Echeveria from seeds: how to plant and grow a plant in this way, what sowing rules exist?

The amazing echeveria plant is a decorative, perennial succulent belonging to the family Crassulaceae. The people of the plant, for its exquisite appearance, are called "stone rose" or "stone flower".

The handsome succulent can be found in the home collections of flower growers, echeveries are used to equip landscape design. The unique plant serves as a real highlight of the florarium. Many methods of propagation of this crop are known. One of them is growing echeveria from seeds.

Pros and cons of the method

Growing echeveria from seeds is one of the rarest stone rose breeding methods.. It is considered the most time-consuming, so it is rarely resorted to. To grow strong and viable seedlings from small seeds, you need to take into account many nuances and stock up with great patience.

However, this method has a significant advantage. Rosettes or leaves can grow only those echeveria that are already in the home collection (you can learn about the propagation of echeveria by leaves here). And if you want to plant new exotic species? It is in this case that they resort to planting seeds.

Preparatory stage

Echeveria, by its origin, is a southerner, its homeland is considered to be South and Central America, Mexico. Therefore, in order to grow succulent, he needs to create conditions that will be as close as possible to natural.

The timing

Each plant, as well as humans, has its own biological rhythm. In eheveria, the active growth phase is observed in the spring-summer period. And from October to February, a stone rose goes into a state of rest. Given these rhythms, experts recommend starting planting seeds in late February - early March.

Florists do not recommend knocking down the biological clock of a plant, but if there is a great desire to enjoy echeveria in the winter, then you can postpone the landing in September-October. In this case, it is necessary to take care of special, greenhouse conditions, implying a sufficient amount of heat and light in severe frosts.

Capacity and soil for landing

For planting succulents, you can purchase a shallow plastic container with a transparent lid. The plant also develops well in an ordinary wooden box, organized by the principle of a greenhouse.

Particular attention should be paid to the soil. To seedlings feel comfortable, growers recommend taking into account the following points:

For planting, you can use conventional mixtures, which include a coarse mineral base (fine gravel, sand, agroperlite). It is recommended to add a small amount of granular or crushed coal to such soil.
A composition that includes identical parts of the following components is considered successful for the development of eheveria: universal peat filler (slightly acidic humus), perlite, sand, and crushed coal.

Any soil components can be purchased in specialized stores or taken on a garden plot in the forest. But soil obtained from natural conditions must be decontaminated with disinfectant solutions, steaming or frying procedures.

Material for sowing

In order to guarantee the germination of your seeds, you need to use several recommendations from professionals:

Seed selection. When choosing raw materials for planting, you must always pay attention to the date of packaging. Seeds that are no more than one year old sprout best. With each subsequent year, the germination of raw materials is significantly reduced.
Seed disinfection. To exclude the risk of developing fungal diseases in the plant, the seeds are placed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for one day.
Increased growth. In flower shops you can buy special growth stimulants. They enhance and accelerate the process of seed germination. In such solutions, the raw material is soaked (depending on the instructions) for 1-2 hours.

Important! Before planting, seeds should be dried using ordinary paper towels.

How to plant?

Seeding is performed according to the following algorithm:

You need to take a thick sheet of paper, bend it in half, and sprinkle the seeds inside.
This design is brought to the container with the substrate and, tapping a light stick, begin to disperse the seeds into the ground.
On top of the raw material is covered with a thin layer of sand (about 2 mm).
If the seeds are very small, then you can not sprinkle them.
The soil is thoroughly moistened with filtered water (the temperature of the liquid should be room temperature). In order not to wash off the seeds and not provoke their deepening into the soil, it is recommended to water from the spray gun.
After watering, the container with seedlings is covered with a lid, cellophane film or glass.

In open ground

Is it possible to plant a thermophilic southerner in open ground? Doing this is completely undesirable. The plant simply can not stand the harsh cold and die. Florists are advised to initially grow seedlings (as described above).

When echeveria is fully formed, they can be transplanted into the open ground (approximately in May-July). If there is an irresistible desire to plant seeds immediately in the soil, then you must do the following:

The selected plot of land is poured with boiling water for disinfection.
Earth is being dug up.
From all sides, wooden boards are deepened into the soil, which will serve as the basis for the future greenhouse.
Sand, perlite, coal are added to the soil.
The soil is being mixed.
Seeds are poured onto the prepared substrate using a piece of paper folded in half.
Seedlings are plentifully watered with warm water.
Top is covered with thick glass, capable of providing greenhouse conditions for eheveria.

How to grow?

Each species of echeveria has its own germination time. Some plants will delight sprouts after 20 days. Others can sit for 3 months and only then start to grow. Therefore, it is important to be patient and provide the future green pet with decent care. Echeveria does not belong to capricious plants, but needs special care.

It includes the following points:

Temperature. For thermophilic eheveria, the optimal temperature values are + 20 ° C - + 27 ° C. Seeds can easily withstand heat up to + 30 ° C. At night, the temperature can drop to + 18 ° C.
Seat selection. A southern plant loves light very much, but putting a greenhouse under direct sunlight is not recommended. During the nucleation and hatching of shoots, diffused lighting is more suitable for succulents. The greenhouse should be in a place protected from drafts. Even light gusts of wind can destroy a delicate plant.
Watering. The soil should be moistened regularly. Do not allow the soil to dry out. However, culture should not be flooded. Stagnant water will rot. It is recommended to water the soil daily and little by little.

When the plants have reached a height of 2-5 cm and they will have strong leaves, seedlings can be planted in separate pots or planted in open ground.

If the plant does not take root

Sometimes a stone rose, despite its unpretentiousness, can seriously upset its appearance and wither away simply before our eyes. To restore the plant, it is necessary to pay attention to those signals that the echeveria gives. So, the most common problems experienced by gardeners are:

Sprouts do not appear. If all the rules of planting are met and the seeds are not older than 2 years, then you just need to be patient and regularly moisten the soil. Over time, the sprouts will definitely hatch.
Spots appeared on the leaves. Such spots are most often sunburns. It is necessary to remove the plant from the direct rays of ultraviolet radiation and burns will pass on their own over time.
Sprouts blacken, break. Similar problems arise in response to freezing of the echeveria or prolonged flooding of the soil. A green pet needs to ensure a normal temperature regime and refrain from watering for 2 days.
Sprouts are very light. So succulents indicate a lack of lighting. To restore the bright colors of the plant, it is necessary to transfer it to another place in which more rays of the sun accumulate.
Sprouts have an irregular, deformed shape. Most often this is the result of poor-quality feeding. You can fertilize the plant 1 time per month, using fertilizers for cactus.

Echeveria can be the real pride of a novice grower. An unpretentious plant adequately tolerates the conditions of a city apartment and is rarely exposed to disease. And lovers of original compositions can create real masterpieces of florarium from a stone rose.