Growing succulents has become a fashionable hobby of the time. These plants belong to the Tolstyankov species, and the most famous representative is the cactus, a long-time resident of apartments. Echeveria is better known as "stone flower". The variety of shapes and colors of this type of plant made it a desirable inhabitant of window sills and greenhouses.

Description of Echeveria

The plant's habitat is the rocky plateaus of Mexico and South America. Its huge leaves in natural conditions become a source of moisture for the natives. The plant received its name in the classification in honor of the artist, illustrator of books on the animal and plant world of Mexico A. Egeveria.

In nature, the plants are stunted or have short stems. At home, depending on the lighting, you can grow a long trunk and various shapes. The leaf, 3 to 15 cm wide and 25 cm long, stores large reserves of water and, like all succulents, can go without watering for a long time. Echeveria leaves are adapted to both heat and cold. They are covered with a waxy coating and become bluish-white in summer, reflecting the sun's rays. The leaves withstand slight cold snaps due to the fleecy blanket on top, which becomes thicker in winter.

This type of succulent blooms at any time of the year, but more often in spring and summer, since during flowering it needs maximum lighting. There are more than 150 varieties of indoor plants, and most often only a few are bred, due to the availability of propagation.

Among them are:

1. almost without a stem with a collected rosette of leaves of different shades, pointed at the tips. Blooms in late spring.
2. Echeveria Derenberga has creeping shoots, and rosettes of leaves are collected in cones reminiscent of spruce. The fleshy leaves are spade-shaped and up to 4 cm long.
3. Echeveria graceful has no stem, the leaf looks like a spoon, only the shape is back ovoid.
4. Echeveria bristles I is one of the most common varieties for home breeding. It has longer leaves and blooms profusely, throwing out a 30-centimeter peduncle.
5. Echeveria cushion-shaped I represent a low shrub, with leaves densely pubescent with white hair.

Any bush of this plant becomes a welcome acquisition for lovers of stone flowers.

Echeveria care at home

In order for the plant to develop well at home, it is necessary to fulfill the maintenance requirements close to the living conditions:

• illumination;
• temperature in winter and summer;
• fertilizers;
• soil composition;

In addition, you should know the main signs and diseases of plants. An important feature is the development of the root system and methods of propagation of this type of succulent.

One of the main conditions wellness plants is lighting. Echeveria is not afraid of sunlight and can be placed on all windows except northern ones without shading. If there is insufficient lighting, you may not wait for flowering. Even during the dormant period, not all varieties need shading. In summer, plants will enjoy being outdoors, open veranda or balcony. In any case, there should be an umbrella over the place where the succulents grow to protect the leaves from unexpected clouds. When water gets in, the leaves lose their decorative effect.

The most difficult thing about keeping echeveria at home is to provide temperature regime. If in summer 22-27 it is not difficult to create, in winter in room conditions It’s hard to find a bright place from 6-8. At higher temperatures, the stem stretches. If this is not critical for the owner of the succulent, then the guest tolerates a temperature of 18 degrees well.

Watering is important in caring for echeveria at home. In this case, it is better to dry out the plant than to give it excess water. If there is a lack of water, the leaves will wrinkle and then fill up again. When overwatered, the plate will soften and rotting may begin. In summer, watering is moderate, the soil should dry out by 2/3 in height, and the leaves will wilt slightly. When watering, you should avoid letting water droplets fall on the plants. Most often, bottom watering is used, through drainage holes. In winter, watering is reduced by half, watering a little depending on the condition of the plants. Excessive moisture will lead to the death of the succulent.

The composition of the soil should be as close as possible to natural. The soil is thin, with a predominance of sand and stone chips, acidic from the peat substrate. You can buy ready-made soil for cacti and add the ingredients:

• coarse sand;
• crushed charcoal;
• brick chips;
• vermiculite

You can make an acidic composition yourself by mixing top and bottom leaf humus, and add a little vermicompost for nutritional value. After disinfecting homemade or purchased soil, add the listed fillers to it.

The dishes for caring for echeveria are wide and flat, in which the roots are located horizontally. The composition of the soil is such that young growing specimens need frequent replanting. Mature plant moved to a new flat as needed. In any case, they try not to injure the bush when replanting. During the warm season, adult plants are fed once a month with special liquid fertilizers for succulents.

Dry air apartment with winter heating by radiators hot water favorable for the plant. No spraying or moisturizing is required when caring for echeveria at home.

Echeveria propagation

The plant propagates by seeds, leaf blades or the upper parts of the rosette. Seed propagation used by breeders to obtain new decorative properties. In practice, echeveria is propagated vegetatively.

The taken leaf is dried for several hours and then deepened. Rooting occurs within a few days, new mini plants will be created, which will subsequently bloom in 2-4 years. If propagated by an apical rosette, flowering can be obtained in the same year.

Bloom

Different varieties of echeveria bloom in their own season. You can assemble a collection so that flowering becomes continuous. The main condition is the intensity of the light flux. Therefore, often experienced flower growers organize . The flower emerges from the axils of the leaves and is naked and leafy. Sometimes it hovers above the plant at a height, in other cases it clings to the bush. The flowers are pollinated well, and the resulting box contains viable seeds.

Benefits of the plant

Creating a garden of succulents on your window has a beneficial effect on the room. The air is enriched with oxygen and ozone, humidity increases, and clothing sparks less. In general, the living inhabitants of the windowsill evoke positive emotions.

Echeveria propagation - video

Echeveria (lat. Echeveria), or echeveria- a genus of succulent herbaceous perennials of the Crassulaceae family. There are about 170 species in the genus, most of which are distributed in Mexico, but some are found in the United States and South America. The name of the genus was given in honor of Atanasio Echeverría y Godoy, a Mexican artist who illustrated books about flora Mexico. The natives call this plant “stone flower” or “stone rose”.

