With green foliage and pictorial blossom , sedum is an attractive , versatile solution to problem spots in the gardener ’s landscape painting . Also known as “ stonecrop , ” it ’s a downcast - care foliage succulent from the Crassulaceae kinsperson native to the Northern Hemisphere and parts of Africa and South America .
Sedum is useful in places where other plants and flowers ca n’t rise due to dry soil or prolonged sunlight . Sedum ’s succulent leaves store water system , so it ’s a groovy industrial plant for area prone to drouth . And many sedum coinage are perennial that ask little care , make them a commodious option for new gardeners or those simply looking to add personality to their landscape .
There are hundreds of kind of sedum that present as low - grow grovel plant as well as grandiloquent , upright clumping bloom . The minuscule varieties go at just a few column inch tall and are popular in rock garden or as ground covert . Bright pink , purple , red , white-hot , and jaundiced flowers shoot from the taller clumping metal money , which mature up to a few feet tall .
Most of the blossom varieties bloom in the spring and summer , attracting butterflies to your garden . Some species , such as Autumn Joy , bloom later and suck up bees to their nectar through the fall . no matter of the type of sedum you choose , it will bring twelvemonth - round interest group to your garden .
Growing Conditions
Sedum in the main grows in zone three through nine . While the perennial is hail for its daring , keep in mind that this robustness is specific to its variety . think your territory type and sunshine availability when choose which sedum variety to integrate in your garden .
While most types of sedum require full Lord’s Day , some varieties are broad to partial shade . look up the specific species preference to square up the good sunlight surround for your plant .
Whether your sedum coinage tolerate shadiness or not , well - drained soil is a must . When it comes to body of water , less is more since the succulent manages its own moisture supply in its leaf . An accumulation of moisture can lead to decompose or mold and can kill the plant life , so add guts to your soil if it ’s especially loamy .
Sedum can be develop from semen as well as in a flat , or a pot . As an adaptative plant life , it also easily takes root from cutting .
Seeds
former spring is the optimal clip to imbed sedum seed . sum up moistened seed - starting intermixture to a pot with drainage hollow . blank space seed about an inch apart , cross with a light layer of seed - start mixture , and press down . Spray the surface lightly with a piddle bottleful and cover with transparent plastic wrap to regulate humidness .
Keep the pot in between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit . Uncover and mist the surface soil on a regular basis , but do not saturate it . After sprouting , which should take two to four weeks , the plastic cover may be hit and the pot place in a sunny windowpane . For more information about germinating sedum , visit the guidehere .
Flat
To plant from a compressed , turn the soil , and light up it of rock , gage , and root . Dig a bed 12 - 15 inches deep and doubly the breadth of the source ball you ’re working with . If the sedum variety show permits , lend a layer of compost two to four inch rich . Place the root ball in the bed , and fill with filth . Press the soil and water .
Cuttings
Sedum roots well from cuttings in the summertime . Just place a cutting in the ground , and it should take root word in an surround with cheerfulness and well - drained soil .
Caring for Sedum
Sedum is known as a down in the mouth - care plant . Keep an middle on it , and water as necessary , taking maintenance not to saturate the filth . Flopping stems point an excess of water . swerve back on watering , or add sand to your soil to insure the moisture horizontal surface .
Dividing Sedum
Sedum can be divided to moderate its spread . New plants will take root easily after separate . Dig up the root with a spadeful , starting several in away from the its pedestal . With a sharp knife , divide the root into four- to six - in sections and constitute the division one by one . The new plants will require piss as they take beginning . you could cut tearing when raw growth appear . Learn more about dividing sedumin this article .
Common Pests and Diseases
Sedum is in general resistant to pests , though mealybug , snail , slug , and scale insects may take involvement in the plant . The most common threat to sedum is excessive moisture . extend rains or overwatering can direct to an collection of wet , make bunkum , mold , or fungus . Read more about moisture and sedum by observe thislink .
Varieties of Sedum
Clumping Sedum
Use sedum to comprise natural beaut in your Interior Department as well as outdoor garden . A potted creep sedum carries leaf indoors , and contract blooms from a clopping sedum add together intense color to a tabletop placement . Sedum brings beauty class - round and requires little feat for the reinforcement .
Ashley Balcazar is a merchandising consultant and independent author in Denton , Texas . Her study has appeared in The Dallas Morning News and online at CBSDFW.com and Examiner.com . She loves all thing artistic production , specially salsa dance and wordsmithery .
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