Echeveria mix care. Echeveria flower care
Echeveria belongs to the succulent plants along with the crassula, cactus, aloe, Kalanchoe and many others. Succulents are a great way to decorate the interior with unpretentious plants. After all, such flowers do not need an abundance of care and frequent watering. They can thrive in small pots and do not require close attention. Echeveria planting and home care are quite simple, even an inexperienced florist can cope with them, and the plants in return will delight with their brightness and originality.
stone rose
Echeveria is named after an artist from Mexico who painted this flower for a plant guide. Later it was called "stone rose" or "stone flower". The leaves of this plant resemble a stone. They are just as smoothly machined and differ in hardness.
Echeveria grows naturally in Mexico. There she chooses rocky places. But even in room conditions, the flower grows well and can even bloom.
Sometimes echeveria is mistakenly called "young". These are different flowers. Rejuvenated - a garden flower that can winter. And echeveria needs high temperatures and a certain level of humidity.
Echeveria is a succulent. In total, there are more than 170 such plants. All of them differ from each other:
- socket size;
- height;
- coloring.
Echeveria: home care
According to flower growers, there are no special requirements for growing a flower in room conditions. However, it should be borne in mind that the plant must be handled very carefully. Echeveria leaves are covered with a delicate waxy gray-blue film. This shell performs the functions of absorbing and saving moisture and other useful elements. It is not recommended to touch this shell, because the film is destroyed by touch, the plant becomes sick. If by negligence you had to touch the leaves, you need to cover the echeveria with a glass cap or polyethylene until restored.
The vegetative period lasts from early spring until the end of October. During this period, the plant needs a lot of sun and heat. The air temperature should be above normal room temperature. The soil must not be allowed to dry out. You need to water with settled warm water. When watering, it is important that the water does not wet the leaves, this is fraught with decay. You also need to fertilize weekly, experts advise.
In winter, the temperature in the room at 15 degrees is enough. Watering can occur once a month. If the temperature level in the room is higher, let's water twice a month, but you need to make sure that the earth is completely dry. Can be watered in a pan to avoid waterlogging the soil.
Echeveria flower (home care will not create problems) does not require spraying the leaves. More precisely, spraying is contraindicated for this plant. Wax coating can be destroyed by moisture. And water in the sun will burn the leaves.
Soil Requirements
When planting a flower, you can use ready-made soil for succulents. But if this is not the case, you can prepare the ground yourself. To do this, take:
- one part of sand;
- two parts of rubble;
- two parts compost.
Echeveria is planted in small flat-shaped pots. The diameter of the pot should exceed the diameter of the outlet by 2-3 cm.
Mandatory drainage, appropriate to the size of the pot and the volume of soil. Without adequate drainage, root diseases can occur. The bottom of the pot is covered with pebbles, expanded clay or broken bricks.
Caring for echeveria at home involves fertilizing with cactus fertilizers. The plant also develops well on poor soils, so fertilizer once a month in spring and summer will fully compensate for the lack of useful elements in the soil.
You need to transplant a flower once a year - this is the requirement for young specimens. Transplantation of adult plants is carried out if necessary. When transplanting, it is important to handle the plant very carefully so as not to damage it.
Lighting
When growing an echeveria flower at home, caring for it involves providing an unlimited amount of light. This flower is not afraid even of the scorching sun. Under the sun, the amount of plaque on the leaves increases, the plant acquires a bluish tint. A shadow, on the contrary, can negatively affect the formation of a flower rosette, flower growers say.
It is better to have a flower on the south side. The north direction will disrupt the natural growth of the plant and will not be able to provide sufficient conditions for the formation of a beautiful flower shape.
In summer, the plant can be taken out to the balcony and not be afraid that the scorching sun will burn it, because in natural conditions the plant grows under burning sunlight.
In winter, echeveria also requires good lighting. It can winter at an air temperature of at least 8 degrees.
reproduction
Reproduction of echeveria is a complex process. This can be done by seeds, leaves or rooting tops.
Seeds are the most difficult plant to propagate. To do this, it is pollinated during the flowering period. As soon as the seeds ripen, they need to be harvested. Seeds are spread on the soil with a sour composition, it is not necessary to sprinkle. Dishes with seeds are placed in a place where there is a lot of sun, heat and high humidity. A container with a transparent lid is best. You must also take care of good drainage. A similar method of propagating echeveria at home and caring for it is quite complicated, the process is painstaking, but if everything is done correctly, the result will please the grower.
The process of propagation by leaves is similar to propagation by seeds. The leaves are planted in acidic soil, covered with a transparent cap, put in a warm, bright place and maintain a high level of humidity. Leaves take root for a very long time.
To propagate with the help of the top, you need to wait until the moment when the lower leaves fall off, the stem is exposed. The top is cut and rooted in the same way as in the case of propagation by leaves.
Echeveria graceful
The most unpretentious species grown in the conditions of apartments, judging by the reviews.
The flower came from Mexico. The leaves are arranged in miniature rosettes, have a light green color with a silvery top layer. It blooms from late spring with numerous beautiful light pink flowers. Growing Echeveria graceful and caring for at home are simple. The main thing is to provide the plant with a favorable environment for growth and development. The flower grows slowly, but lives for a long time.
Echeveria agave
Also lives in Mexico. It has the shape of a bush with a minimal stem. The leaves are light green in color, with red-yellow edges and a waxy surface. In spring and summer, numerous red and yellow flowers are formed in the form of bells, round in shape, 1-2 cm in length. If you decide to start an agave echeveria, caring for it at home involves creating conditions as close to natural as possible. The plant needs high temperature, plenty of light and regular watering.
Echeveria Lau
This is a flower with a large rosette, reaching 20 cm. The leaves are oval-shaped, with pointed tips. On the surface of the leaves there is a rich wax coating, due to which they have a grayish tint. The flowers are orange in color, also with a wax layer and bright red tops.
Echeveria Miranda
In appearance, the plant resembles a lotus. This is a very beautiful flower that has different shades - blue, yellow, pink. The leaves are pointed in shape. If Echeveria Miranda has appeared in your home, caring for it at home requires regular watering and occasional top dressing. In summer, the plant is useful to take out on a balcony or veranda. The flower does not suffer from direct sunlight, so it is not necessary to shade it, experts advise.
