Echeveria newbie - advice appreciated

[kas70]

Hello all,
I'm hoping for some advice on how to manage this echeveria, which has grown to be pretty large and out of the trough - it's now hanging over the side (see photo). Is that long stem a sign of a healthy plant or one that's been reaching for the light? I'm thinking it needs transplanting to a larger container? Any advice is welcomed. Many thanks!

[Tom in Tucson]

All succulents of the stone crop type (with very few exceptions) rarely need a larger pot. Usually I use only as large as I can get away with (2-4").

More light is almost always a good objective, as long as there is no sun scald.

For improving its appearance, I would cut the stem 1" below the rosette, let the cutting heal for a few days, and plant it in a pot only slightly larger. The leftover stem should eventually produce offsets, which you can use for propagation.

Good luck!

[kas70]

Hi Tom,
Thanks so much for taking the time to reply - I will follow your guidance re cutting the stem. For the stem to heal should I leave it open to the air?

I've now managed to grow about 4 echeveria that are this large, and I'd like to plant them together for impact. They'll stay indoors over the winter as the temperature can fall to minus, so can I ask if I can plant them in a fairly shallow and wide dish, rather than a pot? Not sure how much depth their roots need?

PS Little chance of sun scald with the weather where I am!

[jerrytheplater]

Hi Tom,
Thanks so much for taking the time to reply - I will follow your guidance re cutting the stem. For the stem to heal should I leave it open to the air?

I've now managed to grow about 4 echeveria that are this large, and I'd like to plant them together for impact. They'll stay indoors over the winter as the temperature can fall to minus, so can I ask if I can plant them in a fairly shallow and wide dish, rather than a pot? Not sure how much depth their roots need?

PS Little chance of sun scald with the weather where I am!

Regarding the healing of the cut surface: just open air is fine.

I can't address your question of the depth of the pot with experience, but I will ask what pot depth are you thinking about? The trough in your photo is very deep.

My suspicion is that if you cut them now, they won't do anything till next spring. Can you wait? Or do you have really bright artificial light for the winter?

[kas70]

Hi Jerry,

Thanks for your reply. Given my lack of experience here, it's helpful to know that the depth of the trough would be considered deep. The type of display I was considering would be in a wide dish (more of table centrepiece style about 1ft diameter) with depth of 3 inches approx.

I don't have to cut them now and can wait until the Spring if that's better for them. I don't have artificial light and given the UK winter, it's pretty dark in the house!

Kerry

[anttisepp]

Give them sun as much as possible and keep in cool place without watering in winter. Outdoors when no temps below freezing.

[nachtkrabb]

Hallo kas70,
about your Echeverias: Does that dish of yours have wholes where the water can flow out...? This would be mandatory.
A friend of mine had cacti on her table as a centerpiece. There they had not enough natural light by far, it was a good attempt at killing them. I hope you had thought of that. Also, such a table might be in a heated room, so not exactly what they love, I go with Anttisepp in all items.
Did you cut? Are your cutlings well? -- After cutting them at this time of the year, though, a well-lit place inside the flat might ease their way to rooting.
Such an "unorthodox" experiment is going on at my place with a newly bought Graptopetalum bellum, that in October suddenly fell to pieces because of well hidden stem rot. I put all the rests, including single leaves, into quite flat pots and keep them in my flat. Some have started to thrive, October or no October.

About the not so deep pots: I do not consider that mandatory, only these plants drive their roots not very deep into the soil. So they do not need something deep. What they do need is well-draining soil & a pot with wholes so they never have wet roots.

About your health question: Yes, I consider this a very healthy growth. If the plant didn't have enough light, it would be etiolated, ie. growing to the window in a beeline, not in a graceful curve. Additionally, the leaves would not be that tightly packed, but with a lot of much thinner stem inbetween.
So in my opinion, a cutting of the plant would not be necessary. Some people cut them on a regular basis as they prefer not to see that stalk / stem, others say this is part of a natural plant & do not cut them.
Soooooo.... In my eyes you've got a very nice, wellgrown plant.

Good luck either way!
Nachtkrabb