Planting and caring for echeveria (in brief)

• Bloom: about 3 weeks in spring or summer.
• Lighting: bright sunlight, bright diffused light, partial shade.
• Temperature: from spring to autumn - usual for living quarters, in winter - 9-10 ºC.
• Watering: regular, but rare: only after the substrate has completely dried.
• Air humidity: doesn't matter.
• Feeding: during the period of active growth - once a month with a solution of complex mineral fertilizer for cacti and succulents. During the rest of the year, no fertilizing is applied.
• Rest period: in winter.
• Transfer: young plants - every spring, adults - once every 3-4 years at the beginning of the growing season.
• Reproduction: stem or leaf cuttings, less often seeds.
• Diseases: fungal infections.
• Pests: the plant is resistant.

Read more about growing echeveria below.

Echeveria flower - description

The echeveria succulent forms dense rosettes with a diameter of 3 to 40 cm from fleshy, juicy, hard, moisture-filled leaves. Representatives of the genus can be stemless or have long shoots and leaves different types Echeverias differ in shape, color and size. Five-membered medium-sized yellow, red-brown or red- orange flowers with succulent sepals and petals, collected in an erect lateral inflorescence, located on a long lateral or vertical peduncle.

The intensity of flower color often depends on the quality of lighting: flowers that develop in cloudy weather usually yellow color, and those formed under the sun have a red tint.

Echeverias form interspecific and intergeneric forms well, of which the most famous are sediveria, pachiveria and graptoveria. Echeveria is widespread in indoor culture.

Caring for echeveria at home

Growing Echeveria from Seeds

Propagating echeveria by seeds is the most difficult way to get a new plant: you need to pollinate the flower yourself during flowering, watch the seeds ripen and collect them in time. Then the seeds are laid out on the surface of the sand-peat substrate, lightly pressed without covering them, and kept in a bright place at a temperature of 20-25 ˚C in conditions of high air humidity, for which the crops are covered with film or glass.

As a container for growing seedlings, it is advisable to use a container with drainage holes through which excess moisture will flow out.

If you are attentive and careful, then in 2-3 weeks you will have a lot of sprouts, and when they develop three true leaves, you can plant them in separate pots and place them on the brightest windowsill in the apartment.

The echeveria plant is not afraid of heat, dry air, or direct sunlight, so it grows, develops and blooms well on windowsills oriented to the south. From spring to autumn, homemade echeveria feels comfortable at the usual room temperature for the season, but in winter you need to find a room for it where the temperature will not rise above 10˚C. If this is not possible, and the plant will overwinter in warm room, then at least try to ensure that it gets enough light: some lovers complain that over the winter their echeveria has stretched out and its stems have become bare, and the reason for this trouble is poor lighting high temperature air.

Watering and feeding echeveria

Water the echeveria with settled or filtered water. room temperature when the substrate in the pot is completely dry. With more frequent watering there is a risk of rotting lower leaves and echeveria roots.

Make sure that water does not stagnate at the stem and that excess flows freely from the pot. If echeveria at home begins to feel thirsty, its leaves will become soft and begin to wrinkle.

As for air humidity, echeveria, like all succulents, is indifferent to this indicator. She does not need and even harm both spraying and washing in the shower.

In the photo: Growing echeveria in a pot in an apartment

Care must be taken when feeding echeveria, since excess fertilizer in the substrate stimulates putrefactive processes in the leaves. Mineral complexes for cacti in the form of solutions they are added to the substrate once a month during the period of active growth. At the beginning of autumn, feeding is stopped. If you often update the soil in the pot, then you don’t have to fertilize it at all.

Transplantation and propagation of echeveria

Young echeverias need to change the pot and substrate every spring; for adult plants, it is enough to change the pot and soil once every 3-4 years. Echeveria pots must have drainage holes. First, a layer of drainage material - pebbles or expanded clay - is placed in a shallow pot, after which the plant is transferred from the old pot to a new one and the free space is filled with a soil mixture consisting of loamy soil(3 parts), peat (1 part), expanded clay (1 part) and charcoal (a handful).

If echeveria has already settled in your apartment, you can propagate it using vegetative methods, which are easier to implement and more reliable than growing from seeds. For example, with stem cuttings: in mid-March apical cuttings with several leaf rosettes, they are separated from the mother plant and easily pressed into soil made of sand and a small amount of compost soil. Keep rooting cuttings in bright light and a temperature of 22-24 ° C, moistening the soil from time to time. Echeveria cuttings take root in 7-10 days, after which they are transplanted into permanent pots.

Practice in indoor floriculture and propagation of echeveria by leaf, but this method requires experience and skill, because you need to be able to separate the large lower leaves from the plant without damage. The leaves are dried for several hours, then placed horizontally on the sand and the soil is regularly moistened, preventing it from becoming waterlogged. The roots will begin to appear in a month, but a full-fledged plant will form only after 3-4 months.

Echeveria pests and diseases

Echeveria diseases and their treatment

In excessively wet soil, echeveria can suffer from fungal diseases. To prevent this from happening, try to balance the moisture content of the substrate by allowing the Echeveria soil to dry out between waterings.

All other troubles that may arise are also the result of improper maintenance or poor care. For example, fragile stems which have begun to turn gray or even black - a sign of excessive soil moisture against the background of low air temperature in the room; an elongated, loose rosette is a symptom of poor lighting.

If Echeveria leaves began to shrink, then this may be due to lack of moisture and lack of nutrients in the soil.

Shriveled leaves And sockets- a sign that the plant was not watered in extreme heat.

Types and varieties of echeveria

We offer you an introduction to the most commonly grown species and varieties of echeveria. The following types are popular in indoor culture:

A herbaceous Mexican perennial up to 15 cm high with oblong silvery-light green leaves up to 9 cm wide, collected in a dense rosette. The tips of the leaves are red.

In the photo: Echeveria agavoides

Also a Mexican succulent shrub, reaching a height of 15-20 cm. It forms a loose rosette of oblanceolate leaves covered with thick white hair with reddish-brown tips. The length of the leaves is from 6 to 10, and the width is up to 2.5 cm. The stem of the plant is covered with felt pubescence of a reddish hue.