Creation of a florarium
Any succulents, according to amateur flower growers, look amazing in the general florarium. You can create it with your own hands. It is somewhat like an aquarium. It is also placed in a glass container. It is a mini garden. The advantages of such compositions are that they do not depend on climatic conditions and look original. Guests will always be surprised by such a creation.
Echeveria can be combined with other succulents. It turns out a unique mix of echeveria. If you decide to create a mix of echeverias, home care for it will consist of a rare watering with a small watering can and a constant influx of sunlight.
To create a florarium, you can also take other flowers:
- cacti;
- spurge;
- kalanchoe;
- fat woman.
In addition to flowers, you will need:
- an aquarium or other suitable container, you can also fit a planter;
- drainage elements - it can be expanded clay, pebbles, sandstone;
- soil for plants - succulents need special soil or soil mixed with sand;
- colored sand - for decoration;
- pots for planting flowers;
- other decorative elements (shells, pebbles, pearls, snags);
- syringe or pear for watering.
Step-by-step process of designing a florarium:
- At the bottom, coal is poured with a layer of 5 cm.
- Next, soil mixed with coal is added. It is necessary to fill the florarium halfway.
- Plant plants at intervals of 3-4 cm.
- The soil is well compacted.
- The gaps are filled with moss.
- Add decorations.
- Plants are watered with a small watering can or medical pear.
Further watering is carried out approximately once a week. Home care for echeveria in the florarium does not differ from that for plants in ordinary pots. You also need an abundance of sunlight in combination with rare watering.
Possible dangers
Echeveria is rarely damaged by pests and is not susceptible to flower diseases, testimonials from flower growers testify. A thick wax layer protects the flower well from various pathologies.
Brownish spots may appear on the leaves. These are manifestations of a fungal disease. It can happen as a result of improper care of the plant.
Over watering can cause leaf rot. In this case, watering is reduced.
The twisting of the leaves speaks, on the contrary, of a lack of moisture. The plant is immediately watered.
In general, echeveria does not annoy its owner with the requirement of careful care, and with the appropriate attitude, it grows for a long time and pleases with its grace for more than one year.
Echeveria is a perennial herbaceous plant that belongs to succulents. Among the people, he has another name - a stone rose. Green succulent leaves, collected in a dense squat rosette, really resemble an outlandish flower that can grow even on rocky ground.
Echeveria belongs to the Crassula family. Its homeland is hot Mexico, where in nature the plant can reach quite large sizes. In total, there are about 170 species of these succulents.
In indoor floriculture, the following types of echeveria are popular:
- Brilliant. A beautiful plant, bright green pointed leaves have a red border around the edge.
- Humpbacked. Young leaves are bright purple, the rest are grayish green.
- Graceful. A plant with green oblong-rounded, thick leaves collected in a dense rosette.
- Echeveria Sho. The leaf plate is not as juicy as other varieties, it has a wavy edge. In appearance, the plant resembles a head of cabbage, most of the leaves of which fall off in winter.
- Black Prince. The species has red-brown leaves, blooms in August and requires bright lighting.
- Echeveria agave. Green-red leaves are pointed at the end. The more light the plant receives, the brighter the red color.
- Lau. The succulent rosette is large, about 20 cm in diameter. The leaves are beautiful, bluish-white, juicy, their length is 6 cm, width 3 cm. Flowers - up to 1.5 cm, orange.
- Crimson. The stem grows up to 70 cm in height, the leaves with soft pubescence are located not in the rosette, but over the entire surface of the stem, the underside and edges of the leaf plate are red.
- Echeveria Derenberg. It looks like rounded Christmas tree cones with green leaves instead of scales.
- Cushion. The leaves are juicy green, velvety, with white hairs. The pubescence of the stem is dense, red-brown, the flowers are orange-yellow.
- Miranda. The leaves, pointed at the ends, can have a different shade - bluish, pink, yellow. In appearance, the plant resembles a lotus flower.
- Echeveria Chihuahuensis. It has a dense rosette of bluish-green leaves with a sharp tip, which is colored red.
- Echeveria purpusorum. Hard leaves of a triangular shape are collected in a dense basal rosette, have a brownish-green color.
A composition of several types of echeveria with different leaf colors in one flower pot looks beautiful.
Growing features
Echeveria are grown indoors because they do not tolerate freezing temperatures. In central Russia, these plants are sometimes used in the open field, as annuals, to decorate alpine hills.
In room conditions, it is important for echeveri to create comfortable conditions so that it grows and develops normally.
Planting and transplanting a flower
Soil for Echeveria is made from peat so that it grows faster. If you want to get a small plant, you can grow it in gravel.
- Drainage is placed at the bottom of the pot.
- Baking powders are added to the peat for planting - gravel, perlite, vermiculite, sand.
- Echeveria loves bright light very much, it does not need to be shaded from direct sunlight, but immediately after planting it is gradually accustomed to bright light.
For transplanting, suitable soil for cacti or succulents with the addition of a small amount of coarse sand. This interesting plant needs lower and upper drainage, which can be made from pebbles or sand, the upper drainage should be a centimeter thick.
You can plant interesting compositions of echeveria and other succulents in one flower pot, and decorate them with small stones.
Echeveria care at home
On the leaves of echeveria there is a protective cover - a waxy grayish-white coating or pubescence. It protects the plant from direct sunlight, so Echeveria does not need to be shaded on a hot afternoon on the southern windows. In winter, the plant should be placed on a south or southeast window, where there will be enough sunlight. Without it, the plant will stretch out and lose its attractive compactness. If there is not enough light in winter, you can organize the backlight.
Echeveria leaves contain a supply of moisture, which allows the plant to go without watering for a long time, but it loves moisture.
- In summer, the plant is watered about 1 time per week, the soil should dry out 3 cm deep between waterings.
- In winter, you can water once a month if the room temperature is cool, about + 15 ° C. In a hot room, water as the topsoil dries out.
Excess water from the pan after watering is drained. Echeveria does not need high humidity and leaf spraying. Types of echeveria with dense white hairs on the leaves need to be watered less often.
Feed the plant with fertilizer for succulents once a month. Start top dressing in early spring, adding them to the water for irrigation.
Echeveria has faded - what to do next?
