MY SECRETS TO THRIVING SEMPERVIVUM PLANTS

CLOSE-UP OF BEAUTIFUL SEMPERVIVUM x HYBRID ORNATUM

ESTIMATED READ TIME: 8 MINUTES

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Discover my secrets to thriving Sempervivum plants!

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INTRODUCTION

Greetings, fellow succulent lovers!

I’m so glad you are here!

I can’t wait to share my secrets for growing healthy and happy Sempervivum plants.

These adorable plants have stolen my heart, but I’ve learned a few tricks along the way to keep them thriving-and now, I’m thrilled to pass them on to you!

Let’s dive in and cultivate some succulent success together!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

SEMPERVIVUM PLANT
POTTING SOIL
GREENHOUSE (OPTIONAL)
FAN
MULCH
WATERING CAN
PLASTIC TARP OR PROTECTIVE PAPER (OPTIONAL)
DISPOSABLE GLOVES (OPTIONAL)
GARDEN APRON (OPTIONAL)
CHOPSTICK (OPTIONAL)
SCREWDRIVER (OPTIONAL)
OTHER POTS FOR PROTECTION (OPTIONAL)
PINE BOUGHS (OPTIONAL)
OLD CLOTHES FOR FROST PROTECTION (OPTIONAL)
TOWELS FOR FROST PROTECTION (OPTIONAL)

WHAT WE’LL COVER

DO YOU WANT TO SUPPORT WILD WEST SUCCULENTS IN A SIMPLE WAY
INTRODUCTION
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
WHAT WE’LL COVER
STEP ONE: SELECT A HARDY VARIETY TO GROW
UPCYCLD OLD SHOES INTO COLORFUL SUCCULENT PLANTERS
STEP TWO: PLANT IN WELL-DRAINING SOIL
STEP THREE: PROVIDE SHELTER IN YOUR GREENHOUSE
STEP FOUR: MULCH FOR WINTER PROTECTION
STEP FIVE: REPOT WHEN OVERCROWDED
HOW TO TRANSPLANT YOUR OVERFLOWING SEMPERVIVUM
HOW TO TRANSPLANT: A SIMPLE PHOTO GUIDE
STEP SIX: MONITOR MOISTURE LEVELS & AVOID OVERWATERING
STEP SEVEN: PROTECT FROM FROST (OPTIONAL)
STEP EIGHT: MONITOR FOR PESTS
7 WAYS TO PROTECT SEMPERVIVUM FROM COMMON PESTS
STEP NINE: MAINTAIN AIR CIRCULATION
STEP TEN: TRIM DEAD LEAVES
ADDITIONAL HELPFUL HINTS
CONCLUSION
AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE
JOIN US TODAY!

HARDY VARIETIES IN REPURPOSED SHOE MADE INTO A PLANTER

STEP ONE: SELECT A HARDY VARIETY TO GROW

START BY SELECTING SEMPERVIVUM VARIETIES KNOWN FOR THEIR COLD HARDINESS.
MANY SEMPERVIVUM SPECIES ARE WELL-ADAPTED TO COLD CLIMATES AND CAN WITHSTAND FREEZING TEMPERATURES DUE TO WHERE THEY ORIGINATED FROM.
SEMPERVIVUM TECTORUM, ALSO KNOWN AS THE COMMON HOUSELEEK, IS ONE OF THOSE THAT CAN WITHSTAND COLD CONDITIONS.
ORIGINALLY FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHERN EUROPE, THIS PLANT IS HARDY.

TO LEARN MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT SEMPERVIVUM TECTORUM, FROM WIKIPEDIA

SEMPERVIVUM PLANTS WITH THE APPEARANCE OF COBWEBS, ARE CALLED SEMPERVIVUM ARACHNOIDEUM.
THEY ARE ALSO EXTREMELY HARDY ORIGINATING FROM EUROPEAN MOUNTAINS SUCH AS THE ALPS, THE APENNINES AND CARPATHIANS.
PERSONALLY, THE ARE ONE OF MY FAVORITE IN MY GARDEN.

