Are you fond of rosette succulents and wondering how to get Sempervivums to grow more pups? Read along to know everything!
Sempervivums, commonly known as “Hens and Chicks,” are admired for their rosette formations and the ease with which they produce offsets from their base. So, here you will learn how to encourage your Sempervivums to produce more of those offsets (pups) with simple techniques.
Let’s Know More About These Pups
Hens and Chicks are such plants that if you go on a holiday trip for a few days, they will still look the same when you return! So forgiving! Additionally, they will produce many offsets (baby plants), which will continue the life cycle. In fact, the word ‘sempervivum’ means ‘always alive’ from the Latin word ‘semper’ for ‘always’ and ‘vivum’ for alive.
The small young rosettes grow around the mother, or hen (plant), and the pups are known as chicks. With the right soil, light, and other appropriate growing conditions the production of these pups varies. So, if you want more pups in your plant then let’s discuss it below.
How To Get Sempervivums To Grow More Pups?
1. Good Lighting
Usually, Sempervivums grow in full sun exposure; however, they do prefer some shade in the afternoon in extremely hot, sunny locations. So, ensure they receive ample sunlight but not too much to scorch their leaves. This will promote healthy growth and offset production.
2. A Porous Growing Medium
Confused about the soil? Just use a cactus potting medium, it’s that simple! Plant your Sempervivums in soil that offers excellent drainage like a sandy or gritty mix that will prevent waterlogging, which can cause root rot and create an ideal environment for pup development.
If your garden soil is heavy, add some grit or pea-sized gravel to improve drainage.
3. Excel In Proper Watering
The first thing you must know is that “less is more” in terms of watering! Just keep that in mind and your Hens and Chicks will flourish abundantly. Again, during the active growing season typically in spring and summer, monitor soil moisture and adjust the watering cycle accordingly.
But in the cooler months, hold your hands back on watering because they enter a dormant period.
Tip: Overwatering can hinder pup formation, so allow the soil to dry out between waterings, especially during the active growing season.
4. Apical Coring Technique/ Topping
It is probably the best possible way to force your succulents to grow more offsets! For Sempervivums that are slow to produce offsets, consider the apical coring method. This is nothing but simply removing the central growth point, which is the tip of the mother rosette.
It is a clever way of disrupting apical dominance (growth of the tip), which in turn encourages the plant to use the energy to produce more lateral shoots or pups.
5. Timely Offset Separation
So, when the lovely offsets seem to be sufficiently developed, you need to carefully separate them from the mother plant using a sterile, small cutter or knife. Interestingly, this not only allows for new propagation but can also stimulate the parent plant to produce even more pups.
6. Appropriate Feeding
Feeding is a must! Because nutrients are where it will get the energy to produce and develop new growth. Again, while these plants generally require only minimal feeding, a light application of a balanced, diluted fertilizer during the growing season can also provide essential nutrients to support offset production.
7. Repotting
Repotting does the ultimate magic! Because the repotted plants have more nutrients available and also thanks to the extra space for the roots they are much more likely to grow lots of offsets. Do this during or before the active growing period to take advantage of the productivity session of your beauties.
Many gardeners, especially succulent growers have admitted the fact that repotting brings a lot of improvement in terms of the plant growth and production of baby plants.
8. The Right Season To Do Everything
The most important thing to remember is that you need to do all these things at the right time—that is, in the seasons of spring and summer. Because this is the time they grow and flourish abundantly and when you should feed, repot, water, and take care of them the most.
9. Encouraging Stress Coloring
Did you know a little bit of stress can actually be beneficial? When Sempervivums experience mild environmental stress, such as cooler temperatures or slight drought, they tend to respond by producing more offsets. This happens because the plant goes into a survival mode, ensuring its lineage continues.
So, while you don’t want to harm your plant, allowing it to experience seasonal temperature changes and controlled watering stress can naturally encourage more pup growth.
10. Proper Air Circulation
Believe it or not, good airflow around your Sempervivums can impact their growth and pup production. Stagnant air can lead to excess moisture retention and fungal issues, which weaken the plant. Planting them in a well-spaced arrangement, especially in garden beds or containers, allows them to breathe better and focus on offset production rather than battling poor health.
11. Choosing a Wider, Shallower Container
If you’re growing Sempervivums in pots, the right container choice can make a difference! A shallow, wide pot gives them room to spread and encourages pups to form naturally around the mother rosette. Deep pots may lead to unnecessary root growth rather than encouraging offsets. So, next time you repot, go for a dish-style planter to see an increase in pup formation.
12. Keeping an Eye on Old and Weak Rosettes
While Sempervivums are hardy, older rosettes or those that have flowered and are dying off can sometimes hinder new pup production. Removing old or weak rosettes can free up space and redirect the plant’s energy toward developing fresh offsets. A simple cleanup every few months can work wonders for maintaining a thriving cluster of Hens and Chicks!
By implementing all these practices you can help your Sempervivums give out more pups and lead to an abundant family of Hens and Chicks! So, have a healthy and happy gardening and write to us if in case you need to know anything more.