During flowering, the plant throws out a tall peduncle with brown, yellow or red bell flowers. Echeveria blooms in spring or summer. Flowering does not last long - 2 or 3 weeks.
If the seeds are not needed, immediately after flowering, the peduncle is cut off - the ripening of the seeds will deplete the plant's strength. When the echeveria has faded, they surround it with care, feed it with fertilizers for succulents, make sure that it has enough moisture and it is light.
Plant propagation
Echeveria can be grown from a leaf in spring or summer.
- The leaf is carefully broken off from the plant, lubricating the broken place with charcoal.
- It is dried for several days, and then placed on a moistened substrate.
- Soon, a sprout of a new plant with small roots will appear from the base of the leaf.
- After it takes root and grows, it is transplanted into a separate container.
It is difficult to grow a plant from seeds, because they are dusty, very small. They are sown in February in a mixture of earth and sand. Fresh seeds germinate at 15 to 20°C in 2 weeks. The plant is also propagated by daughter rosettes, rooting in the soil mixture.
Diseases and pests - how to treat?
With excessive watering, the base of the rosette of leaves may rot. If yellow or brown spots appear on the leaves, this is a sign of a fungal disease. The affected plant is treated with a fungicide. All rotten parts are cut off, the sections are sprinkled with activated charcoal, and the plant is transplanted into fresh soil.
The plant is resistant to pests. Its thick leaves are not so easy to bite through.
Some species of Echeveria are affected by mealybugs. Sick plants are sprayed with "Fitoverm", "Aktellik" or "Aktara". Processing is carried out at an air temperature of 22 - 24 ° C. Repeat spraying with an interval of 7 days 2 or 3 times.
Potential Growing Problems
Growing problems can occur with improper care of the plant:
- with a lack of lighting, the internodes are strongly extended, the trunk is exposed between the leaves;
- the plant can get sick with a fungal disease or simply rot if water gets into the rosette of leaves during irrigation and stays there for a long time;
- from water droplets on the leaves, sunburn may appear if the plant is on the southern windowsill;
- shredding and drying of the leaves can be caused by insufficient watering.
Echeveria flower is an unpretentious plant and with proper care, you can grow its most exotic species. The plant decorates the room all year round with an unusual type of leaves, and just like a money tree, it attracts prosperity and well-being to the house.
Echeveria is a heat-loving flower native to hot Mexico. Flower growers successfully grow it on window sills, in florariums or greenhouse rocky gardens. Unpretentious and extremely decorative echeveria does not cause any trouble in care and willingly grows at home.
plant description
There are many varieties of echeveria
Echeveria (or echeveria) is a resident of the arid rocky plains and mountain slopes of Central America. The flower got its name in honor of the illustrator Atanasio Echeverria, who designed the book "Flora of Mexico" in the century before last. Another name, "stone rose", is associated with the appearance of the plant - its dense rosettes really resemble roses.
The genus Echeveria belongs to the Crassulaceae family and unites about two hundred species. Growth in a dry hot climate determines the main distinguishing features of echeveria. The plants have fleshy leaves, collected in a dense rosette, from 3 to 30 cm long and 1–15 cm wide. The leaf blades are flat or cylindrical, with a pointed tip, covered with a wax coating or pubescent. This leaf structure allows Echeveria to endure sudden changes in temperature, heat and cold. The color is bluish-green, the ends of the leaves are darker, reddish-brown.
The stem of most species is shortened and almost invisible, although there are also bushy echeverias. Echeveria blooms with bell-shaped flowers, which are located on inflorescences from 4 to 50 cm long. The size of individual bells is 1–3 cm, the color is red, yellow-green, orange. Often, an additional rosette develops at the ends of the flower stalks, with fleshy, waxy, smaller leaves than on the mother plant.
Young people are often mistaken for echeveria, but they look more like artichokes.
On a note! Even experienced flower growers sometimes confuse echeveria with another similar plant - young (Sempervivum). However, these are two completely different plants, respectively, and the conditions for their maintenance are different. The youth is frost-resistant, it can be safely grown on alpine hills in open ground, while echeveria does not tolerate sub-zero temperatures. Another difference between echeveria is more fleshy and thicker leaves compared to young ones.
Echeveria as an indoor flower is represented by many species. Basically, they differ in size, leaf color and rosette shape. In content, all varieties are absolutely unpretentious, so you can safely choose any variety you like.
Known varieties of echeveria - table
| Variety | The size and shape of the leaf socket | Size, shape, leaf color | Flowers |
| Echeveria agave (agavoides) | A bushy plant with a very short stem. Rosettes are dense, rounded. | Leaves up to 9 cm long and up to 6 cm wide, widen from the base, and then sharply narrow, with a pointed tip. The color of the leaves is light green, at the ends the leaves are yellowish-green, covered with a noticeable wax bloom of a bluish color. | The flowers are collected in inflorescences about 40 cm long, which emerge from the center of the rosette. The shape of the flowers is rounded bells, the color is yellow or red. Blooms in spring and summer. |
| Echeveria white-haired (leucotricha) | A short-stemmed plant with a rosette about 15 cm in diameter. | The leaves are lanceolate, oblong, and their outer side is flat, and the lower convex, rounded. Leaf plates are green with a brown border along the edge, densely covered with light hairs. | The flowers are reddish-brown, located on peduncles 40–50 cm long. It blooms in spring. |
| Echeveria brilliant (fulgens Lera) | Bushy species with thick shoots. Second-order shoots grow from the central rosette with small rosettes at the ends. | The leaves are oval-oblong, with a sharp tip, up to 10 cm long and up to 4 cm wide. The color is light green, with a pronounced wax coating on the edges. | The flowers are bright red, 1-2 cm in size. Flowering in February - March. |
| Echeveria humpbacked (Gibbiflora) | A plant with tree-like unbranched shoots, on the tops of which there are small (15-20 leaves) rosettes. | The leaves are rounded-lanceolate, slightly pointed at the end. Slightly concave on the outside, curved on the inside. The edge of the leaf plate is slightly wavy, there are varieties with pronounced waviness. The color ranges from bluish-green to reddish-gray with a lighter border around the edge. | Flowers - red-yellow rounded bells 2 cm in size. |
