Tips for Growing Painted Lady Echeveria

Like all echeverias, painted girl is straightforward to develop, whether or not in a pot in your windowsill or out within the panorama in appropriate areas.

Our information to rising echeveria covers how you can domesticate these pleasant succulents. On this article, we’ll focus on how you can develop painted girl, Echeveria derenbergii.

Prepared for a peek at what we’ll cowl?

What Is Painted Girl Echeveria?

Painted girl echeverias (Echeveria derenbergii) are evergreen succulents with leaves that type in clusters of low-growing rosettes.

These leaves are spade formed with pointed ideas. And when uncovered to vibrant mild, the leaf margins and ideas turn into outlined with a beautiful burgundy coloration, inspiring the species’ widespread title.

This slow-growing species has a spreading, mounding development behavior.

E. derenbergii produces rosettes which can be three to 4 inches tall and broad, on clumping crops that may unfold from 12 to 36 inches broad.

Like different blue succulents, the foliage of this echeveria species has a layer of epicuticular wax – also called farina – which supplies it a blue tint, and helps to guard the leaves from solar, pests, and illness.

Thes bell-shaped flowers are yellow and pink, showing in winter or spring.

There’s one other succulent in the identical genus, E. nodulosa, that generally goes by the identical widespread title as the topic of our article, however is extra typically generally known as painted echeveria.

Whereas E. derenbergii seems like its leaves had been delicately outlined by a gentle hand, the foliage of painted echeveria seems prefer it has been drawn on swiftly with a broad tipped marker, extensively outlining each the leaf margins and asymmetrical petal shapes on the facilities of the leaves.

Cultivation and Historical past

Painted girl echeveria is a naturally occurring species, whose native vary is in arid areas in southwestern Mexico.

Picture by Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, by way of CC BY-SA.

This echeveria species was categorized botanically in 1921, and is a member of the Crassulaceae or stonecrop household.

It’s associated to different well-liked succulents you may be accustomed to, together with hens and chicks, jade plant, kalanchoe, and donkey’s tail.

Acknowledged for its decorative traits, painted girl echeveria was honored with the RHS Award of Backyard Advantage in 1993.

These succulents could be cultivated indoors with ample mild, or grown outside yr spherical in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 12.

Painted Girl Echeveria Propagation

Your choices for propagating this succulent embrace rising from seed, leaf cuttings, stem cuttings, or offsets.

We’ll present steerage for every of those propagation strategies, in addition to instructions for transplanting.

From Seed

Let’s begin with propagating new specimens from seed!

You’ll have a tough time discovering painted girl echeveria seeds to buy, so your most dependable choice could also be to develop your personal.

Whereas echeveria are generally self-fertile, in a position to produce seeds when just one particular person of the species is current, basically crops are likely to have higher pollination charges when multiple particular person is concerned, and this additionally gives higher genetic range.

So if you happen to actually wish to develop your personal seed provide, begin with two separate crops.

If the crops are outside, you might have pollinators, reminiscent of small bees to do the job of pollination for you.

When rising indoors or if there aren’t any pollinators, you’ll have to pollinate them your self, by dabbing open flowers with the bristles of a small paint brush.

Blooms which were pollinated will shut up, then the petals will begin to fade, and star-shaped seed heads will type.

It may well take one to 2 months for pods to ripen from inexperienced to brown, after which they may begin to break up open to launch the seeds inside.

Attempt to harvest the seeds quickly after the pods break up, and sow them as quickly as doable after harvesting.

You may take away the seeds from the pods by holding the flower over a bowl, turning the flower over, and squeezing the bottom.

Attempt to take away any particles from across the seeds, as this will trigger fungal points for the younger seedlings after sowing.

Earlier than you sow, you’ll have to ensure you have the appropriate substances to make a rising medium.

For painted girl echeverias, you’ll want a rising medium that’s grittier than the standard succulent and houseplant rising medium.

If you wish to make your personal succulent potting soil, I like to recommend a mixture of 50 to 70 % gritty mineral content material and the remaining natural matter.

When you stay in a moist location or have a tough time stopping your self from overwatering, go together with 70 %, and fewer natural matter, simply 30 %.

Then acclimate the younger seedlings to ambient circumstances and wait a few yr earlier than transplanting them.

Discover step-by-step steerage for propagating succulents from seed in our information.

From Leaf Cuttings

Painted girl echeveria will also be propagated from leaf cuttings.

To do that, take away a leaf from the underside of the rosette, then enable the wound to callus over for round per week.

