When the heat becomes unbearable for humans, it can also affect your sempervivum. So here’s how keeping them in cold temperatures can help!
Sempervivum, with its neat little rosettes and colorful leaves, is a plant full of charm. Its name comes from Latin, meaning “forever alive” — and rightly so. These plants are tough cookies, built to survive. In fact, they grow and multiply better in cool weather. Use this trick, and you’ll soon have a bunch of baby pups around your main plant.
Why Do Chilly Temperatures Help?
1. Similar to Native Environmental Conditions
Sempervivums originated in the mountainous regions of Europe. Through thousands of years of evolution, these plants have physically and biologically adapted to the altitude, thus making them cold-proof. Thus, when growing sempervivums at home, mimicking their natural environment will trick them into growing and responding to stimuli better.
2. Slight Stress to Start Propagation
Did you know that plants tend to reproduce and propagate when they are exposed to slightly stressful conditions? They are biologically tuned to continue their family, and when they feel that their survival may be at risk due to certain factors, they send out pups to keep the family tree alive. Therefore, slight temperature stress triggers their natural instincts to produce more offsets.
3. Building a Stronger Root System
Chilly temperatures hinder foliage growth in most plants. But since there is built-up energy through photosynthesis, your sempervivum will redirect it to the root system. It will grow stronger and more resistant, which will ensure that the foundation of your plant is uncompromised. In short, healthy roots lead to a thriving plant and subsequently more pups.
4. Preventing Pest Trouble
Cooler conditions also make your sempervivum less attractive to common pests like aphids and mealybugs, which often thrive in warmer, stuffier environments. By keeping them slightly chilled, you reduce the chances of bug infestations that can weaken the plant and slow down pup production.
Best Temperature Conditions for Sempervivum
The perfect temperature range can be quite tricky to meet. It is like threading a needle because sub-zero temperatures will not only hinder growth but can also be detrimental to the plant’s health. On the other hand, warm conditions will not trigger the right response from the plant.
You need to keep in mind that the best temperature range is above freezing but below regular room temperature. Keeping that in mind, ensure the temperature is about 41-50°F (5–10°C) at night and 50-59°F (10–15°C) during the daytime hours.
Tip: Sudden, drastic drops in temperature can shock the plant instead of helping it. Always let your sempervivum adjust gradually when shifting to cooler spots.
How to Create a Chilly Environment in Homes?
1. Shift to Balconies
Indoor areas with little ventilation tend to retain higher amounts of heat and moisture, even at night. To combat this, shift your plant to an open windowsill, balcony, or porch during late evenings and remember to bring it back early in the morning before the sunlight gets too harsh.
Note: Ensure that the balconies can shield your plant from rain to avoid overwatering or drowning.
2. Place in Temperature-Controlled Rooms
If you have an AC in your home, you can set the right temperature and allow your plant to adjust to it indoors. This may affect your electricity bill a bit, but at least you will have tons of sempervivum pups!
3. Cool, Shady Room with Grow Lights
If you can’t shift your plant either outdoors or to an AC room, place it in a relatively cool location in your home, regardless of whether it is gloomy. Ensure the plant receives at least 4 hours of natural sunlight, then transfer it to a dark, cool room. Here, you will need to make up for the lack of natural sunlight with LED grow lights.
4. Use Terracotta Pots and Chilled Pebbles
Although this method will not bring a drastic change, every little bit of help counts. Terracotta pots have tiny pores that naturally regulate the soil temperature. Arranging pebbles dipped in ice-cold water or frozen for a bit on the surface of the soil will also temporarily drop the surrounding temperature.
5. Avoid Heat Sources Nearby
Don’t keep your sempervivum close to heaters, kitchen stoves, or electronics that release heat. Even if the room feels cool, these small heat sources can raise the local temperature around the plant and undo your efforts.
Now that you know the whys and hows of the chilly temperature trick for sempervivum, please share in the comments section how effective it was for you. Did you use any techniques we missed?