| Echeveria Derenberg (Derenbergii) | It has creeping shoots with very dense, regular rosettes at the ends. | Leaves up to 4 cm long and up to 2 cm wide, spatulate, very close to each other. The color of the leaf plates is gray-green with a colored (usually pinkish or brownish) edging along the edge. | Inflorescences 6-15 cm with red-yellow bells. |
| Echeveria graceful (elegans Rose) | The stem is very short, the rosettes are quite dense. | Leaves up to 5 cm long, 2 cm wide, rounded, with a sharp tip. The coloration is light green with a silvery-gray bloom. | The flowers are pink, with a yellow top, appear on branched peduncles in late spring. |
| Echeveria cushion (pulvinata) | A plant with a short herbaceous stem and a loose rosette. | The leaves are oval, very fleshy, up to 5 cm long and 2 cm wide. The green leaf plate is densely pubescent with short silvery hairs, and small spines are located on the tops of the leaves. | The flowers are 1-2 cm in size, pubescent and have a red-yellow color. Flowering from early March. |
| Echeveria Peakotsky, or Peacock (peacockii) | Plants with a low erect stem, on top of which there are loose rosettes with a diameter of about 10 cm. | The leaves are rounded-spatulate, with a sharp tip. The color is uniform green with a bluish bloom. | Red flowers are collected on drooping peduncles. Blooms in late spring - early summer. |
| Echeveria Shaviana, or Sho (shaviana) | Herbaceous short stem, fairly dense rosette of regular shape. | The leaves are flat, oval, with a sharp tip. Gray-green coloration. There are varieties with a wavy edge. | Pink flowers are collected in inflorescences on branched erect peduncles. Blooms in early summer. |
| Echeveria bristly (setosa Rose et Purp) | The plant is practically without a stem, the rosettes are dense. correct form. | The leaves are lanceolate, fleshy, up to 10 cm long and up to 4 cm wide. The color is uniform, bright green. The entire leaf plate is covered with short prickly silver bristles. | The flowers are small, about 1 cm, collected in inflorescences 30–40 cm high. It blooms in early summer. |
Popular varieties in the photo
Optimal conditions for keeping echeveria - table
Important! Do not forget that echeveria is a resident of arid and hot regions. In order for it to show itself in all its glory, it needs to create conditions as close as possible to natural ones.
Plant video
Landing and transplant
After buying Echeveria, it is advisable to immediately transplant it into a permanent pot with suitable soil, because the store substrate is often unsuitable for long-term cultivation of this flower.
In nature, echeveria grows in rock crevices, on scree. In such conditions, rainwater does not linger at the roots, but immediately flows off. The soil in the pot should also pass water very well. Moreover, the pebbles are not only laid on the bottom of the tank, but also evenly mixed with the soil. It can be small pebbles, broken bricks or gravel with a fraction of 4-6 mm. Sand and vermiculite are absolutely not suitable, the sand has too small particles, and vermiculite retains moisture.
The optimal composition of the soil for echeveria:
- garden soil - 3 parts;
- pebbles - 1 part;
- peat - 1 part;
- some charcoal.
Alternatively, you can take the purchased land for cacti or succulents and add some stones there.
On a note! Determining whether an echeveria earth mixture is suitable is very simple. A handful of the substrate is squeezed in the hand and they look at what happened - if the soil has turned into a lump, then it is too heavy for echeveria, and if it crumbles, then just right.
An important role in growing a plant is played by the right choice of a pot. Echeveria has a weak shallow root system, so it needs a wide and shallow container with a drainage hole in the bottom. The diameter of the pot should be 1–1.5 cm larger than the diameter of the leaf rosette.
On a note! Group plantings in spacious flower boxes look beautiful. With the help of several varieties of succulents and a handful of decorative pebbles, you can create a real miniature garden. It is necessary to water such a composition very carefully so that the roots of echeveria do not rot in a large amount of land.
Young specimens require an annual transplant, adult plants are transplanted only as needed, when the old pot becomes cramped. The land for transplantation is taken the same as during the first landing.
Echeveria needs small pots
Growing in a florarium
Recently, it has become popular to grow a mix of indoor plants in mini-greenhouses, the so-called florariums. Initially, only demanding plants were planted in florariums in order to provide them with the necessary microclimate. Currently, mini-greenhouses have become a real decoration of the interior, because behind the glass you can recreate a piece of the natural landscape. Echeveria is great for a desert or rocky florarium. Its compactness, slow growth, low soil and water requirements make it an ideal candidate for growing under glass.
Echeveria is great for creating a desert landscape
To make such a florarium is very simple. For this you need:
- Carefully pour the drainage layer into a glass container (small pebbles in half with charcoal), and on it a layer of soil for echeveria.
- With the help of large tweezers and a wooden peg, plant a few bushes and carefully water them from a small watering can with a narrow spout.
- Fill empty places with decorative pebbles or coarse quartz sand.
- As a care, such a florarium needs only very moderate watering from time to time.
plant care
Watering and humidity
Echeveria feels great at low humidity, so it can be safely placed in rooms with dry air or near heating devices.
Important! This flower is not sprayed! Too much moisture can cause leaf rot. For the same reason, avoid getting water on the leaf outlet when watering.
Echeveria is watered very sparingly. In summer, in hot weather, this is done more often, as soon as the earth ball dries well. In winter, watering is reduced, the lower the temperature of the content, the less moisture the plant needs. Remember that stagnant water is detrimental to echeveria.
top dressing
The flower is fed only during the period of active growth, that is, from the beginning of spring to the end of summer. As a fertilizer, ready-made mixtures for succulents are used, for example, Agricola for cacti and succulents, Absolut, Stimovit for succulents. As a rule, top dressing is applied along with watering once a month. In the autumn-winter period, echeveria is not fed.
Important! Fertilizers can begin to be applied only 2 months after planting or transplanting a flower.
How to make echeveria bloom
Many varieties of echeveria bloom willingly on windowsills. If the plant does not want to release buds, it can be helped. This is achieved by adjusting the length of daylight hours and temperature. If bushes are kept at a temperature of +15 ... +18 ° C for 1.5–2 months and the daylight hours are only 12–13 hours, the first buds will appear by the end of this period.
On a note! Very young plants will not bloom. Usually echeverias bloom only for 2-3 years of life.