Small, hair-like roots may type on the wound throughout this time.

As soon as the leaf has a callused wound and presumably roots as properly, place it horizontally in a two-inch pot stuffed with rising medium, and spray the medium with a water bottle, in order that itis moist however not soggy.

A plantlet will develop on the leaf wound.

Need to study extra about propagating succulents from leaf cuttings? Learn our article!

From Stem Cuttings

Stem cuttings will also be harvested to develop new specimens.

Utilizing a clear, sterilized pair of backyard snips, take a four- to six-inch lengthy reducing together with a rosette and a size of stem.

Trim the reducing in order that there’s about one inch of stem left beneath the rosette.

Place the reducing in a dry location out of direct daylight for a few week to permit the wound to callus over.

As soon as the wound has callused, fill a three- or four-inch nursery pot with rising medium, poke a gap in the midst of the medium, and insert the stem.

Moderately than watering instantly, wait per week.

From Offsets

E. derenbergii produces offsets across the base of the mom plant, and these could be separated to develop new echeveria specimens.

Take away an offset from the mom plant, enable it to callus over for per week, then plant it in a small nursery pot stuffed with potting medium.

Give the offset per week to acclimate to its new arrange earlier than watering it.

Be taught extra about propagating succulent offsets in our information.

Transplanting

Later within the article, you’ll study extra about when to repot a painted girl echeveria and when to attend.

For now let’s discuss concerning the steps wanted to transplant considered one of these lovely echeverias from one container to a different.

Along with rising medium, you may additionally want a special pot. If the plant you’re transplanting is rootbound, select a container that is only one measurement bigger.

No matter kind of container you select, ensure it has drainage holes! This is a crucial step in avoiding illness issues.

Upon getting each some rising medium and containers, you’ll be prepared to begin.

If the echeveria specimen you’re transplanting has a small root system, fill the container with rising medium leaving half an inch to 1 inch of area from the rim of the container.

Poke a gap within the middle of the rising medium, then insert the plant’s roots.

When you’re transplanting a painted girl echeveria that has a developed root ball, you’ll proceed a bit otherwise.

Is the plant rootbound? If that’s the case, use the tines of a fork to loosen up the outer edges of the basis ball.

When you’re altering to a brand new kind of potting medium, attempt to take away as a lot of the previous medium from across the root ball as doable.

Subsequent place a shallow layer of rising medium within the backside of the pot.

Maintain the echeveria within the pot with one hand, and use the opposite to fill in round it with potting medium. Cowl the basis ball, however not the plant’s foliage.

Moderately than watering instantly, enable the plant to settle in to its new container for per week.

How one can Develop Painted Girl Echeveria

Let’s begin with daylight, as a result of if you happen to get that proper, it will likely be simpler to handle the remainder of this plant’s wants.

Ample daylight can also be what is going to convey out the attractive pink hues of the leaf margins.

Painted girl echeveria crops want a minimum of six hours of direct daylight per day.

Nevertheless, it’s additionally a good suggestion to situate these succulents the place they may obtain some mild shade throughout the hottest a part of the day throughout the summer season months.

When you aren’t rising these succulents outside yr spherical, select a sunny, south-facing window, and switch the crops every time you water.

You might also have to complement with a develop mild, since even sunny, south-facing home windows don’t often obtain full solar all yr lengthy.

To verify that the plant is receiving the correct amount of sunshine, you could wish to use a light-weight meter.

You’ll wish to ensure that these crops are receiving a minimum of 800 foot candles for six hours or extra.

There are several types of mild meters to decide on from, relying on which mild sources you’re utilizing.

Subsequent, let’s discuss soil as a result of your watering routine might be a failure if the potting medium you select isn’t proper.

What do these crops need in terms of soil?

Drainage, drainage, drainage!

Along with a pH vary of 5.6 to 7.8, as talked about, these crops want a rising medium made up of fifty to 70 % mineral content material – which can present that drainage! – and the remaining from natural matter reminiscent of coconut coir.

If in case you have a bag of cactus and succulent soil readily available and wish to use it, go forward and amend it with some grit. An excessive amount of grit gained’t harm however an excessive amount of natural matter can result in oversaturated soil.

When you have got the appropriate potting medium on your succulent, your watering routine might be much less anxiety-ridden, as a result of many of the water you pour in will simply filter proper via all that grit and out of the underside of the pot.

Talking of filtering via – simply because these are drought tolerant crops doesn’t imply you must solely give them just a few drops of water at a time.