In the photo: White-haired Echeveria (Echeveria leucotricha)

A plant with velvety leaves of a lush green color and orange-yellow flowers located on powerful peduncles. In the pubescence of the leaves and the color of the stem, this species resembles Echeveria alba, but differs from it in the obovate shape of the leaves, which can reach 6.5 cm in length and 4 cm in width.

In the photo: Echeveria pulvinata

Echeveria pilosa

A plant with a bare stem and leaves covered with delicate hair.

It reaches a height of 70 cm. Its leaves, covered with soft hair, are located along the length of the entire stem. Their undersides and edges take on a purple hue when exposed to the sun.

In the photo: Echeveria coccinea

A weakly branching succulent shrub native to Mexico, forming on the stem aerial roots in the leaf scar zone. The rosette leaves, 2 to 4 cm long and up to 1.5 cm wide, have an oblong-rhombic shape and are covered with soft pubescence. The edges of the upper part of the leaves are bordered with red. Red flowers with yellow petal edges reach a length of 3 cm.

In the photo: Echeveria harmsii

Echeveria desmetiana

Forms a rosette of bluish leaves. With age, its long stem becomes ampelous. In mid-summer, yellow-orange flowers appear on the lateral petioles of the plant. This species has relative shade tolerance and the ability to withstand regular waterlogging.

Mexican herbaceous perennial with lateral daughter rosettes. Its stem reaches a height of 5 cm, the leaves are oblong, up to 6 cm long and up to 1 cm wide, light green in color with a bluish waxy coating. The flowers are red-yellow.

In the photo: Echeveria elegans

Discovered in Mexico in 1976. This is a slow-growing, stemless species, forming a rosette up to 20 cm in diameter from beautiful and succulent leaves, bluish-white in color due to a thick waxy coating. The leaves reach 6 cm in length and 3 cm in width. Large orange flowers are also covered with a waxy coating.

In the photo: Echeveria laui

Mexican highly branched shrub up to 20 cm high with a loose rosette of obovate dark green leaves, reddening at the edges, up to 2.5 cm long and up to 1.5 cm wide. The flowers of this plant are from 10 to 13 cm long, they are red on the outside and yellow on the inside. .

In the photo: Echeveria multicaulis

A succulent up to half a meter high with a loose rosette of bright green on top and pink on the underside obovate leaves up to 8 cm long and up to 5 cm wide. There are red stripes along the upper side and along the edges of the leaves. The flowers, yellow on top and red on the inside, can reach a length of 17 cm.

In the photo: Echeveria nodulosa

A plant with flat and not so fleshy leaves with a wavy edge. The stem of this species is shortened, the leaves are tightly pressed to each other: the flower resembles a head of cabbage. In mid-summer, up to several dozen flowers open in turn on 2-3 peduncles.

In the photo: Echeveria shaviana

Echeveria setosa

A herbaceous perennial, the stem of which reaches a height of 10 cm, and the rosette with a diameter of up to 15 cm consists of oblanceolate bright green leaves up to 5 cm long and up to 2 cm wide. The leaves are covered with long, sparse white hairs. The flowers of this species are yellow-red.

Echeveria is a succulent that can be grown indoors. People also know it as a stone rose or young ( garden flower from the same family, which can withstand low temperatures without problems, can winter outside). This flower is very unusual; it has many varieties that differ in leaf shape, color and color. There are more than 150 varieties of this unusual plant.

Description of echeveria and photo of an indoor flower at flowering time

A general description of the Echeveria flower is perennial with oval-shaped leaves, sharp at the top. Depending on the variety, they can be glossy, smooth, with fine pile. Flowering lasts approximately 31 days.

Family: Crassulaceae.

Homeland - Mexico, Argentina, South America, southern USA. Echeveria is a succulent herbaceous houseplant with a thick, short stem. The leaves are juicy, fleshy, alternate, large, up to 15-30 cm long, which are often covered with a bluish-green waxy coating and form a rosette. The flowers are bell-shaped, numerous, yellow, orange, white or light red, collected in a complex racemose inflorescence. Blooms depending on the species from winter to summer

Inflorescences come in the form of a raceme, a spike, an umbrella, with many flowers that look like small bells. Flowering is quite long - 14–20 days. With natural or artificial pollination, fruit-boxes with 5 nests appear, in which small dark brown grains ripen.

Simple care and ease of propagation allow you to admire echeverias at home for a very long time. It is important to remember that you should handle them very carefully. Each leaf is covered with a transparent waxy film of sky-gray color; it is this film that absorbs all the beneficial substances and retains the liquid. If the shell is accidentally destroyed, the flower begins to hurt. But if this has already happened, and several leaves are damaged, you need to cover the plant with a plastic bag and keep it there until complete recovery.

IN natural conditions Echeveria begins to bloom at the end of winter, at this time the plants are very beautiful. Plants kept indoors bloom around April. During flowering, the plant attracts great interest; the flowers look very impressive and unusual.

Echeveria is a fragile and vulnerable flower, quite unpretentious in care. If you follow the basic rules for its content, it will always please the eye and become the highlight of any composition.

Popular types and varieties of echeveria: photos, descriptions and names of varieties

In nature, there are many varieties of echeveria plants, up to 170. The most famous varieties:

Echeveria hump-flowered “Pearl of Nuremberg” (E. gibbiflora ‘Perle von Nurnberg’). Hybrid variety Echeveria humpback flower has leaves with a pinkish-gray tint, and over time creates an erect stem. Does not bloom indoors.

Echeveria "Black Prince" (E. 'Black Prince'). The hybrid variety of echeveria “Black Prince” is a rather demanding plant. light mode, is often affected by mealybugs. The leaves are red-brown in color, flower stalks appear closer to autumn.

Unfortunately, not all echeverias can be grown at home.

Below are types of plants that do well indoors.

