Echeveria cuttings
Today I found myself organizing the indoor jungle, things were a bit out of control. As the last hours of the day faded to darkness there I was lost in a fury of sorting, trimming, and moving. Things look significantly better now, and it’s setup in a way that everything gets what they need.
Echeveria setosa, March 12th 2011
Anyhow, on to the topic at hand. While sorting through the plants I came across my Echeveria setosa that I go earlier in spring. While the majority of the plants found their way outside this season, some were left to enjoy the indoor scenery, Echeveria setosa was one of them. While it seems a bit cruel to deprive a plant the luxury of summer freedom (Oh sweet fresh air), there simply wasn’t enough room for all of them. Regardless of such things, it did just fine under the grow light in the living room and rewarded me with a generous amount of side branching Echeveria pups. 12 to be exact, as I decided to clean it up a bit and replant all of the baby suckers. In 8 months the mother plant grew from a small single rosette to over 13 at nearly 3 times it’s original height. This plant is vigorous and I’d almost go as far as saying care free.
My strategy to successful indoor cultivation:
-Little to no fertilizer
-Average watering, maybe even on the dry side once and a while
-Close proximity to a full spectrum grow bulb.
-Grown in a ceramic pot, with pebbles in the bottom for good drainage.
Echeveria setosa, Nov 28th 2011
Fun Fact
Native to Mexico, Echeveria setosa’s common name is a Mexican Firecracker.
It’s amazing what a little winter cleaning does for the mind, something’s strangely satisfying about it. I must say the bonus to being a total plant lunatic is that gardening doesn’t have to end in the winter. What with over 150 potted specimens indoors, gardening is a year round gig. Essentially if this is the kind of thing that makes you happy, I’d count that point as a win.
For the last year and a bit I’ve been playing with the idea of plants in bottles. A twist on the conventional terrarium, like building a ship in a bottle, planting a garden in a jar can be just as interesting. Once this terrarium is set up properly, they require little care and provide an interesting conversation piece. Echeveria/Crassula cuttings work particularly good for this project as they require low amounts of moisture and thrive on the added heat/humidity of the bottle. To start find an interesting bottle at a local thrift store/garage sale and get to work. I start with a small layer of gravel on the bottom then top with fresh potting soil. With a fork or a twisted coat hanger I lower in the cutting, add a small amount of water, and seal the jar. In a month or so the cutting should be rooted and you should see some progress. I’ve kept mine sealed up to 4 months without opening, if things look to dry I add a little extra water. A good gift for a friend who can’t keep plants alive.
Tip in point form for for an added effect
- Clean the bottle really well before you start.
- Lower the dirt in CAREFULLY.
- If you accidentally made a mess use a straw and water to clean the inner walls.
- When watering for the first time be extremely careful not to put in too much water and flood the chamber.
- Adding a little layer of charcoal below your gravel with help prevent rot, and other odor issues.
- Have fun! Be Creative!