TO LEARN MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT SEMPERVIVUM ARACHNOIDEUM, FROM WIKIPEDIA

LEARN HOW TO CRAFT YOUR OWN CHARMING SHOE PLANTER

UPCYCLE OLD SHOES INTO COLORFUL SUCCULENT PLANTERS

WELL DRAINING SOIL FOR SUCCULENTS IN ONE OF MY RECYCLED AND REUSED POTS

STEP TWO: PLANT IN WELL-DRAINING SOIL

ENSURE YOUR SEMPERVIVUM IS PLANTED IN WELL-DRAINING SOIL.
THIS HELPS PREVENT WATERLOGGING, WHICH CAN LEAD TO ROOT ROT DURING WINTER.
HERE IS A PHOTO OF MY SOIL THAT I USEDE FOR MY SEMPERVIVUM PLANTS.

GREENHOUSE FOR PROTECTING & STARTING SUCCULENTS AND OTHER PLANTS

STEP THREE: PROVIDE SHELTER IN YOUR GREENHOUSE

GREENHOUSE ARE A GREAT SOURCE FOR PROTECTING YOUR SEMPERVIVUM WREATHS, TERRARIUMS, AND LIVING WALL ART.
WHILE WIND IS ALWAYS PRESENT IN MY GARDEN, I FIND THE WIND IN WINTER MORE DANGEROUS TO MY SEMPERVIVUM PLANTS.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A GREENHOUSE< YOU CAN STILL PROTECT YOUR SEMPERVIVUM WREATH, TERRARIUMS< AND LIVING WALL ART BY HANGING, MOVING ART AND TERRARIUMS TO A PROTECTED AREA SUCH AS A ROOF OVERHANG.
USING A ROOF OVERHANG WORKS WONDERFULLY AND I USED THIS FOR YEARS PRIOR SUCCESSFULLY TO HAVING MY GREENHOUSE BUILT.

OAK LEAVES & PINE NEEDLES MULCH FOR WINTERING SEMPERVIVUM PLANTS GROWING WILD

STEP FOUR: MULCH FOR WINTER PROTECTION

APPLY A LAYER OF MULCH AROUND THE BASE OF YOUR SEMPERVIVUM PLANTS TO HELP INSULATE THE SOIL AND PROTECT THE ROOTS FROM FREEZING TEMPERATURES.
ORGANIC MATERIAL SUCH AS STRAW, PINE NEEDLES, OR SHREDDED LEAVES WORK WELL FOR THIS PURPOSE.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE PHOTO ABOVE, FALLEN OAK LEAVES PROVIDED A NATURAL MULCH OVER THE WINTER IN THE GARDEN.
I SIMPLE REMOVE THEM IN THE SPRINGTIME TO ALLOW FOR SUNSHINE.
THIS CAN BE DONE WITH A SMALL GARDEN RAKE OR A LEAF BLOWER.

WATERED AND TRANSPLANTED ‘RED WIGGLE’ SEDUM ALSO CALLED STONECROP

STEP FIVE: REPOT WHEN OVERCROWDED

WHEN YOU SEE THAT YOUR SUCCULENT IS OVERCROWDED OR OVERGROWN, TAKE IT APART AND TRANSPLANT IT.

IF YOU NEED HELP DETERMINING WHEN YOU NEED TO TRANSPLANT

HOW TO TRANSPLANT YOUR OVERFLOWING SEMPERVIVUM GUIDE

FOR PHOTO GUIDE

HOW TO TRANSPLANT SEMPERVIVUM: A SIMPLE PHOTO GUIDE

‘PLUTO’ SEMPERVIVUM WITH WET SOIL

STEP SIX: MONITOR MOISTURE LEVELS & AVOID OVERWATERING

IN THE SUMMER, PERIODICALLY CHECK THE MOISTURE LEVEL OF THE SOIL.
WATER SPARINGLY ONLY WHEN THE SOIL IS COMPLETELY DRY TO THE TOUCH.
SATURATE THE SOIL WHEN THE POT IS DRY AND LET DRAIN COMPLETELY WHILE PLACING THE SUN.
IN THE WINTER, I AVOID WATERING MY GARDEN COMPLETELY AND DEPEND ON THE RAIN FOR NATURAL MOISTURE.

