Content
Sedum or sedum is a perennial succulent plant of the Tolstyanka family. In the wild, it occurs in meadows, slopes, prefers to settle on dry soils. The culture is represented not only by species, but also by hybrid varieties, therefore, the reproduction of stonecrops depends on this factor.
Features of the reproduction of sedums
The genus has more than 500 species, stonecrop grows in the form of a semi-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 for the propagation of stonecrop.
Sedum propagation is carried out by all known methods:
- rooting shoots;
- cuttings;
- dividing the bush;
- seeds;
- leaves.
The timing of sedum placement on the site depends on the chosen planting method.
How to propagate sedum
The sedum, 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. The sedum is one of the few species for which leaf propagation is possible. The material is taken in any growing season:
- choose a large sheet plate without damage;
- place the bottom in a container with water and leave until root filaments appear;
- then placed in a container filled with fertile substrate;
- after planting 3-4 days stonecrop is not watered.
If rooting is successful, a sprout will appear in a month. When it rises about 3-5 cm above the ground, you can determine it to a permanent place.
How to propagate sedum by dividing rhizomes
For this breeding method, sedum is used at least 3 years old. If the variety has a two-year biological cycle, then the division is carried out one year after planting. The time for work is determined in spring (before flowering) or in autumn (after seed ripening).
Sequence:
- The bush is watered abundantly so that the root is not damaged during the extraction of sedum from the soil.
- Sedum is dug up, the remains of the soil are removed.
- Cut into pieces, the number of plots depends on how much the bush has grown. The planting material must have at least three replacement buds.
- Leave in the shade for 2 days to dry the slices.
Then determine the site.
If the soil is sandy and dry, you can treat the cuts with charcoal and plant immediately
How to propagate sedum cuttings
Propagation by stonecrop cuttings can be done at the beginning of the season or in the fall. This method is the most common. The timing of material procurement depends on the type of sedum. Reproduction of ground cover dwarf forms by cuttings is carried out in the spring:
- From the tops of the shoots, pieces are cut in length - 8 cm.
- Remove all the lower leaves, leave 2-3 on the crown.
- Placed in fertile soil consisting of sand and compost mixed in equal amounts.
- It is better to use peat glasses, but you can place the rooting material directly into the ground, determine a place in the shade with minimal moisture.
- If the cuttings are in a container, they are left on the site in a shaded place.
After about 3 weeks, stonecrop will take root and can be planted in a flower bed.
Reproduction by cuttings of an erect stonecrop of a bush form is carried out in the fall at home:
- Before the onset of frost, material 15 cm long is cut from the shoots.
- The room is laid out on a plane.
- After a while, the leaves will begin to fall off, and processes along with root filaments will appear from the buds located in the leaf axils.
- When they grow up to 6 cm, they are gently 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 cleaning fourteen hour lighting. With a lack of light, the sprouts are stretched out.
How to propagate sedum by seed
Planting material can be purchased in the retail network or collected from the plant yourself. The seed pods are small, but there are a large number of them, so there will be no problems with harvesting. The inflorescences are cut off at the first sign of shell opening. They are laid out on a light surface, the boxes will open independently.
Stonecrop varieties bloom in spring or autumn. The seeds are harvested after they have ripened. If these are early flowering varieties, then after harvesting, they can immediately be sown into the ground or left until spring. For autumn flowering representatives, propagation is used by seedlings.
Sowing seeds in open ground:
- The bed is loosened, all vegetation is removed.
- Prepare a mixture of sand and compost, pour it onto the surface.
- Longitudinal grooves are made 0.5 cm deep.
- Seeds are sown without keeping the distance.
- Cover slightly with a substrate.
Water the site of sedum sowing with an interval of 5 days until shoots appear.
For seedlings, sow material in a container with the same nutrient mixture. The sequence of work does not differ from activities in an open area. The sedum is not watered, only the soil is sprayed until the shoots appear.
The strongest seedlings are chosen from the total mass and dive into separate containers
After seeding, sedum is left indoors until spring, at the beginning of the season it is 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 sedum is destructive. A young plant is watered only in case of drought, no more than 1 time per week, with a small amount of water. For adult stonecrop, seasonal precipitation is sufficient, even if their amount is below normal.
They monitor the condition of the root circle, the soil must be aerated so that sedum builds up the root system, so the soil is constantly loosened. The compulsory agricultural technique includes the removal of weeds, since the seedlings will not be able to fully develop with competition for food.
They are fed with nitrogen after the autumn reproduction. It is brought in in early spring. At the time of budding, complex mineral fertilizers are used, organic matter is introduced in the fall. If the planting of spring sedum is not fertilized, it has enough nutrition from the substrate.
Some of the varieties of the culture are frost-resistant, they can winter without insulation. There are hybrid varieties that are sheltered in the fall. The aerial part is not cut off. In the spring, dry and problem areas are removed, overwintered leaves are necessary for sedum for photosynthesis. After the formation of a new crown, they will fall off themselves.
Useful Tips
The sedum plant is distinguished by simple agricultural techniques. Plants are characterized by high vitality, the bushes grow rapidly, even if the roots are damaged by frost. Reproduction is a simple event, but always productive.
A few tips will help you get the process right:
- 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 manganese solution.
- Before sowing on the site in the spring, the planting material is hardened in the refrigerator.
- The layering method is a pretty good way, 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 the leaf sinuses the plant will take root.
- If grown by cuttings, cut in the fall, it is better to cut off the shoots with a blade along with a fragment of the stem; if broken, part of the root filaments can be damaged.
- You can not often water a young plant, since an excess of moisture will lead to decay.
Conclusion
Stonecrop propagation is carried out by various methods, depending on the variety of culture. For erect varieties, bush division, cuttings, and the seed method are used. The generative method is not suitable for hybrids. Low-growing specimens can be propagated by layering, cuttings. The sedum is frost-resistant, so the work is carried out both in spring and autumn.