The most popular types:

Echeveria agave (E. agavoides)

Echeveria white-haired (E. leucotricha)

Echeveria Garms (E. harmsii)

Echeveria humpback-flowered (E. gibbiflora)

Echeveria blue (E. glauca)

Echeveria nodosum (E. nodulosa)

Echeveria bristles (E. setosa).

Take a look below at the photo with the names of Echeveria species.

Echeveria agave - this is a species that grows in one rosette 29 cm in diameter, has no shoots, or they are insignificant.

The leaves are long, triangle-shaped, with a smooth and shimmering surface. They have an intense malachite hue, with a scarlet color along the edge. In the middle of the rosette there is a yellowish-red peduncle up to 40 cm high.

Echeveria white-haired - a flower with silvery hair, which becomes brownish over time and reaches a height of up to 21 cm.

The leaves are thick, fleshy, rounded at the ends and collected in rosettes. The flowers reach a length of up to 2 cm and are orange-red in color.

Echeveria Garms – indoor flower with small leaves in the shape of a rounded diamond. Every end sheet plate covered in red. The flowers are small, reddish-yellow in color.

Echeveria humpback flower is a plant that resembles a small tree.

The stems are straight, sometimes slightly branched. At the top of the shoots there are rosettes with fairly large grayish-green leaves. The leaf blade is convex at the bottom and slightly concave at the top. In August, a tall peduncle grows, almost 1 m, similar to a spike. The flowers have a yellow center and a dark scarlet border. It is from this plant species that many hybrids have been bred.

Echeveria blue - a small plant with many small rosettes. Wedge-shaped leaves, gray-blue color. The flowers of this species have a tangerine hue and are located on the side.

Echeveria nodosum is a flower with diamond-shaped leaves that are striped purple-green in color.

Echeveria bristles - a bush-shaped succulent on which it forms a large number of processes.

The rosettes are spherical in shape, in the middle of which there are many dark green leaves covered with white bristles. The peduncle reaches a height of 30 cm, and the flowers resemble small yellow-orange tulips.

Look at the photo, which shows the types and varieties of echeveria plants:

How to care for echeveria: watering, fertilizing, planting and replanting

Echeveria - attractive and unpretentious plant. A bright, sunny location is required throughout the year. In winter they are kept at a temperature of 10-14 °C. In summer, be sure to take it out into the air. Does not require high humidity. Substrate - ready-made soil for cacti or sandy soil with the addition of lime and leaf soil.

Watering is moderate. Echeveria does not tolerate excess moisture. In winter, watering is reduced to a minimum. During the growth period, from March to August, the plants are fed with fertilizers for cacti.

Agricultural care for growing echeveria is quite simple. Plants need 12 hours of daily bright light. If there is enough of it, the leaves acquire a dense thickness with a red edge. The south side of the room is considered the most suitable for growing plants. If the plant was recently purchased, then it needs to be adapted to the sun's rays gradually to avoid burns on the leaves. In summer, the room temperature should be about 24°C, in winter – not lower than 7°C.

You should not use a sprayer to moisten, this can lead to rotting of the leaves on top. The plant prefers to be in a room with dry air. In the hot season, water as needed, when the soil in the pot is not wet. In winter, at low temperatures, watering should be reduced. If the air is warm, water as needed; the water used must be settled or filtered. The main thing is not to forget that when watering it is necessary to avoid getting liquid on the rosette with leaves, this can lead to its rotting.

Can already be used as soil ready mixture for cacti. Or mix river sand and ordinary soil in equal proportions, and use expanded clay or small stone as drainage. In the active growth phase, the flower can be fed. To do this, use special fertilizers for cacti. When it's winter outside, the plant doesn't need it.

Wide, not deep containers are used for planting echeveria flowers, since the root system of the plant is not deep in the soil.

Every year they need to be replanted, this must be done quite carefully, because you can accidentally damage the leaves if you touch them with your hands. If the plant is recently acquired, it is recommended to place it in another pot after a couple of weeks. Before transferring the flower to a new container, it does not need to be watered for several days. After transplanting, water the indoor echeveria with filtered water.

Propagation of echeveria by cuttings, leaves, rosettes and seeds

Propagation is carried out by cuttings, root rosettes, seeds and leaves.

Echeveria can be successfully propagated by cuttings. The leaf cuttings must be rooted in moist soil or coarse sand. After about 30 days, the flower will begin to take root.

Echeveria is quite successfully grown as a leaf plant. You need to separate the leaf from the mother plant. To prevent it from festering, let it dry for about a week. After this procedure, place the sheet outside on damp soil, in a room with a temperature of 25°C. When a small rosette appears, the plants need to be planted in different pots.

Echeveria can be propagated using rosettes. Separate the rosette from an adult flower and treat it with crushed coal, then dry it for 12 hours. Then plant it in wet sand. This type of reproduction is characterized by the earlier appearance of flower stalks.

Echeveria can be grown from seeds; this method is considered the most difficult. When the plant blooms, pollinate the flowers and collect the seeds from them when they are ripe. Next, you need to prepare the acidic soil for planting the seeds. They need to be placed superficially on the soil, not covered with soil. Place the container with the seeds in a sunny, cool place. The temperature must be at least 25°C, it is mandatory high humidity. It is best to germinate grains in a container with a transparent lid and a good drainage system. Thanks to this method of propagation, you can immediately get many sprouts.

Look what an echeveria flower looks like in the photo:

Why do echeveria leaves turn yellow: diseases and pests (with video)

For preventive purposes, the flower can be treated with insecticides, which will help save it from pests such as scale insects. If the stem, leaves, roots become loose and soft to the touch and darken, then this may be a disease root rot. The leaves begin to shrink, turn yellow and crumble, and the plant dies. A very rotten flower cannot be saved; you can only throw it away, leaving more or less healthy parts in advance so that you can try to root them later.

