Planting and caring for a stone rose at home, selection methods
At home, planting and caring for a stone rose is not difficult. This plant is one of the least pretentious. The culture owes its name to an outward resemblance to a garden rose. Amateur gardeners call it young. The plant feels great both on the windowsills of the apartment and on the open ground of the garden plots. Before proceeding to the cultivation of a pink stone, they study the characteristics of the content and the nuances of care.
Description and peculiarities of the plant
Stone rose, rejuvenated or hare's lip belongs to the Tolstyankov family and is considered one of the most unpretentious succulents. Due to their great ability to survive and thrive even in the harshest conditions, the young are also called tenacious.Both at home and in the open field, succulents show high survival rates, and for the office it is difficult to find a more suitable plant that fits perfectly into a minimalist design.
In total, about 500 species of stone roses are known, however, in our regions about fifty species are the most common. Before buying a succulent, it is worth studying the detailed description and, based on this, making your choice. The main difference between the varieties of stone roses is the color scheme.
Gracious
This succulent is endowed with a thick stem, it can crawl along the ground and make roots, on which light leaves are present. They are gathered in a rosette 15 cm in diameter, at the top of the stone rosette ends with a thorn. At home, it is cozy and looks really stylish, which justifies its name.
Echeveria Derenberg
A succulent plant has a long flowering period. Creeping stems are decorated with rosettes, resembling a slightly open spruce cone. The leaves are covered with a bluish waxy bloom, and a red border runs along the edge.
Spiky
Rosettes of Echeveria spiky look like dense balls, painted dark green and densely pubescent. The flowers of the succulent are also surrounded by a cloud of the same canon.
crimson
A distinctive feature of crimson echeveria is a strong stem, which is crowned with a rosette with pubescent leaves. The flowers of the stone rose are painted red with a yellow border along the edge.
humpback flower
The plant has a straight stem and unusual large concave leaves. A brilliant spike-shaped flower crowns all this splendour.
Sizaya
Ideal for pot culture on a windowsill. The original foliage has a grayish-blue tint.
Conditions of detention
The necessary conditions for growing a stone rose can be created by each florist in his apartment.
The flower is unpretentious to lighting, temperature conditions and can do without watering for a long time.
Temperature regime
The temperature range for growing a stone rose is 22-25 degrees in the summer, for the winter the flower is transferred to a room with a colder microclimate - 10-12 degrees.
Lighting
In order for the pink stone not to lose its decorative appearance, the lighting should be full throughout the year. In the summer, flower growers bring Echeveria to the balcony, he is not afraid of direct sunlight. The plant is protected from burns by a layer of wax located on the leaves.
air humidity
Since the plant belongs to succulents, it needs low air humidity. Under natural growing conditions, the flower feels great in a dry period and does not tolerate high humidity.
watering
Moderate watering is needed for stone rose from spring to summer. In addition, it is important to properly organize the drainage system so that the liquid does not stagnate at the roots and they do not begin to rot. In winter, irrigation is practically stopped and resumed with the arrival of spring. Echeveria is carefully moistened, trying to prevent water droplets from falling on the leaves, pouring it under the root. On particularly hot days, drip irrigation is allowed.
Fertilizers
To feed the pink stone at home, special liquid complexes are purchased for succulents. Complex formulations are applied in spring and summer once a week.For the winter period, the power supply is stopped.
Floor
To plant potted echeveria, purchase special soil for succulents from a garden store. They prepare the soil at home, but control that the acidity level does not exceed 6, and a drainage layer is laid at the bottom to prevent rotting of the roots.
Dormant and flowering period
During the dormant period, which lasts autumn and winter, pink stone does not need special care. It is enough to reduce the temperature in the room to 12 degrees and stop irrigation and top dressing. The flowering period is in summer. At this time, the plant produces flower stalks. Provide good lighting, regular watering and fertilize young with complex compounds. It is not difficult to maintain, even a novice florist can handle this.
If it is not planned to collect seeds from the plant, the peduncle is removed immediately after the end of flowering.
How to Trim and Shape Properly
To give the rose stone a decorative appearance and prevent the development of fungal diseases, the lower leaves, which begin to wilt or rot, are regularly removed. In the process of formation, the flower practically does not need, in this matter everyone is guided by their own taste.
