July 01, 2022
I’ve had a few questions over the past few years about how to ship plants in the mail, and also, what to do with them when they arrive. So in the past, if someone emailed me asking these kinds of questions, I would answer them individually, which is difficult, and also hard to be consistent. So I wrote two articles; one on how to plant Sempervivum after they arrive in the mail, and one on how to plant Sedum cuttings.
July 1 2022
One of the most important factors to successfully planting what look like dead sticks is the soil. I recommend using either some kind of sterilized potting soil mixed with a generous amount of small gravel or lava rock (pumice is even better, but hard to find) or using Sunshine Mix #4.
This stuff has a water holding polymer in it, so even if it’s totally dry, it will still re-wet, meaning the water soaks in immediately, not running off the surface.
Find out more about the recommended Succulent Soil here. I really don’t advise using regular garden soil, even in the garden to plant these guys in. They need the extra drainage, especially in places that get high rainfall.
A raised bed works great, but if you don’t have such a thing, make one by outlining the bed with rocks or bricks, then mounding your soil mix in the middle. By mounding it, you give the plants more root room, and the rocks or bricks provide excellent drainage.
Still wondering How to Plant Sempervivum ?
They are likely to show up looking very bad, after being in the dark for a week or longer in the mail. If the place you purchased them did their due diligence, they’ll be thoroughly dried out before shipment.
They will take a few weeks to recover, sometimes longer, but by the next growing season you won’t know they are not grown right there all their lives.
If you order Sedum in the mail, they too will look like a tangle of dead sticks, possibly with loose leaves in the bottom of the bag. That’s okay! Don’t discard them. Find out more about How to Plant Sedum Cuttings .
If you still need answers, or you just want to chat, you know what to do – simply reply to this email and ask me, or contact me (there’s a link at the bottom of every page, in the footer, to the contact page.
Visit The Hot Stuff Blog for all the latest in newly published (or re-published) pages.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this issue of Xeria e-Zine! Any questions or suggestions are welcome. Don’t forget, the Horticulturist is always in.
Happy Gardening,
Jacki Cammidge, Certified Horticulturist, Webmaster and Artisan
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