cascade down over a stone wall .
For containers : flora hens and chicks by themselves in containers or with otherdrought - tolerant plantswith standardised needs .
Other ideas :