To transplant a flower, you must definitely sterilize the container and new soil. Cut off all of the plant with a sharp knife. root system, stems, leaves even with slight traces of blackness, occupying 4 cm, which look healthy, most likely there are fungal spores there too. Sprinkle the slices activated carbon, then dry the plant for about 6 hours and plant it again.

Sometimes echeveria leaves begin to turn yellow. Most often this happens because there is stagnant water in the soil. If the lower leaves turn yellow, then there is no need to worry - this is a normal natural process. The leaves are simply replaced, the flower is preparing to grow new ones, and discards the old ones.

In winter, the leaves of the plant can sometimes dry out from below. When they fall off, new babies usually grow. If this does not happen, then most likely the reason is moisture that has accumulated in the soil. Sometimes the leaves curl, which may indicate improperly selected fertilizers.

Look detailed information about echeveria in the video:

Representatives of the Crassulaceae family, in particular Echeveria, enjoy deserved popularity among gardeners. Caring for these marble succulents at home is not that difficult, and the variety they bring to any green community, is difficult to overestimate.

These Mexican beauties, growing in the very difficult conditions of the mountainous areas of Central and South America, compare favorably with the majority. Their overseas origin did not prevent them from adapting perfectly to Russian climatic conditions, and even the disadvantage solar energy they managed to turn it to their advantage, gradually stretching out and turning into nice hanging plants. culture is amazing. It is no coincidence that light hand Russian flower growers replaced the indigestible name “Echeveria” with the respectful one - “stone rose”. Beginning flower growers often have questions about such a crop as echeveria. Home care and reproduction are the topics that will be discussed in the article.

Features of the view

The genus Echeveria has almost two hundred species of various sizes and shapes, united by one common feature. All of them are perennial with thick, voluminous leaves that form a kind of rosette. Various in size, these plants are adapted to life under the scorching sun. Their leaves are pubescent or covered with a waxy structural coating, which reliably protects the plant from possible burns.

Bright sun causes the protective coating to thicken, and the leaves change color to bluish with reddening of the edges. In the wild, succulents have short stems and the rock rose appears to be attached directly to the soil. But there are also multi-stemmed bush-like forms.

The amount of sunlight plays a major role in the life of a plant such as echeveria. Care at home will be unproductive if the plant does not have enough sun. In this case, the stem will stretch, becoming similar to hanging crops, but it will not be possible to obtain the typical flowering form of the species.

Stone rose bloom

Accustomed to the abundance of sunlight received in natural conditions, the stone rose requires bright lighting even when grown indoors. Only in this case will it be possible to get echeveria to appear on lateral arrows-inflorescences, which can be of varying lengths - from 5 to 50 cm. In some species it can end in a miniature rosette of leaves. The flowers are shaped like small bells, ranging in size from 1 to 3 cm, and are a distinctive species feature of the culture.

The color of the bells varies from yellowish-green to pastel orange. Their sepals, like the leaves, are covered with a velvety fluff or waxy coating. With cross-pollination, fruits set and ripen - pentagonal boxes filled with small dark seeds.

Growing

The best place to keep a stone rose is a balcony (in summer time) and window sill facing south. Drought-resistant and undemanding to the soil, the crop does not suffer from excessive dry air. Echeveria, which is easy to care for, develops excellently at temperatures of +21-26˚C, but also successfully tolerates heat. In the summer, it is preferable to keep it outdoors, without shading and without fear that the crop will get burned. Nature took care of it, protecting the plant with the coating we have already mentioned.

Echeveria enters a state of dormancy in winter. From October to the end of February optimal temperature for a stone rose it is +8-10 ˚С, but even during this period the plant is demanding of full lighting. If in winter time Echeveria will begin to bloom, then there is no need to reduce the temperature in the room.

Watering and fertilizing

Despite the fact that the plant is a succulent, it requires regular watering. In summer - more generous, in winter period- moderate and infrequent. However, you will have to monitor the condition of the plant, since prolonged dryness of the soil can lead to the death of the lower leaves, which will lead to deterioration appearance plants.

Water the pubescent specimens carefully, trying to avoid getting the leaves wet. Spraying is also not recommended, as it contributes to rotting or burns of the echeveria plant. Care at home is greatly facilitated by watering from a tray, which is the best option moisture for this crop.

In spring and summer, during the period of highest activity, echeveria is fed monthly with special fertilizers for cacti and succulents, containing all the necessary nutrients.

Echeveria: reproduction

The vast majority of species of these plants are easily propagated by leaf cuttings or seeds, which are sown in a peat-sand mixture in February-March. The container is covered with glass and placed in a room with an air temperature of +20-23 ˚С. Seeds germinate after 10-14 days. Grown-up seedlings dive into separate containers, in which echeveria subsequently continues to develop. Care and propagation by seeds is a long process. The plant begins to bloom only in the second or fourth year.

Propagation by leaf cuttings and daughter rosettes is more often practiced. Separated from the mother plant, they take root quite easily in vermiculite soil. Before planting, the rosette is dried for 8-10 hours. The sections are processed. The resulting plant blooms in the same year.

Transplants

When replanting, pay attention to the type of soil into which the echeveria is moving. Care at home will be most effective if you adhere to certain rules: choose well-drained soil with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction, and replant in the spring.

Before the replanting procedure, watering is stopped. As soon as the earthen ball dries enough to begin the operation, the plant and it are carefully removed from the container. By lightly tapping the lump, they get rid of the old soil, inspect the roots of the plant and remove rotten or broken roots. All cuts are treated with fungicide. The plant is placed in a container filled with new soil. Carefully straighten the roots so that they do not bend upwards and cover them with soil. Echeveria is left without watering for about a week, then moderately moistened, strictly rationing the water supply to avoid root rotting.

Echeveria: photo. Home care

High-quality care for the plant is manifested in the creation optimal conditions for good flower development:

Water should not be allowed to get into the rosette of leaves, as this can trigger the process of rotting or the development of dangerous fungal diseases that can destroy the plant;

Dead leaves at the base of the stem are removed to prevent the development of mealy mites, a classic pest of succulents.