As an alternative, if you do water, place the pot in a bowl, pour water evenly over the rising medium utilizing a houseplant watering can.

Pour sufficient water in order that liquid comes out of the drainage holes within the backside of the pot. Repeat, then enable the pot to empty earlier than you come back the plant to its standard location.

There’s no exact time-frame for watering, as this may differ relying on the circumstances in your house or yard. Simply ensure you don’t water the plant till the potting medium has dried out completely.

Be taught extra about the appropriate kind of water to make use of for succulents in our information.

The best temperature vary for painted girl echeverias is between 60 to 80°F. Be careful for chilly spells – these are solely chilly hardy down to fifteen to twenty°F.

And there’s no motive to buy a humidifier for this succulent plant – it should thrive in humidity ranges between 40 to 50 %.

If the humidity in your house is greater than that, you may compensate by offering extra air movement.

Are you cultivating these crops in your yard yr spherical? Discover ideas for rising succulents outside in our information.

Rising Ideas

• Expose crops to a minimum of six hours of direct daylight with shade at noon throughout sizzling intervals.
• Solely water when the rising medium is totally dry.
• Present glorious drainage by way of the potting medium and container.

Upkeep

There are just a few different upkeep duties in addition to offering satisfactory mild and water that you just’ll wish to do to handle a painted girl echeveria.

Let’s begin with repotting.

You’ve already discovered the steps concerned in repotting within the transplanting part above, however let’s think about when you must repot – and if you shouldn’t.

It is best to think about repotting if the succulent is rootbound, whether it is planted within the unsuitable kind of potting medium, or if it has been two or three years for the reason that final time you repotted.

Solely enhance the pot measurement, nonetheless, if the plant’s roots fill the container its at present rising in. In any other case, repot it into the identical measurement container.

If the painted girl echeveria is rising right into a container a lot too huge for its measurement, then you definitely’ll wish to select a smaller pot.

Repot in spring or summer season ideally, until the succulent is rising in poorly draining rising medium, a pot with no drainage, or an outsized pot.

Questioning if you shouldn’t repot?

There’s no have to repot continuously, as these crops don’t have giant or quick rising root techniques.

Keep away from repotting when the painted girl echeveria is in bloom – when the plant’s power goes into flower manufacturing, it should have a more durable time producing new roots.

Winter is a time of relaxation for echeverias, this one included, so the colder months are not the most effective time to repot if you happen to can keep away from it.

And if you’ve simply introduced house a brand new plant, until there’s a drainage downside with the potting medium or container, wait a month or so earlier than repotting.

Echeverias ready to be repotted.

You might also marvel if it is advisable fertilize your painted girl echeveria.

And if blooms type, as soon as they fade you may prune them off with a pair of sterilized backyard snips. Nevertheless, if you happen to’re involved in saving seeds, first examine the flowers and ensure they haven’t been pollinated.

Pollinated echeveria flower petals will fade and also you’ll see star formed seed pods that swell and switch from inexperienced to brown.

When flowers have pale or all seeds have been harvested, you may snip off the flower spike near the rosette.

Along with these upkeep duties, when dealing with the plant, keep away from touching the foliage together with your fingers.

This plant will resist each deer and rabbits, and isn’t significantly bothered by insect pests both, significantly if you happen to take away useless leaves and flowers.

Nevertheless, there are just a few pests to maintain your eye out for: scale, mealybugs, and succulent mites.

Succulent mites could be significantly troublesome to see, however the injury they inflict causes discolored foliage.

Be taught extra about figuring out and controlling succulent mites in our information.

As for illness, the one you’re most probably to come across is rot.

What causes succulents like painted girl echeveria to rot? It occurs after we’re not getting these fundamental wants proper: the right mixture of water, mild, and drainage.

In case your succulent is rotting, return and evaluate the how you can develop part of this text to ensure you’re offering the correct amount of sunshine, water, and drainage.

And to study extra about how you can take care of rotting succulents, learn our information.

Finest Makes use of for Painted Girl Echeveria

Painted girl echeverias could make fantastic houseplants so long as you present a minimum of six hours of direct daylight, or the equal from a develop mild.

They’re thought of unhazardous, so are preferrred in case your family contains vegetation-munching felines or toddlers that may’t cease placing issues into their mouths.

Feeling whimsical? Why not embrace one in a succulent fairy backyard?

Outdoor in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 12, these xerophytes will also be used as floor covers in rock gardens or xeriscapes.