Transplant Features
Regular transplanting is a mandatory procedure when growing a stone rose at home. This is done in the warm season, so that the plant has time to adapt to a new container before the dormant period. Before transplanting, do not water the soil, but carefully remove the dry earthen clod from the pot with the roots. By tapping lightly, the old soil is removed. Dry and dead roots are also cut off.After that, all sections are treated with a fungicidal preparation.
A stone rose is moved to a new container, and the roots are properly straightened, sprinkled with new soil.
After transplantation, Echeveria can not be watered, it is kept in dry soil for about a week, and only then regular moistening is resumed, so as not to cause rotting of the roots.
Breeding methods
At home, a stone rose propagates in several ways. The method is chosen based on their preferences and experience.
girl jacks
The easiest and most affordable way, suitable for beginner florists. A sharp knife is pre-disinfected, and the daughter outlet is separated from the mother plant. Activated carbon is finely pounded, and the cut sites are sprinkled on "child" and adult plants. It is best to carry out the procedure in the evening and leave the sockets at room temperature until the morning. After that, young plants are planted in separate pots and cared for as if it were an adult plant.
Seeds
The method of propagating a stone rose using seeds is used by experienced florists and breeders. This makes it possible to obtain original varieties with unusual flowering. It is better to buy seeds in specialized outlets. Seeds collected at home have low germination rates, and it is difficult to get a full copy of them from Echeveria.
Step-by-step action algorithm:
- To sow ash rose seeds, mix peat with sand in a ratio of 3 to 1 and deepen the seed by 5 mm.
- Using a small-hole sprayer, moisten the top of the soil so that it is evenly saturated with liquid.
- The container with future succulents is covered with foil and left at room temperature.
- The optimum temperature until the moment when sprouts appear is 20-25 degrees.
- In this case, the film is removed daily to air and spray the soil.
- When the plants have 2-3 leaves, they are placed in separate pots and cared for like an adult flower.
Leaves
Young leaves are separated from the mother plant, treated with fungicide and growth stimulant and sent to a new pot for rooting.
Cuttings
For this method, either a leaf with a petiole or the top of a plant is used. Carefully cut them from an adult plant and let them dry out at room temperature for several hours. A mixture of sand and vermiculite is prepared and the prepared material is placed in it. Wet with lukewarm water and place the container in a well-lit area. Periodically moisten the soil, preventing it from drying out. Somewhere in 2-3 weeks the first full-fledged roots appear, and after 2-3 months new young cells appear. After that, the resulting specimens are placed in separate pots.
Solving Common Growing Problems
Despite the endurance and unpretentiousness of a pink stone to growing conditions, problems arise if certain rules are not followed.
leaf rot
As a rule, this happens when the plant is too wet and there is no drainage layer in the container. It is necessary to adjust the watering regime and ensure a good outflow of liquid from the roots of the pink stone.
Torsion of sockets
Without adequate lighting throughout the day, sockets begin to curl and dry out.Also, the reason is the lack of regular feeding. Rearrange the plant in a sunny place and add complex compositions for succulents in liquid form.
pull a plant
If the pink stone is strongly stretched, the reason also lies in the lack of full-fledged lighting. Periodically expose the plant on the balcony to direct sunlight.
cochineal
This pest devours the roots of the ash rose and damages the leaves. To combat it, such insecticidal preparations as "Fitoverma" and "Aktara" are most often used. If there are few pests, wash them with soapy water or a cotton swab dipped in an alcohol solution.
fungal infection
It is possible to get rid of the fungal infection caused by waterlogging the soil only in the early stages of the problem. Use "Trichodermin" or "Fitosporin". If the disease has already completely affected the plant, it is better to throw it away and plant new specimens.
Additional tips and tricks
Experienced growers give recommendations for growing a stone rose at home:
- Avoid excessive soil moisture.
- Provide adequate lighting.
- Regularly apply complex fertilizers.
- Repot the succulent plant in a new pot every year with a complete soil replacement.
If these conditions are met, a stone rose will become a worthy decoration of an apartment or office.