‘EMILY’ ARACHNOIDEUM SEMPERVIVUM THRIVING WITH ‘ORANGE MINT’ AND ENGLISH LAVENDER

STEP SEVEN: PROTECT FROM FROST (OPTIONAL)

IF FROST IS FORECASTED, COVER YOUR SEMPERVIVUM PLANTS WITH A BREATHABLE FABRIC OR TARPS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PROTECTION FROM FREEZING TEMPERATURES.
IN A PINCH, THIS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED BY USING IN ADDITION TO BREATHABLE FABRIC AND TARPS, OTHER POTS, PINE BOUGHS, OLD CLOTHES, TOWELS AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU CAN GRAB TO KEEP THE FROST OFF YOUR PLANTS.
PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THIS ISN’T ENTIRELY NECESSARY BECAUSE MOST SEMPERVIVUM PLANTS ORIGINATE AND GROW IN EXTREMELY COLD LOCATIONS.
I AM ONLY SHARING WITH YOU WHAT HAS WORKED FOR ME IN THE PAST IN MY OWN GARDEN.
ALSO, BECAUSE I TEND TO GROW MY SEMPERVIVUM PLANTS AT THE FEET OF MY HERBS, ROSES, LAVENDER, AND MY LILACS, I ALWAYS PROTECT MY PLANTS FROM FROST.
IN DOING SO, MY SEMPERVIVUM PLANTS ARE ALSO THEN PROTECTED.

‘TOPAZ’ SEMPERVIVUM WITH APHIDS

STEP EIGHT: MONITOR FOR PESTS

KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR PESTS SUCH AS APHIDS, SLUGS, AND SNAILS, WHICH MAY SEEK SHELTER IN YOUR SEMPERVIVUM PLANTS DURING THE WINTER.

FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTO IDENTIFICATION OF PESTS

7 WAYS TO PROTECT SEMPERVIVUM FROM COMMON PESTS

STEP NINE: MAINTAIN AIR CIRCULATION

ENSURE ADEQUATE AIR CIRCULATION AROUND YOUR SEMPERVIVUM PLANTS, ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE SHELTERED OR COVERED.
GOOD AIR CIRCULATION HELPS PREVENT FUNGAL DISEASES AND PROMOTES OVERALL PLANT HEALTH.
THIS CAN BE DONE WITH A FAN IF IN A GREENHOUSE OR BY PLACING THEM IN AN OPEN AREA TO DRY OUT.

FOR EXAMPLE, BEFORE I BUILT MY GREENOUSE, I USED THE OVERHANG OF MY ROOF TO PROTECT MY SUCCULENT PLANTS IN THE WINTER.

IN THE SUMMER, I WOULD MOVE MY SUCCULENTS TO MY GARDEN TABLE AND ALLOW FOR ROOM AROUND EACH POT SO THAT EACH POT WOULD RECIEVE AIR AND DRY OUT ANY EXCESS MOISTURE.

DOING THIS HELPS MY SUCCULENTS GREATLY.

CLOSE-UP EXAMPLE OF LEAVES TO BE TRIMMED AND PLUCKED WITH TWEEZERS

STEP TEN: TRIM DEAD LEAVES

REMOVE ANY DEAD OR DECAYING LEAVES FROM YOUR SEMPERVIVUM PLANTS IN THE SPRINGTIME TO PREPARE FOR NEW GROWTH.
THIS HELPS PREVENT THE SPREAD OF DISEASE AND MAINTAINS THE PLANT’S APPEARANCE.
I DO THIS WITH GARDEN TWEEZERS.

CONCLUSION

I hope you’ve found my tips helpful.

Remember, gardening is all about learning and sharing, so don’t hesitate to spread the succulent love with fellow plant enthusiasts.

Let’s continue to cultivate beautiful gardens together.

Until then, may your garden be forever green and growing!

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