Thus, we have considered all the stages of growing a crop such as echeveria. Home care and propagation are very simple but necessary operations for the quality development of this succulent.

Echeveria or Echeveria – exotic plant, a visitor from the hot and dry areas of Mexico. Growing echeveria is not a challenge for the gardener.

A stone rose requires minimal effort, but gives scope for creating modern compositions:

• on the windowsill;
• in the florarium;
• in the greenhouse.

One very important caveat: if you don't have a bright, warm place for your echeveria, don't buy this flower.

Description of Echeveria

Echeveria (Echeveria) or stone rose is a herbaceous succulent plant or low shrub from the Crassulaceae family. The shape of the plant resembles a rose carved from stone. There is a mention of the stone rose in the works of the mid-16th century by the Spaniard B. de Sahagún. He points to the Aztecs' use of the flower as a refreshing and softening agent. Already in the 19th century, many stone images were presented by Atanasio Echiverria y Godoy in books describing the flora of Mexico. This genus of succulents was named after him.

Stone rose has the following characteristics:

• the leaves are dense, filled with moisture, can be flat or cylindrical, oval with a sharp end, length varies from 3 to 30 cm, and width - from 1 to 15 cm;
• the leaves form dense or loose rosettes;
• leaf color - all shades of green, reddish, purple-pink;
• There are types with a “waxy” or “hairy” leaf;
• the stem is sometimes almost absent, sometimes up to 70 cm;
• there are species with creeping shoots;
• the root system is superficial, thread-like;
• throws out a peduncle (up to 50 cm);
• flowers - small bells (1-3 cm) collected in inflorescences;
• the color of the petals depends on the light, with a bright color - red, with a dull color - yellow;
• babies may develop at the end of the peduncle.

We emphasize that this article is devoted to echeveria, which outwardly resembles young, but is exclusively indoor plant For middle zone. Please do not confuse these plants, so as not to accidentally plant echeveria in open ground, because it absolutely cannot tolerate low temperatures, not to mention the frost. The young ones winter well, even without shelter. In the genus Echeveria, anyone can find a plant to their liking, because the diversity is represented by two hundred species.

List of sufficient conditions for keeping echeveria.
We always remember that echeverias are desert succulents, and their enemies are overwatering and cold.

Stone roses prefer:

• dry air, humidification is unacceptable;
• bright lighting, direct sunlight - that's it.

In warm and cold seasons, stone roses require different temperature conditions:

• spring and summer – 22 – 28 ˚ C;
• autumn and winter - 10 - 15 ˚ C, for flowering species - 18 - 20 ˚ C.

As for, you need to wait until the lump of earth under the plant dries out for the most part, then water it. In winter, watering is reduced even more. In general, in winter, the main task is to preserve the plant, prevent it from stretching out, leaning to one side, or loosening it. It is necessary to preserve it, as it were, with the help of artificial drought.

Echeverias love dry air, they feel amazing near heating devices, they cannot tolerate spraying, it is not even recommended to water them on leaves or inside the socket, although nothing bad will happen, provided that the water quickly evaporates from the funnel (because tropical rain also does not choose where to pour) .

Water needs to be at room temperature, separated. An excellent result is achieved by watering with water from the aquarium, if possible (the water is already enriched with microelements).

During the warm period (turbulent growing season, flowering), fertilizers for succulents are applied once a month (along with watering, half the dose indicated), during flowering - fertilizers for flowering plants. Echeverias are not fertilized in autumn and winter. Purely nitrogenous fertilizers and organic matter are not recommended.

Primary planting and transplantation of echeveria

After purchasing echeveria, some gardeners recommend immediately replanting the plant from shipping soil, since it is not intended for plant growth. Experienced succulent lovers say that nothing will happen to the plant after a month in the transport soil; this time will give the flower an opportunity to acclimatize, survive stress, and get used to new living conditions.

Place the pot in a slightly shaded place and dry until aerial roots begin to appear. This is especially true for imported flowers (Dutch flowers). Sometimes stone roses do not survive the move and disappear for no apparent reason. Plants grown in local nurseries tolerate changes more easily.

Usually such material is more High Quality and costs more. However, it should also dry out in the window.
What soil mixture should I plant echeveria in? IN natural environment- This is a rocky desert where water does not stay at the roots. The same should happen in the pot. The substrate must be mixed with small pebbles, broken bricks, gravel (fraction 3-5 mm).

• garden soil - 3 parts,
• small pebbles - 1 part,
• peat – 1 part,
• charcoal - a little;

• substrate for cacti or – 4 parts,
• pebbles – 1 part;

You can use clean pea gravel plus a little cialite (if slow plant development is desired).
It’s easy to check if the soil mixture has been mixed correctly - a lump of wet substrate, held in your hand, crumbles after being squeezed.

Choosing a pot for a stone rose is a simple matter. You know the approximate diameter of the plant, take a pot 1-1.5 cm larger, flat (to match the root system) with many drainage holes. Small planting material can be planted in small cups for growing, and then transplanted to a permanent place.

A large pot or bowl is used for group plantings of one or different types of echeveria. To prevent water from stagnating in large containers, they need to be watered with extreme care.

We fill the bottom of the pot with drainage and some substrate, place the plant and fill it with substrate up to the root collar. If planting in clean gravel, then cover the bottom a third with pebbles, place the seedling and fill the remaining volume with them. This method is very simple and economically justified, since the stones last forever and perfectly aerate the roots. There is one warning - we use gravel of a larger fraction.

We replant small roses once a year, and as they grow, we select a larger pot. Mature plants - once every three years (as needed).

How to make echeveria bloom

The stone rose is ready to bloom at 2-3 years of age. In the hot and dry conditions of our apartments, echeverias bloom successfully on the windowsill. There are flower growers who do not like the flowering of echeverias; they prefer the decorative appearance of rosettes.

