Sedum Succulent Care ( Special Tips )

Sedum succulents commonly known as Stonecrop and in this article I try to give some insights in sedum succulent care.

Sedums are hardy and perfect outdoor plants. They could thrive in below freezing point temperatures, but not for a long period of time.

On top of that they could thrive in poor soil conditions too. Additionally, they do not mind getting exposed to hot and sunny weather conditions. Despite the growing zone you are in, Sedum could adapt and survive well. In other words they are perfect for lazy gardeners.

Many Sedum varieties are endemic to Europe and in Asia. As such it is possible for them to handle hot and dry conditions.

You could spot Sedums frequently in North America as they are cold hardy. Apart from that, they are very attractive in their looks. Hence why many people tend to grow them

When you are choosing a type of sedum, be sure to choose the right type for your needs. There is a big difference between the different types of sedum plants.

There are different sedums for sunny and shady areas, some are low and others grow high, there are some that have beautiful flowers and some that have toxic leaves. This article will show sedum succulent care tips and related problems.

One look care guide

Botanical Name	Sedum
Common Name	Stonecrop
Plant Type	Succulent
Mature Size	6 inch (15 cm) in height 4 inch (10 cm) in width.
Sun Exposure	Full sunlight to partial sunlight
Soil Type	Well draining
Soil pH	Acidic or neutral
Bloom Time	Summer
Flower Color	Yellow, pink or even white in color.
Hardiness Zones	USDA Hardiness Zones 3-10.
Native Area	Europe and in Asia
Toxicity	Non toxic
Average price	8 USD -10 USD

How do I identify a sedum succulent

You could spot Sedum in different colors such as green, red, purple and in yellow. When they blossom , their flowers could be yellow, pink or even white in color. The leaves would be thick, chubby and a little shiny too.

You could spot many varieties of Sedum as creeping plants. That literally means they tend to expand and spread simultaneously as they grow. They could fill up the empty room in your garden.

Sedum succulent care

Size of the plant

Sedums once they grow fully , they will be about 6 inch (15 cm) in height and 4 inch (10 cm) in width.

Growth rate

These stonecrop succulents are larger and known as relatively slow growers. They could tend to grow as trailing plants and will carry spiked blooming plants which could rise to one foot high.

Each stonecrop succulents have a rosette developing and the blooms will take place over the bottom foliage. The leaves would be thick, chubby and a little shiny too.

Light requirement

Sedum could survive well irrespective of the location where you have planted in the outdoor garden. You can plant them in full sunlight to partial sunlight and they will thrive well. It should ideally be 5-6 hours of direct bright sunlight.

When it comes to indoors light requirements, they would require bright sunlight. Hence do keep them closer to a bright sunny window so that they can get the right amount of sunlight. Alternatively try providing it with artificial light. For that you may use a grow light.

Temperature and humidity

Overall Sedum plants can withstand temperatures on a wide range. . Having said, they will not be able to bear temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Because, if you do so, their leaves will burn.

These plants could bear the humidity well too. On the other hand, it is crucial to supply them with a soil mix which has excellent drainage, particularly in high humid areas. As then it will avoid the plant being kept in too much moisture.

Is it cold hardy?

Most of the Sedum Succulent plants are cold hardy and they could thrive well in those conditions.

Growth Zone

Stonecrop succulents are generally tough plants and they could adapt and thrive well in USDA Hardiness Zones 3-10.

Watering Requirement

Over watering is a major concern for sedum cultivation just as with other succulents. Chances are that It could be fatal for the Sedums.

If these Sedums are grown outdoors, they do not require a lot of water. When it comes to watering them in the winter season, you do not need to water these plants at all since they will get the winter rainfall during that period.

During the rest of the seasons, once a week watering would be sufficient for them if they are the taller species. On the other hand, creeping Sedums can survive even less water than that.

In terms of watering Sedums indoors, you need to be aggressive in watering and water them more compared to the ones which are grown outdoors.

You could water them once every five to six days during spring and fall. When you water them in winter, you could water them only once a month if you don’t get the winter rainfall. . The purpose of watering is to avoid the leaves getting dried up and wrinkled.

Before you proceed with watering, ensure that the soil is entirely dry in condition. You could ascertain this by simply poking your finger for about one inch deep into the soil.

If you notice the soil is wet,do not water them at that time and best is to wait for some more time to water them. If you feel like it is dry, you should immediately resume watering.

When it comes to watering the Sedums, you need to stick to a soak and dry method. To conduct this, you need to water the soil until it starts to move through from the draining holes of the pot.

If they are grown outdoors, water them and let it soak through the soil for about once inch down.

Be mindful to provide excess water for them.

Soil Requirement Type / Ph

If you leave your Sedum succulent in water for too long, it could be fatal for the plant. It is important that you grow Sedums in porous soil which is fast dreaming.

Just as with other succulents, it will avoid the water getting retained in the pot and consequently it helps to protect the root system from getting damaged.

