CategoryDIY / HACKS

Sempervivum Heaven #❤

Finally had the time to plant up some Semps I had all over the garden in pots.

Sempervivum Facts

  • The majority of sempervivum are frost hardy so dont panic when frosts arrive, these plants will thrive.
  • Sempervivums are monocarpic, which means that once a rosette flowers, it dies, they will produce lots of little semps for you to enjoy around the base of the flowering stem.

10 Mixed Succulents 5.5cm – Sempervivum Houseleek Hen & Chicks

Some photos to share with you of the lovely colours and texture semps have 🙂

 

I Hope it inspires you to get out in the garden 😉

 

How To Propagate Succulent Leaves In Water – Fast Results

Why did I not think of this before? I propagate many plants in water and it had never entered my mind to try it on succulents.

I am horribly impatient so this method is perfect! if like me, you’re fed up of staring at leaves wishing them to have babies 😂

  • Super easy to do and very cheap method
  • Works Fast!
  • Roots are easily seen
  • works with most succulents leaves cuttings and offsets and a variety of houseplants.

 

How The Magic Happens.

The first and most important step is to let the cutting or offshoot callus. Leave it in an empty tray for a few days don’t skip this part or the leaf or cutting will absorb too much moisture and it may cause rotting.

Next rest the cutting or offshoot on the cling film you have wrapped around a dish. ( see video below) leave in a well sunlit place.

The callused end must be just above the water, without touching it.

In a few days you will see the roots starting to reach down into it.

 

RESULTS – 14 DAYS

 

Creative DIY Succulent Planters Made from Upcycled Finds

Upcycling is a way of giving new purpose to waste. Here are some creative and inspiring ideas to upcycle at home.

 

Plastic / Polystyrene Food Trays.

These are perfect to fill with a little succulent/cacti mix and get those leaf babies going. I have also started to experiment with water propagation and these have been very useful.

 

How To Propagate Succulent Leaves In Water – Fast Results

Food Tins

I use cans all the time as planters, both indoors and outdoors. Huge dog food cans all the way down to little sweetcorn tins #cute. They need to have drainage holes drilled out the bottoms but they are lovely once planted up.  I have started to varnish my outdoor tins now as they do degrade after a year or two if left in the garden.

 

 

Paper / Plastic Cups.

Once the party is over and you are left with a garden full of disposable cups, fill a bucket with soapy water give the cups a quick rinse.  Drainage holes are easy to punch in the bottom of paper cups plastic cups need a snip to create the drainage. Now you have lots of planters ready to start cuttings or seedlings these are handy to re-pot any 5.5cm succulent.

Coffee Cups

You can also apply this to your takeaway coffee cups, They are easy to put a hole in the bottom and when you have more plants than pots anything goes.  Add plenty of grit as these are deep pots or plant up some sedum cuttings, they will enjoy the root space and grow into lovely healthy plants.

Perfect for starting tomato plants and sweetcorn too 😉

 

 

How To Propagate the Same Succulent Leaf Again and Again.

Yes! it is possible! I only found this out by pure chance and thought I would share It with you all, in the hope you have the same joy 🙂

Granted I have only tested this on ghost plant (Graptopetalum paraguayense ) and they are prolific little rooters anyway.  I was still shocked to find that gently removing the baby from the mother leaf left a good clean break, so I placed mum back in the dish and waited to see if anything would happen and it did 🙂 new babies growing just as well as the first set.

Removing the baby plant from the mother leaf can be quite a delicate operation, you cold gently cut away the baby but this never feels right to me so I hold the baby between my fingers and gently rock the mother leaf back and forth as you would taking a leaf cutting, slowly and gently it will come away from the baby and you should have a nice clean break.

I should point out that I have only done so with leaves that are still plump and reasonably healthy looking, ones that have been sapped of all life creating babies would not work.

Within a week new life has started to emerge from the mother leaf again!

Please give this a try, you have nothing to lose and a new plant to gain, let me know how you get on 🙂

 

Top 5 Succulent Hacks On YouTube.

1. Succulent Garden and Plant Hacks

2.How to Drill a Hole into a Glass for SUCCULENTS

3.Ikea Succulent Table.

4. DIY Vertical Succulent Garden.

 

5. Beautiful Succulent Plants Ideas.