During flowering, echeveria requires more abundant watering and fertilizing with complex fertilizer for flowering plants. After flowering, there is a dormant period during which watering and fertilizing are reduced.
Blooming echeveria bushes look very elegant
Possible problems and ways to solve them - table
| Problem | Causes | Solutions |
| Gray spots on the leaves, violation of the wax layer. |
|
|
| Leaves and stems become brittle and turn gray or black. | Excessive watering combined with low temperatures. |
|
| The socket stretched out, became loose. The leaves have faded. | Lack of lighting. |
|
| Small leaves, very slow growth. |
|
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| Leaves and rosettes shrivel. | Lack of watering in the heat. |
|
Diseases and pests
Echeveria, like other Crassulaceae, is resistant to diseases and pests. The main danger is represented by mealy and root bugs, root-knot nematodes.
Pest control methods - table
| Pest | signs | Treatment |
| Mealybug | Foci of wax threads, similar to fluff or cotton wool, appear on the outlet. The leaves are covered with a sticky coating. If you look closely, you can see oval whitish insects covered with powdery coating. Plants stop growing, are oppressed. |
|
| root bug | The plant is depressed, stops growing, the leaves lose their elasticity, become lethargic. The earthy ball is as if entangled in white cotton wool - this is the nest of the worms. |
|
| gall nematode | General inhibition of the plant. Thickening in the form of beads is noticeable on the roots. Over time, the roots rot. |
|
Reproduction of a flower at home
Echeveria are easy to propagate by leaf cuttings, apical or basal rosettes. You can try to grow a flower from seeds, but this is a more time-consuming way.
leaf cuttings
- The lower leaves are broken off from the mother plant - large and healthy. Leave to dry for 2-3 hours.
- A soil mixture of garden soil and coarse sand is placed in a pot in a ratio of 2: 1. 2-3 mm of clean sand is poured on top.
- The leaves are pressed into the ground with a scrap, placing them slightly obliquely.
- Spray the cuttings with a spray bottle and cover with a plastic bag.
- The pot with cuttings is regularly moistened, and the shelter is ventilated. The temperature of the cuttings is about +25 ° C.
- After 2-3 weeks, young rosettes appear at the base of the leaves. After the mother leaf is completely dry, small echeverias are seated in separate pots.
Plants are planted after the mother leaves have dried.
Root or apical rosettes
By rooting entire rosettes, you can get a full-fledged plant in a year. Rooting steps:
- With a sharp knife, cut off the basal or apical rosette and remove 3-4 lower leaves. Leave it to dry in a shaded place for 3-4 hours.
- Prepare a mixture of garden soil and coarse sand or fine gravel 1: 1 and fill a small pot with it.
- Stick the socket into the soil and lightly water.
- Keep at a temperature of 22–24 degrees, water regularly (the earth must be constantly moist).
- After a month, the outlet will start to grow, and after another 1-2 months it can be transplanted into a permanent pot. If the bush grows slowly, you can leave it until next year and only then transplant it.
Rooted sockets quickly begin to grow
seeds
If, after flowering, echeveria has formed fruit boxes, you can try to grow new bushes from seeds. To do this, they are sown in a mixture of peat soil and coarse sand (1: 1). Do it in February - March.
Important! Echeveria seeds are very small, so they are not sprinkled with earth, but only slightly pressed into the surface.
Crops are moistened with a spray bottle and covered with glass. In the future, they are kept at a temperature of 20–25 degrees, regularly moistened and ventilated. After two to three weeks, sprouts will appear. The grown seedlings are planted in small pots after 2-3 months. When the sockets grow up to 3 cm in diameter, they are transplanted again to a permanent place.
Echeveria is a rather unpretentious, but at the same time spectacular plant. Thoughtful compositions with a combination of several types can be a real highlight of the design of your apartment. There is nothing complicated in growing and caring for echeveria at home: even a beginner grower can handle it.
The genus Echeveria is a member of the Crassulaceae family. In total, according to various sources, there are from 150 to 180 species of these succulents in nature. The homeland of most of them is Mexico and the southern states of the United States, but individual representatives can also be found in South America (Peru). The plant prefers low mountains and plains, where in summer almost all days are hot and sunny, and in winter frosts, if any, are very infrequent and insignificant.
The name of the genus was in honor of the 19th-century Mexican artist Atanasio Echeverria Godoy, who, in addition to his main activity, was interested in botany, compiling and illustrating books on the flora of his homeland.
Echeveria collection guaranteed not to go unnoticed
A characteristic feature is the ability for interspecific crossing. Pachiveria (a hybrid with pachyphytum), graptoveria (with graptopetalum) were obtained by selection.
All echeverias are typical succulents. These are evergreen herbaceous or semi-shrub perennials that do not have a stem. They are replaced by a thick, short, fleshy, intensely branching trunk. The main thing flower growers value Echeveria for is the leaves. They are also fleshy, even, smooth to the touch. A characteristic feature is a layer of whitish, silvery or grayish coating or velvety pubescence to the touch. It is protection from the scorching sun. And the hotter it is outside, the thicker the layer becomes. Because of this, it turns blue, and a noticeable reddish border appears along the edges of the leaves.
The leaves, arranged often and strictly in a spiral, form dense rosettes. From afar, they may well be mistaken for flowers. The illusion is supported by an unusual color - pale green, with a slight lilac, red, gray tint. Because of this, echeveria has earned its unofficial popular name - "stone rose" or "stone flower".
A rosette of echeveria leaves looks like a flower from afar In nature, the leaves reach sizes of 3–30 cm in length and 1.5–15 cm in width. At home, the parameters are more modest by about half.
The peduncle of Echeveria is much higher than the plant itself. Growing from the middle of the rosette, depending on the species, it can reach 35–85 cm. The inflorescence is in the form of a brush, spike or umbrella, with many flowers resembling very small bells. All shades of yellow and orange predominate, sometimes with a greenish or reddish tint. Outside, the color is slightly brighter than inside. In nature, Echeveria flowers in late spring or summer, with the exception of a few species that prefer to do so in the middle of winter. Flowering is quite long - 15-20 days. If natural or artificial pollination has occurred, fruit-boxes with five nests are tied, in which small seeds of a dull brown color ripen.