Simultaneously, if you wish to plant Sedums in pots, ensure that those have enough draining holes which could affect an excellent drainage. Other than that, ensure that you have filled the pot with porous soil.

When it comes to gardening the Sedums in outdoors, first, observe whether the soil available there is well draining before you plant the Sedums on the ground.

If you want to clarify this, you could simply dig a hole for about one foot and then add water and fill it in. You could plant the Sedums there only If you notice that water is moving through within a short period. It should ideally take an half hour or even less than that to drain the water quickly.

If it does not happen that way, alternatively you could blend some gritty element for about three inches. You could use elements such as perlite, sand etc. into the soil which will make the soil mix porous. Ph should be ideally neutral or acidic.

Flowering and Fragrance

When the stonecrop succulents bloom, they would attract pollinators such as bees, moths and butterflies as well. Those pollinators attract to those since the blooms of the stonecrop consist of sweet nectar.

The colors could be varying. When they blossom , their flowers could be yellow, pink or even white in color.

However, you could spot them generally in the pastel family of hues.

One more interesting factor in terms of flowering in stonecrop plants is that they can last on the plants until winter season. That will make these plants more attractive even when they get dry.

Pot size Potting and Repotting

When you choose the pot for the sedums to grow, ensure that it has sufficient draining holes at the bottom of the pot. It is not necessary to provide a larger pot for them to survive as just like with other succulents they also have a shallow root system.

To repot, first you need to take off the plant from the pot. If you cannot remove the plant easily from the pot and if the pot is larger you may use a stick to take it out.

Be mindful to not hurt the roots. if it is a small pot, simply turn pots’ upside down so that you can take it out.

Secondly, clean and leave the root system until it gets dry. You can simply tap on the plant roots to remove the dirt out of the plant. Instead of that you could even use water to clean it too.

If you have some roots which are longer, you could cut them a bit. If you have used water to clean the dirt , leave it in a cooler place where it can wither for about three to five days. Do not expose them under direct sunlight and in rain though.

Finally, you may grow it in a fresh pot. When you plant it, put some dry soil for about two days first so that it could allow the plant to recover before you water them again. In this circumstance also, do not water it too much since the roots could be still not stable.

Refrain in doing reporting in their dormancy period.

Where to Plant

Sedum succulents would generally like to be in places where they can get full sunlight or partial sunlight.

If you consider certain Sedum species such as Sedum ternatum, they would prefer to grow above the rocks which are in the shape of a dapple.

Fertilizer and time of year

These succulents do not require fertilizers at all simply because they have the ability to thrive even in the poorest soil conditions. Hence, they don’t depend on extra nutrients to grow well.

Having said, if you still wish to feed them, you may use diluted fertilizers, you may do that during spring summer or in fall.

Alternatively, you could add one layer of organic compost also to the soil.

Dormancy

Stonecrop succulents could go dormant during the winter season. You should avoid watering them, if the plant get winter rainfall

Other plants Pairs Well With

Sedums which are taller would look fantastic in patio containers. Besides that the sedums which are creeping type would make a great companion to cactus and agave. Further they would be useful when planting in strawberry pots too.

Can be toxic to pets

Sedum Succulents are generally non toxic plants for humans as well as for domestic pets as well

Handling the plant

You simply have to make sure that you provide all the growing conditions for it. . As long as you do that, you will have no trouble in handling these and you will have an adorable sedum plant.

Common bugs and illness issue

These are a set of succulents which are usually not very prone for pests and for diseases. However they could still get damages by other plants since they have a root system which is shallow. To avoid this, you could simply cover the soil surface while using some pebbles.

Special Care tips

Do not repot your Sedum Succulent if it has resumed blooming. Because repotting could terminate the blooming and chances are that the flowers will fall off from the plant too.

Do not over water the Sedums. Always ensure that you provide a pot with enough draining holes and your soil mix is a well draining one.

How do you propagate a sedum succulent?

Propagation of sedum is an easy process. You could use the stem cutting method for this. first trim the stem of the Sedum.

When you get the stem cutting make sure that you get it from below where leaves have formed. The cutting has to be about 3 inches in length. To cut these stems, you may use a sterilized knife.

You should strip the leaves if there are any remaining on the base of the stem. After that you may plant the cutting in a moist succulent soil. You need to keep the soil in the moist condition for about one week or for two weeks.

You could mist the soil lightly so that you can keep the soil in damp condition. When you spot the cuttings have rooted, you may resume watering as regularly.

Sedum succulent losing leaves and causes

This happens mainly due to the faults we do in watering. If we provide excess water , it could lead the leaves to become swollen, delicate , mushy. Eventually the leaves will fall off from the plant. .

Leaves falling from the plant due to overwatering could be mushy. Additionally the stem could also be puffy.

Moreover, these plant leaves could fall off, if you have given them low light levels for a prolonged period also. You could identify this problem , if your plant has stretched out and if it has become taller and leggy.

How do you repot a sedum succulent