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by charles sharman
(preston lancashire gb)

can sempervivum rosettes be rooted as we do with rebutias if they are not on a stolon?

Hi Charles, I’ve done a few experiments with my ever growing collection of these fascinating plants and here’s what I’ve found.

The chicks, or propagules, can be removed from the stolon when quite young, and in some cases, the stolon will continue to produce more chicks, a handy tip to know if you have a variety or species that tends to be shy and retiring. Each type is different in this feature, so you would have to experiment a lot. Fortunately, there is no downside to having lots of chicks.

I have never grown Rebutia, so forgive me if I don’t quite understand your question. If you mean that taking rosettes of a clustering type of Sempervivum, or one that is damaged and goes into that type of growth, will those rosettes root? Absolutely! These plants have a will to live like very few other plants, and if propagating them one way doesn’t work, try something different.

I hope I’ve answered your question, if not, please give me more detail in the comments.

Jacki