Eszeweria is a succulentcreating beautiful leaf rosettes placed close to the ground in the appearance of a developed rose flower. There are variousvarieties of Echeveriawith picturesquely colored leaves in cultivation. These undemanding plants perfectly tolerate strongly sunlit window sills and dry air in our apartments. See whatgrowing Echeveria in a pot looks likeand learn simple ways topropagate Echeveriafrom stem and leaf cuttings.
Eszeweria - Echeveria
Fig. pixabay.com
What does Echeveria look like?
Eszewerie belong to the Crassulaceae family, similarly to the Happiness tree (i.e. the ovoid tree) and the tree eonium, which are eagerly grown in our homes.The genus Echeveria (Echeveria) includes nearly 150 different species of plantsRepresentatives of this genus inhabit mostly semi-arid areas of Mexico and California. Eszeweries are made of beautiful, regular leaf rosettes, up to 15 cm in diameter.
Echeverry leaves are thick and fleshyand covered with a waxy coating or fluff to protect the plant from harsh sun and excessive water loss.Properly cared for, ehevareas can bloom in an apartment , creating intensely colored, bell-shaped flowers gathered in loose clusters and set on a long stem that grows from the center of the rosette.
Blooming Eseveria
Fig. pixabay.com
Variations of Echeveria
Eszewerie occur in numerous, picturesque varieties . Each variety of Echeveria is distinguished by the original shape and color of the leaves. Here are some of the most phenomenal varieties of Echeveria:
Eszeweria 'Rainbow'- creates wonderful, rainbow rosettes, the color of which changes with the seasons. Shades of pink, green, yellow and blue appear on the leaves.
Eszeweria 'Hercules'- a variety with blue leaves accentuated by a cherry margin running along their edges.
Eszeweria 'Magic Red'- leaves of this variety have an expressive cherry-red color and pearly shine.
Eszeweria 'Black Prince'- original variety with dark, almost black leaves.
Different types of Echeveria
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Eszeweria 'Campton Carousel'- gray-blue leaf plates of this Echeveria are decorated with a wide, irregular, cream-colored margin that turns pink with time.
Eszeweria 'Raindrops'- forms large, rounded leaves in a blue-green shade, decorated with characteristic tubercles, resembling raindrops, in the central part of the leaf blade. In places with strong sunlight, the thickenings and the edges of the leaves turn pink-red.
Eszeweria 'Bumps'- leaves of this variety have strongly wavy edges and a green, blue or red color depending on the season.
Good to know
Artificially colored echeveriesThese ehevereries may and look attractive during the holiday season , however, they have no chance of survival due to the fact that the paint blocks light and makes it difficult for plants to breathe. In addition, the paint destroys the wax coating and severely damages the leaves of the Echeveria. Remember, no eshevéry is naturally golden, silver, bright red, yellow, or blue.
Artificially colored ehevereries have no chance of survival
Fig. pixabay.com
Growing and caring for Echeveria
To obtain an intense color of the leaves and a nicely shaped rosette,esheveria should be grown in the sunniest place . Too little sun causes the leaves and shoots of Echeveria to elongate excessively and the plant loses its attractive appearance.
Echeveria grows best at room temperature(20-23 ° C during the day). The lower temperature at night (10-15 ° C) has a positive effect on keeping the rosettes compact.In winter, Eseverie should be movedto a cool (approx. 8 ° C) and bright room, e.g. to an unheated staircase, so that it goes into a state of rest. It is important that the temperature does not drop below 7 ° C during the winter, because then the leaves of the Echeveria turn black and fall off when you gently touch or move the pot.
Eszeweria grown on a window sill
Fig. © Agnieszka Lach
Eszeweria can be grown in a traditional substrate for cacti and succulentsCan also be grown in sand, but then requires regular fertilization. A handful of finely crushed charcoal is added to such a substrate to improve its quality and structure.Shallow and wide containers are best for growing , and their bottom should be covered with a thick layer of drainage. Expanded clay is perfect for drainage.
How to water Echeveria?
In spring and summer, Eseverie is watered approximately every 2 weeks , allowing the soil in the pot to dry slightly. Too much water in the substrate causes yellowing, followed by softening and falling leaves of the Echeveria and rotting of the stem base. However, the substrate in the pot must not be allowed to dry completely.Echeveria may need to be watered more frequently in hot weather.
Avoid soaking the leaves of Echeveria when watering!
Fig. pixabay.com
In autumn and winter, eszheveria is watered very sparingly once a month , trying to prevent the leaves from wrinkling, because the plants that are dry in winter will not bloom in spring.
Note!
When watering the eshever, avoid soaking the leaves, because then they are left with ugly water stains and it favors the rotting of the rosette from the inside. Therefore, it is best to wateresheveria using the siphon method(put the pot in a container with water so that the soil is soaked from the bottom and take it out after 15-30 minutes).
Fertilizing Echeveria
Eszeweria does not require intensive fertilization. Excess fertilizer can damage the delicate roots of the plant. Therefore,esheveria is fertilized only twice a year , in the period of intensive growth, using a cactus fertilizer at a dose half the rate given by the manufacturer.
Transplanting Echeveria
Eseverias grow very slowly, producing a few new leaves each year and losing one or two of the lowest leaves in the rosette.Young Echeveries are transplanted every 1-2 years , preferably in spring, into larger and larger pots. Older plants are transplanted every few years. When transplanting, be careful of fragile shoots and leaves of eshever. The transplanted plants are not fertilized until the next year.
Eszeweria planted with cacti
Fig. © Agnieszka Lach
Propagation of Echeveria
Eszeweria is easy to propagate with cut off young leaf rosettes , which grow at the base of older plants. Carefully cut off the young rosette with a 2-centimeter piece of the shoot from the mother plant and put it in a dry place for several hours to let the wound dry. During this time, prepare a shallow pot, half-fill it with moist peat, on which we sprinkle a 2-3 cm layer of sterile sand.Place the seedling in a layer of sand to such a depth that the lower leaves touch the ground.Echeveria cuttings will take root within 3-4 weeksand then they can be transplanted to the proper substrate.
The secondmethod of reproduction of Echeveria are leaf cuttingsThey are taken from the inside of the rosette and put in a dry place for 1-2 days. The dried leaves are placed in cuvettes on the surface of fresh substrate for succulents. Leaf cuttings are not watered until they form roots. From that moment on, the substrate is only slightly moistened with water. After about two months, tiny rosettes appear on the leaves. We leave young plants in the place of rooting until the mother leaf dies. The young plants are then gently transplanted into separate pots.
MSc Eng. Agnieszka Lach
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