Echeveria flowers are quite pretty The roots of the plant are located almost on the surface - it is easier and faster to absorb moisture. The root system is fibrous, branched.
Differences from youth
Echeveria, due to external similarities, is quite often confused with another plant that is part of the Crassulaceae family - sempervivum (popularly - tenacious or young). However, unlike him, echeverias are extremely negative about any cold weather.
The leaves of the sempervivum look thinner, more elegant, sometimes they may even seem translucent, the rosettes are smaller. Even adult specimens of juveniles do not form stems. The sockets seem to lie on the ground. Echeveria, especially with a lack of light and heat, is able to stretch. At the same time, the lower leaves fall off, the rosette rises up.
So that there is no doubt at all, you need to wait for the offspring to appear. In echeveria, "babies" develop only at the base of the stem. For this, the young releases a “mustache”, at the ends of which offspring are formed.
Echeveria and young belong to the same family and are quite similar, but there are several distinguishing features. Species grown at home (table)
Of the many representatives of the species, most are suitable for indoor floriculture. But for various reasons, only a few dozen are most common.
| View | Description |
| Agave (agavoides) | The stem of this bushy plant, reaching 25–30 cm in height, is very short or absent in principle. The leaves are pale salad, at the edges - to translucency, with a noticeable reddish tint. The length of the leaf at home is 4–10 cm, the width is 5–6 cm. The plant blooms in late spring. The flowers are very small (1–1.5 cm), all shades of yellow-red. Very rarely, a few in the inflorescence have a pink color. |
| White-haired (leucotricha) | The name of the shrub is due to the presence of a thick white edge, resembling a long pile. Small (12-15 cm in diameter) rosettes are made up of leaves in the form of a lancet with a brownish border. Flowers bright red. Artists know this shade as cinnabar. |
| Brilliant (fulgens) | A characteristic feature of the shrub is not too intense branching. If shoots are formed, they are short and very thick. Inflorescence in the form of a brush or umbrella. Bright scarlet flowers appear in late winter or early spring. |
| Humpbacked flower (gibbiflora) | Of all the echeverias, it most closely resembles a tree. Stems erect, sometimes slightly branched. Rosettes of grayish-green leaves with a brick or brown tint are located on the tops of the shoots. The leaf plate is similar to a lens - it is concave from above, convex from below. The leaves are large - 20–25 cm long, 10–15 cm wide. At the end of summer, the plant throws out a tall (up to 1 m) peduncle. Inflorescence in the form of an ear. The flowers are muted scarlet on the outside, yellowish on the inside. Many hybrids have been bred by selective breeding. The most famous are carunculata (leaves are covered with small tubercles, as if twisted), crispata (leaves corrugated along the edges cast silver) and metallica (leaves with a whitish or reddish border have a shade of old bronze or purple). |
| Derenberg (Derenbergii) | Herbaceous plant. Shoots creep along the ground, small (4-7 cm) rosettes of leaves are located on their tops. The length of the sheet is almost equal to the width (3 and 2.5 cm). The leaves are covered with a bluish bloom, a reddish tint is noticeable along the edge and at the tip. Inflorescences are short (5-6 cm), spike-shaped. Flowers yellow-orange or reddish. |
| Graceful (elegans) | Herbaceous perennials. The leaves are very light green, almost white. The edges are translucent. The tip is pointed, sometimes even prickly. A characteristic feature is a highly branched peduncle. Inflorescences drooping, in the form of small one-sided brushes. Flowers crimson fading to yellow. |
| Lau (Lauii) | Unlike other species, it does not grow too fast and is quite demanding in care. One of the largest rosettes (18–20 cm in diameter). The leaves are diamond-shaped, almost white due to a thick layer of wax coating. They also cover and orange-pink shiny flowers. |
| Cushion (pulvinata) | Low-growing (18–20 cm) shrubs. The socket is quite “loose”, there are few leaves in it. At the top of each leaf is a short spine. Leaves and yellow-red flowers are pubescent. Inflorescences spike-shaped. |
| Sho (Shaviana) | Not too similar to echeveria in principle. The leaves are almost round, soft to the touch, corrugated along the edge. They are compressed so that the rosette looks more like a cabbage head than a flower. It produces several peduncles at the same time, pinkish flowers on which bloom in turn. |
| bristly (setosa) | A bushy plant forms many shoots. Rosettes in the form of an almost regular ball, each of them has more than a hundred dark green leaves with a grayish tint. The leaves are densely covered with white bristles - hence the name. The inflorescence is low - about 30 cm. The shape of the flowers resemble miniature tulips, and the color too. |
| Lingual (linguaefolia) | A low (20–25 cm) shrub forms two (no more and no less) fleshy trunks. Peduncle drooping, sometimes branching from below. The flowers are light yellow, straw-coloured. |
| Purple (atoropurpurea) | The socket is large, but loose. It is located at the top of the stem about 15 cm high. The leaves are also large (up to 12 cm), brick-colored. |
| Crimson (purpusorum) | Very original coloring and form of leaves. They are thick, wide, with a very sharp end, noticeably thinner towards the edges. The rosette is located on top of a short thick stem. The leaves are olive, with rich purple spots. |
| Echeveria Garms (Harmsii) | The leaves are very small, in the form of a rounded rhombus. At each point, the leaf plate turns red. The flowers are small, reddish-yellow. |
| Desmeta (Desmetiana) | The leaves have a pronounced bluish tint. The rosette is located at the top of a long stem. Blooms from mid-July. Inflorescences are formed on shoots from the side. |
| Multistem (multicaulis) | High stem (up to 1 m). The leaves are small, slightly concave, dark green, with a red border. The rosette in the center is dense, becoming noticeably looser towards the edges. The flowers are yellowish inside, scarlet outside. |
| Gray (glauca) | Compact plant with small dense rosettes. At the base, the leaves are wedge-shaped, sharpened towards the tip. They are covered with a thick layer of bluish bloom. |
| Miranda | A very showy plant with neat little rosettes, as if lying on the ground. They are very similar in shape to a lotus. By selection, varieties with a bluish, purple, pink, scarlet, yellowish, silvery shade of leaves have been bred. |
| Black Prince | selective hybrid. The leaves are green at the base and turn dark purple at the tips. From a distance, it can even be mistaken for black. The flowers are small, scarlet. |
| Pearl of Nuremberg (Perle von Nurnberg) | selective hybrid. The stem is thick, straight. The leaves are pinkish-gray, the youngest are pastel pink. Flowers are muted scarlet. |
Photo gallery: echeveria varieties
The youngest leaves of Echeveria Brilliant sometimes have notched edges Echeveria White-haired blooms profusely, throughout the spring Echeveria Humpbacked - a wonderful basis for experiments of breeders The reddish hue of the leaves of Echeveria Agave becomes saturated as the plant grows older Due to its decorative effect, Echeveria Miranda is most often found in indoor floriculture Echeveria Crimson cannot be confused with other species 
Echeveria Multistem branches intensively from the very base Echeveria Black Prince is one of the most beautiful breeding hybrids Echeveria Purple is actually not quite purple, but it sounds beautiful Due to the thick layer of plaque, the leaves of Echeveria Sizoy seem almost white Echeveria Pearl of Nuremberg is bred on the basis of Echeveria humpbacked The stalk of Echeveria Garms practically does not branch. Echeveria Bristly blooms very abundantly If the winter was warm, in nature the flowering of Echeveria Lingual can move from April to January or February. The wax coating on the leaves of Echeveria Lau is thick, but easily erased Over time, the stem of Echeveria Graceful lays down under the weight of leaves, the rosette quickly takes root Unlike the others, Echeveria Derenberg has only 3-5 flowers in the inflorescence In winter, Echeveria Sho, most likely, will lose most of the leaves
Creating optimal conditions
Echeveria is a relatively undemanding plant, but if you do not make a minimum of effort and create more or less suitable conditions for it, the decorative effect of the flower will drop dramatically.