If you want to see flowers, but there are none, then you need to extend the daylight hours. Keeping echeveria for 45-60 days at 15-18 degrees of heat and light for 12-13 hours will give the desired result - buds will appear. Then turn up the watering a little and feed it with fertilizer for flowering plants.

Echeveria pests and diseases

If stone rose struck mealybug, are observed:

• sticky coating on leaves;
• thin cobwebs in patches;
• small light-colored insects covered in powdery coating;
• plant oppression.

If noticed in time, treat with karbofos solution (6 g + 1 liter of water). In case of severe infection, throw out the plant, separating healthy parts for propagation.
Signs of rootworm damage:

• thin whitish threads on a clod of earth;
• leaves lose turgor.

You should urgently remove the entire substrate and plant, water it with Arcade solution (1g+5l of water) with a break of 1 week.

When a root-knot nematode settles on a stone rose:

• echeveria withers;
• There are pea-sized thickenings on the roots; if measures are not taken, the root will rot.

The plant must be replanted when these signs are detected, having previously removed the infected parts of the roots and kept them in water for half an hour (40-45˚ C). Spill the soil mixture with Arcade solution (1g+5l of water), repeat the operation 3-4 times.

powdery mildew, fungal diseases occur during chronic overflow. Control methods include drying the plant and treating it with fungicides. If it doesn’t help, then try saving the non-infected propagation material (leaf, top), and destroy the diseased plant so that it does not become a source of disease for others.

Echeveria leaf propagation

The succulent reproduces by leaf without any problems, and the process does not present any particular difficulties.

Root the echeveria leaf in the soil mixture:

• you need to break off the lower healthy leaf;
• dry for 2-3 hours;
• soil mixture (earth to sand 2:1), perlite on top (2 mm), poured into a container;
• press the sheet at an angle;
• spray the soil with a spray bottle and cover the container with film;
• the greenhouse should be ventilated daily and moistened as the top layer of soil dries,
• the optimal temperature for rooting is 25 degrees Celsius;
• after 15-20 days, babies will grow around the leaf;
• a new plant can be replanted when the mother leaf dries out.

Surprisingly, propagating echeveria by leaf can be even easier:

• separate the bottom large, fat leaf;
• place in a warm, shaded place;
• you should calmly wait about a month (+/-);
• roots and small rosettes will appear on the leaf;
• after which the young plants should be planted in a pot.

You have to be prepared for surprises, because on one leaf several children will develop, but on another there will be none (and this happens). Experiment to see which way you like best will give better results.

Propagation of echeveria by rosettes

• cut off the basal or apical rosette (use a sharp, clean tool);
• remove a row of lower leaves;
• dry for 3-4 hours in the shade;
• pour the prepared substrate into the pot (soil + small stones, coarse sand - 1:1). It is advisable to lay a drainage layer of small pebbles or expanded clay at the bottom;
• plant a rosette of echeveria, lightly moisten the soil;
• maintain the temperature around 22 – 24 ˚ C;
• You will have to wait about a month for rooting;
• grow young echeveria from a rosette in the same pot for 2 months to a year.

Reproduction of echeveria by tops Echeveria stretched out, what to do

• use a sharp knife to cut off the top of an overgrown, elongated plant
• remove the lower leaves
• dry for a couple of hours
• planted in a loose substrate or gravel, rooted using the methods described above
• By the way, the remaining stump will also produce children over time, so we continue to care for it.

How to propagate echeveria vegetatively, look at the video:

Propagation of echeveria by seeds

A complex method, similar to breeding work. Flower growers often grab it, because seeds are much cheaper than ready-made plants.

There are some buts here:

• labor intensity;
• there is no guarantee of results;
• the slightest mistake leads to the loss of seedlings;
• It is difficult to rely on the sellers' integrity - the seeds may be stale and may not match the variety.

If you are not afraid of these difficulties, then get started. The order is:

• in March (possibly in February) prepare a mixture of peat and sand (1:1);
• For seed germination, use a flat container;
• seeds (very small) are scattered over the surface, lightly pressed down;
• moisten with a fine spray;
• cover with glass, cling film or plastic bag;
• For 15 – 20 days, maintain the temperature to 25 degrees, ventilate (excess condensation must be wiped off the glass), moisturize;
• after germination of the seedlings, the shelter is removed;
• 2-3 months after germination, echeveria seedlings can be transplanted into separate containers.

Mistakes when growing echeveria

Before talking about specific plant signals about poor care, several warnings should be given to novice gardeners:

• don’t expect a miracle, succulents grow slowly;
• any living plant may die, if unsuccessful, try again;
• Panic is your enemy; there is always some time to correct the mistake.

How Echeveria shows that it is feeling bad:

• stems and leaves turn black - overwatering, cold temperature. The plant should be moved to a more warm room and dry;
• Echeveria stretches out, the rosette becomes loose - lack of lighting. The plant should be illuminated and “dried”;
• the stone rose practically does not develop, the leaves are small - it needs to be watered and fertilized;
• the plant has lost turgor - lack of moisture. If it’s hot, then immediately water it and shade it; if it’s winter, then you can wait. A lack of water during periods of low light will allow the plant to maintain its shape and not stretch out. Large echeverias tolerate drought especially painlessly.

Echeverias have enough vitality to survive temporary difficulties. Good luck with your rock rose breeding!

Florarium or succulent garden, what is it and how to create it?

Florarium is a glass greenhouse (like an aquarium), the primary purpose of which was to create specific conditions for certain groups of plants. Since plant compositions look beautiful behind glass, florariums have begun to be used more widely - as interior items.

It's not difficult to create one. Choose any glass container:

• aquarium;
• special designer vase;
• transparent flower vase;
• large glass, etc.

Place a thick layer of coarse gravel on the bottom for drainage, then a thin layer of fine gravel so that the soil mixture does not spill into the drainage, and then a layer of nutritious soil mixture similar to the drainage (as for planting). Using a thin skewer, plant the plants (it’s easier to place the babies with embryonic roots on top).

