How to propagate stonecrop: cuttings, seeds and rhizome division

Sedum or stonecrop is a perennial succulent plant of the Crassula family. In the wild, it is found in meadows, slopes, prefers to settle on dry soils. The culture is represented not only by species, but also by hybrid varieties, so the reproduction of stonecrops depends on this factor.

Features of reproduction of sedums

The genus includes more than 500 species, stonecrop grows in the form of a shrub, less often a shrub. Hybrid dwarf varieties with creeping stems are used in design as ground cover plants. Flowers in varieties of different colors are collected in thyroid or racemose inflorescences. The leaves are thick, fleshy, they are also used to propagate stonecrop.

Reproduction of sedum is carried out by all known methods:

• rooting shoots;
• cuttings;
• division of the bush;
• seeds;
• leaves.

The timing of the placement of stonecrop on the site depends on the chosen method of planting.

How to propagate sedum

Stonecrop, which has entered reproductive age, is suitable for any method of reproduction. If the plant has bloomed, it is considered an adult, small boxes filled with seeds are formed on the inflorescences. This copy for the next year can be divided or layered. Stonecrop is one of the few species for which leaf propagation is possible. The material is taken at any growing season:

• choose a large leaf plate without damage;
• place the lower part in a container of water and leave until the root threads appear;

  

• then placed in a container filled with a fertile substrate;
• after planting 3-4 days stonecrop is not watered.

If rooting was successful, a sprout will appear in a month. When it rises above the ground by about 3-5 cm, you can determine it to a permanent place.

How to propagate sedum by dividing the rhizome

For this breeding method, stonecrop is used at least 3 years old. If a variety with a two-year biological cycle, then the division is carried out a year after planting. The time for work is determined in spring (before flowering) or autumn (after seed ripening).

Sequence:

1. The bush is watered abundantly so that during the extraction of the stonecrop from the soil, the root is not damaged.
2. Sedum is dug up, the remains of the soil are removed.
3. Cut into pieces, the number of plots depends on how the bush has grown. Planting material must have at least three replacement buds.
4. Leave in the shade for 2 days to dry the sections.

Then they determine the site.

If the soil is sandy and dry, you can process the cuts with charcoal and plant immediately.

How to propagate stonecrop cuttings

Reproduction by cuttings of stonecrop can be done at the beginning of the season or in the fall. This method is the most common. The timing of the procurement of material depends on the variety of sedum. Reproduction of ground cover dwarf forms by cuttings is carried out in the spring:

1. From the tops of the shoots, cut into pieces 8 cm long.
2. Remove all lower leaves, leave 2-3 at the top.
3. Placed in fertile soil, consisting of sand and compost, mixed in equal amounts.
4. It is better to use peat cups, but you can place the material for rooting immediately into the ground, determine a place in the shade with minimal moisture.
5. If the cuttings are in a container, they are left on the site in a shaded place.

After about 3 weeks, the stonecrop will take root and can be planted in a flower bed.

Propagation by cuttings of upright bush-shaped sedum is carried out in the fall at home:

1. Before the onset of frost, material 15 cm long is cut from the shoots.
2. Indoors laid out on a plane.
3. After some time, the leaves will begin to fall off, and shoots will appear from the buds located in the leaf axils along with the root threads.
4. When they grow to 6 cm, they are carefully broken off and placed in a container with a substrate.

In the spring, at the end of May, they are planted on the site

The container with the material is kept at a temperature of +20⁰ C, provide stonecrop fourteen-hour coverage. With a lack of light, the sprouts are drawn out.

How to propagate sedum seeds

Planting material can be purchased from the distribution network or collected from the plant yourself. Seed boxes are small, but there are a large number of them, so there will be no problems with harvesting. Inflorescences are cut off at the first sign of opening the shell. Lay out on a light surface, the boxes will open on their own.

Varieties of stonecrop bloom in spring or autumn. The seeds are harvested after they have matured. If these are early-flowering varieties, then after harvesting they can immediately be sown in the ground or left until spring. For autumn-flowering representatives, seedling propagation is used.

Sowing seeds in open ground:

1. The bed is loosened, all vegetation is removed.
2. Prepare a mixture of sand and compost, pour it onto the surface.
3. Make longitudinal furrows with a depth of 0,5 cm.
4. Sow seeds without keeping a distance.
5. Cover lightly with substrate.

Water the place of sowing stonecrop with an interval of 5 days until shoots appear.

For seedlings, the material is sown in a container with the same nutrient mixture. The sequence of work does not differ from the activities in the open area. Stonecrop is not watered, only the soil is sprayed until shoots appear.

From the total mass, the strongest seedlings are selected and dive into separate containers.

After planting, the stonecrop is left indoors until spring, at the beginning of the season they are planted in a flower bed. By autumn, the plant will bloom.

Rules for caring for stonecrops after breeding

The plant is planted in an open, well-drained area. Excess moisture for stonecrop is detrimental. A young plant is watered only in case of drought no more than 1 time per week with a small amount of water. An adult sedum has enough seasonal rainfall, even if their amount is below the norm.

They monitor the state of the root circle, the soil must be aerated so that the stonecrop builds up the root system, so the soil is constantly loosened. Mandatory agricultural technology includes the removal of weeds, since seedlings will not be able to fully develop with competition for food.

Feed after autumn breeding with nitrogen. It is brought in in early spring. At the time of budding, complex mineral fertilizers are used, organics are applied in the fall. If the spring planting of stonecrop is not fertilized, it has enough nutrition from the substrate.

Some of the varieties of the culture are frost-resistant, they can winter without warming. There are hybrid varieties that shelter in the fall. The aerial part is not cut off. In the spring, dry and problem areas are removed; overwintered leaves are necessary for stonecrop for photosynthesis. After the formation of a new crown, they will fall off on their own.

Useful Tips

Stonecrop is distinguished by simple agricultural technology. Plants are characterized by high viability, bushes grow rapidly, even if the roots are damaged by frost. Reproduction is a simple event, but always effective.

A few tips to help you get the process right:

1. Stonecrop seeds are small, it is difficult to disinfect them by ordinary soaking, so the material is laid out on a film and sprayed with a solution of manganese.
2. Before sowing on the site in the spring, the planting material is hardened in the refrigerator.
3. The layering method is a fairly successful method, especially for undersized varieties. The shoot is simply bent to the ground so that its lower part touches the surface and is fixed. It is not necessary to cover with soil, in the area of ​​uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe leaf sinuses the plant will take root.
4. If grown with cuttings cut from autumn, it is better to cut the shoots with a blade along with a fragment of the stem; when breaking, part of the root threads can be damaged.
5. You can not often water a young plant, because an excess of moisture will lead to decay.

Conclusion

Reproduction of stonecrops is carried out by various methods, depending on the variety of culture. For erect varieties, dividing the bush, cuttings, and the seed method are used. For hybrids, the generative method is not suitable. Undersized specimens can be propagated by layering, cuttings. Stonecrop is frost-resistant, so work is carried out both in spring and autumn.