Table: optimal conditions
| Factor | Optimal conditions |
| Location | For a plant, a window facing south, southeast or southwest is suitable. In summer, it is useful to take the pot to an open balcony or veranda, taking care of protection from sharp cold drafts and precipitation. You can add a twist to the design of the garden by temporarily planting echeveria in an alpine hill. |
| Lighting | Echeveria is extremely photophilous and tolerates direct sunlight well. From bright light, it only becomes more decorative - a thickening layer of wax coating gives the leaves a beautiful bluish tint, a reddish border appears along the edge. Leaves may wrinkle slightly, but this is completely normal. The specimens that have just been acquired or have survived a dormant period gradually adapt to the bright sun. |
| Temperature | In nature, echeveria is able to survive temperatures up to 40ºС, but the optimal parameters are 23–28ºС. For the winter, it is best to remove the flower in a room with a constant temperature of 7-10ºС. But, in principle, he is able to overwinter at standard 18-20ºС, which are maintained in the cold season in most apartments. The plant does not respond to small temperature changes. |
| Air humidity | For echeveria, this parameter is insignificant. She does not need additional spraying even on the hottest days. On the contrary, in variegated varieties and bright hybrids, the color of the leaves may turn pale and fade from excess moisture. A standard humidity level of 40–60% is sufficient. |
Alpine slide with echeverias - a wonderful garden decoration Transplant procedure
To preserve the decorative effect, young echeverias are recommended to be transplanted every year after the end of the dormant period. For adults, one transplant in 2–3 years is enough; in between, you can simply remove the top 1–2 cm of soil and replace it with fresh. Transplant procedures can be avoided if grown hydroponically.
The plant is undemanding to the soil. It should not be too nutritious, light and loose. A standard soil for succulents is quite suitable. However, experienced flower growers prepare the substrate on their own, mixing equal proportions of fertile soddy soil, coarse river sand and adding a glass of sifted wood ash and fine red brick crumbs for every 3 liters of soil. Or another option - mixed in equal proportions of soddy soil, powdered clay with sand and twice as much universal soil for decorative leafy houseplants. If you take soil from your own site, find out in advance the level of acidity. Acidic soil for echeveria is not suitable.
Since the root system of Echeveria is shallow and branched, choose a pot that looks like a bowl - low but wide. A mandatory requirement is a large drainage hole. At least a quarter of the volume should be occupied by drainage from expanded clay, pebbles, ceramic shards, brick chips. It is not necessary to significantly increase the volume of the pot compared to the previous one. A difference in diameter of 2–3 cm is quite enough. Ideally, the pot should be ceramic and light in order not to get so hot in direct sunlight.
A deep pot of echeveria is not needed When transplanting, pay special attention to touching the leaves as little as possible. The protective coating on them is very easy to accidentally erase.
You also need to carefully examine the roots and cut off dried, dead, rotten ones with a sharp disinfected knife. Remove with a margin, capturing another 2-3 cm of the root, which looks healthy. Slices immediately sprinkle with powdered activated charcoal.
Before transplanting, the soil should be slightly moistened with a spray bottle and a slowly absorbing fertilizer in the form of sticks should be inserted into the earthen ball. The transplanted echeveria is moderately watered. No more watering will be needed for the next week. Renew it gradually.
Echeveria grow well in florariums Necessary care
At home, Echeveria grows calmly under the scorching sun on stony soils. Accordingly, it does not need either abundant watering or frequent fertilizer. The main thing is not to flood or overfeed the flower.
Watering
In spring and summer, echeverias are watered on average once every 7-10 days, depending on the weather outside and the type of plant. The thicker the pubescence, the less it needs moisture. Be sure to take soft water that has settled for at least a day, ideally distilled or filtered.
The earth ball from the previous time should dry well, but it is undesirable to bring the plant to such a state when the soil begins to move away from the edges of the pot. Another sign of a lack of moisture is wrinkles on the leaves.
Starting in August, watering is gradually reduced, preparing the plant for a dormant period. The interval is approximately doubled.
Avoid getting water inside the outlet and on the leaves themselves. In the first case, rotting may begin, in the second, sunburn is very likely. It is best to use the bottom watering, pouring water into the pot tray and draining the excess after 15-20 minutes.
top dressing
In the phase of intensive growth of echeveria, one feeding per month is enough. To do this, prepare a solution of liquid mineral fertilizer for cacti and succulents. The proportion recommended by the manufacturer is halved. Fertilizer is added to water for irrigation.
rest period
Echeveria needs a fairly long dormant period, which lasts from mid-autumn to the end of winter. At this time, the flower is transferred to a cold, bright place with a temperature of 7-10ºС, watering is reduced to once a month and not fertilized at all.