• create a dense succulent composition, behind which the soil will not be visible;
• post several large plants and nearby small ones in small groups or scattered;
• alternate plants with large ones natural stones, recreating the natural landscape;
• draw paths with pebbles, divide them into zones with multi-colored pebbles, use your imagination.

Pre-study the types and varieties of echeverias and other succulents used in order to understand how each plant will develop (upward or outward) and how much space it will need over time.

Since the container does not have drainage holes, the substrate dries out much more slowly than in a pot, with careful watering. You can't spray either - it's a desert, it's a desert.

Similar mixes can be made in opaque containers; it is clear that you should not bury plants there; choose flat dishes and create by playing with colors and shapes of echeverias.

It is important to look after the garden, trim the plants in time, this promotes bushiness. You can remove some echeverias and replant others.

Types and varieties of echeveria Photos and names with descriptions

Echeveria agavoides

Echeveria agavoides home care Photo of the variety Romeo

This is a perennial bush, there is practically no stem, the stone rose produces dense rosettes.
The leaves are filled, elliptical, with a sharply tapering end, plate size 9x6 cm. The color of the leaf is light green, turning yellowish or pink towards the edge.

The popular variety Taurus is completely purple, Romeo is a red-orange echeveria, has many shades, there are also variegated ones.

There is a visible bluish tint, which gives a waxy coating, the peduncle rises above the center of the rosette to a height of 40 cm. Unusual flowers- bells, red or yellow. The flowering period occurs in spring or summer.

Echeveria leucotricha

The plant is distinguished by a characteristic short stem; the rosette grows up to 15 cm in diameter. The lanceolate leaves on the back are convex, arched, and filled with moisture. The leaf color is green with a brownish edge. As the name suggests, the leaf is covered with whitish hairs. The peduncle (40-50 cm) ends in brownish-red flowers. Spring bloom.

Echeveria fulgens Lera

It is distinguished by bushiness, the main rosette produces thick shoots with small rosettes - children at the end. The oblong leaves end in a narrow tip. The leaf blade measures 10x4 cm, with a waxy coating along the edge of the leaf. Blooms in February and March with deep red flowers.

Echeveria Gibbiflora

Loose rosettes crown tree stem, the number of green-gray leaves with a pinkish or brownish tint in the rosette is about 20. The rounded leaves in some varieties have a wavy edge. Beautiful purplish-yellow inflorescences (6-15 cm) are crowned with a slightly leafy peduncle (up to 1 m).

Examples of varieties:

• Carunculata (characteristic tubercles on the leaves),
• Metallica (leaves edged with white or red),
• Crispata (highly wavy reddish leaf margin),
• Pearl of Nuremberg (almost lilac).

Echeveria Derenbergii

This stone rose has regular, dense rosettes up to 6 cm in diameter, with succulent shoots spreading along the ground. The spatulate leaves (4x2 cm) are pressed against each other, the color is gray-green, turning into pink towards the edge of the leaf. Short (5-6 cm) flower stalks grow from the axils of the upper leaves in mid-spring. Each peduncle bears 3-5 yellow-orange flowers.

Echeveria elegans

The graceful echeveria has a characteristic stemless shape and dense lotus-shaped rosettes. The sharp ends of the rounded leaves (5x2 cm) are directed upward. A bluish coating is visible on light greenery, which is not recommended to be touched or washed, it practically does not recover and the plant loses its decorative effect. The branched peduncle stretches upward and ends in pink-red bells with yellow tips. This is one of the most favorite types of echeveria for many gardeners due to its high decorative qualities.

Echeveria pulvinata ‘Ruby Blush’ photo

A low-growing succulent, the erect stem is crowned with a loose rosette reaching 10 cm in diameter. The leaves are “fat”, arched below, oval, with a spine at the tip; the light edge gives a special charm. It blooms in early spring, producing a low peduncle with yellow-red flowers. A highly ornamental plant with many varieties.

Echeveria Peacockii or Echeveria Peacockii

It has sessile rosettes (10-15 cm), leaves (5x3 cm) are light, gray, oval, triangularly pointed at the ends, colored pink. You can’t take your eyes off the drooping erect peduncle. The effect is also added by the one-sided placement of “frost-covered” pink flowers appearing in June.

Echeveria Shaviana or Shaw Echeveria Shaviana

The rosette resembles a cabbage in cross section; the stem is very short. The color of the plant is gray-green. A sharp needle emerges from among the flounces of the edge of the leaf plate. In winter it sheds a significant part of its foliage. The peduncle is much higher than the rosette, dotted with lanceolate leaves. Flower color is pink.

Echeveria septosa

A succulent bush, the rosette resembles a chrysanthemum flower - the leaves are so organically placed that they form a hemisphere. The leaves are fleshy (10x4 cm), green in color, appearing gray in places due to the thick white edge. The peduncle (30 cm) is also covered with bristles; in May - June, many fiery flowers bloom - red, turning into yellow.

Echeveria Laui Echeveria Laui

Most of all it resembles a stone flower due to the thick waxy coating on the bluish leaves, the rosette is large - up to 2 inches in diameter, monumental. The leaves have a size of 6x3 cm. The flowers are massive - 1.5 cm in diameter, orange, and also covered with a waxy coating. The flower is a sissy one, it requires a lot of attention - a lot of sun and little water in winter, it develops slowly.

Echeveria Runyonii ‘Topsy Turvy’ photo

Consider the variety Topsy-Turvy cv. Topsy-Turvy: The rosette resembles a star or chrysanthemum. The leaves are almost white due to the characteristic bloom. Plant hemispheres can reach a radius of 8 cm. The leaves are fleshy, back curved. The peduncle is low, drooping, with a small number of leaves. The flowers are yellow-pink.

Echeveria Black Prince Echeveria Black Prince

Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ photo

Unusual green-brown, almost black coloring of leaves. The maximum diameter is 15 cm. In winter, a period of rest is required.