In principle, echeveria will overwinter under standard apartment conditions, but in this case, most likely, there will be no flowering. If you leave the flower in the same room, more frequent watering will be required. The signal that it's time is drooping, withered leaves. The specimens blooming in winter are also left warm.
Bloom
If the rest period has been organized according to the rules, in spring or summer (with the exception of some species in which this occurs in winter), echeveria will bloom.
Taking advantage of the fact that the flower belongs to the category of short-day plants, you can "deceive" nature and achieve flowering at the right time. For this echeveria older than one year for 50–60 days, special conditions must be created: lighting for 12–13 hours daily and a temperature of 16–18ºС.
Video: how to care for echeveria
Common grooming mistakes
Echeveria, of course, is not picky and undemanding, but mistakes in care do not affect its decorative effect for the better.
Table: common mistakes
| Description of the problem | Probable Cause |
| Dark spots on leaves. | Drops of water fell on the plant, or you yourself erased the wax coating, for example, during transplantation. |
| The leaves and stem turn black at the base, easily separated from the plant. | Echeveria is too cold and/or you are watering it too much. If more suitable conditions are not created, the rot that has begun to develop will quickly destroy the plant. |
| Leaf deformation. | Exceeding the permissible concentration of fertilizers or using hard water for irrigation. Another option is a reaction to insecticides. If possible, use only those in which the main active ingredient is feverfew. |
| The stems are stretched, the leaves turn pale, the rosettes become less dense. | The plant lacks light and heat. Choose a more suitable place for him and gradually (within 10-12 days) accustom him to new conditions. |
| The leaves are shrinking. | Echeveria closely in a pot. After the next dormant period, transplant the plant. It is also a characteristic sign of insufficient or too rare watering. |
Echeveria react rather negatively to mistakes in care, losing their decorative effect. Diseases and pests
Echeveria, due to its rather dense leaves, is quite resistant to damage by most pests. However, it often suffers from all kinds of rot, which, with too abundant watering, succulents are prone to.
Table: Echeveria diseases and pests
| Disease or pest | Symptoms | Prevention and control measures |
| The pest is easily identified by small off-white pellets, similar to cotton wool or poplar fluff, which it leaves at the base of the stem and leaves. If no action is taken, all the leaves will be covered with a continuous whitish coating, then they will turn yellow and fall off. |
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| Pests penetrate the roots of plants and suck out the juices. It is possible to accurately identify the problem only when transplanting. Before that, it can only be noted that the plant stops growing, the leaves gradually turn pale, turn yellow and wrinkle. A waxy gray-white coating is visible along the edge of the pot. |
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| Gall nematodes | Nematodes are small worms that suck the juice from the roots. As a result, swellings appear on them, in which pests live and multiply. If you do not take action, they will destroy the entire root system, the plant will die. | Since it is very difficult to deal with nematodes, the focus is on prevention.
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| The roots become loose and soft to the touch, blacken. The same can be said about the base of the stem and leaves. The leaves become smaller, turn yellow and fall off, the plant dies. | A badly damaged echeveria cannot be saved, it can only be thrown away, after leaving the most healthy parts for further rooting.
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Photo gallery: diseases and pests of echeveria
Root rot is very dangerous for all succulents. Gall nematodes can destroy the entire root system in a matter of days. Root bug without removing the plant from the pot is difficult to identify. 
The mealybug is easy to identify, but difficult to get rid of.
How does Echeveria reproduce?
Echeveria easily reproduces by almost all known methods.
Rooting cuttings and rosettes
The most reliable way to get a new echeveria is a child outlet. But not in all species they are often formed at home. Therefore, in semi-shrub plants, you can cut off the side shoot or top (the optimal length is about 10 cm).
Separating the offspring, try not to harm the plant The rooting process looks like this:
- At the next transplant with a sharp knife, trying to injure the plant as little as possible, cut off the daughter rosette or stalk. Sprinkle the cut with crushed activated charcoal.
- Carefully break off the lower leaves, exposing 2-3 cm of the stem. Wrap in tissue paper or place in a glass so that the cut does not touch anything, and leave in the open air. The minimum time is 10–12 hours. Plants with thick, fleshy stems can take several days or even a week to dry out.
- Stick planting material vertically into pots filled with a mixture of leafy soil and coarse sand (2:1). Lightly compact the soil. You can also mix sand and vermiculite equally.
- After a day or two, water the plant with water, the temperature of which is 2-3ºС higher than room temperature. Further watering - as the substrate dries. Rooting cuttings occurs within 7-10 days.
Echeveria offspring take root quite easily. leaf rooting
A healthy leaf must be separated from the shoot from below without the slightest trace of deformation, signs of damage by pests and other pathologies and dried for 8-10 hours.
In mid-spring or early summer, it is placed cut down in coarse sand or a mixture of dry peat in equal proportions with cactus soil. When the cut site dries up, a growth bud appears, from which a young echeveria is formed. 3-4 months for rooting is a normal time. It can be reduced by creating a constant temperature of 23-25ºС for the plant.
After about a month, when the mother leaf is completely dry, the resulting plants can be transplanted into the ground. Take care of them like cuttings.
You can root a leaf obtained from any echeveria seed germination
Echeveria seeds at home appear only after artificial pollination. If successful, you need to wait until the fruit-box bursts at the "seams".
At the end of winter or early spring, the collected planting material is laid out on the surface of the soil in shallow containers filled with sand and dry peat in a ratio of 1: 1. To speed up the emergence of seedlings, some flower growers recommend wrapping the seeds in a cloth and holding them in moist peat for 2-3 days.
To create the effect of a greenhouse, containers are covered with glass or plastic wrap. As the substrate dries, it is moistened, plantings are aired daily. The optimum temperature is 20–23ºС. Under these conditions, seedlings will appear in 12-18 days.
After the formation of three true leaves, the seedlings dive into separate containers filled with a mixture of leafy soil or universal soil for indoor plants and sand in a ratio of 2: 1.
Echeveria seedlings should be planted after 3-4 months When new rosettes reach a diameter of 3–4 cm, they are transplanted into small pots. In the future, they are looked after in the same way as for adult echeveria.
