Houseleeks (Sempervivum) are a very interesting genus of plants from the succulent family. Over time, the perennial succulents form large cushions of rosettes, with the individual rosettes measuring between about 0.5 and up to 22 centimeters in diameter, depending on the species. Each new rosette is basically nothing more than an offshoot of the mother rosette, which dies after flowering.
Houseleek can be easily propagated via offshoots
Houseleek forms daughter rosettes
If you acquire a single rosette, after planting it will soon produce further rosettes, called daughter rosettes, and thus develop a dense Sempervivum cushion. Sempervivum will only flower when it is at least two to three years old, whereby a shoot axis develops from the flower-forming rosette, which can grow between three and 60 centimeters high, depending on the species. This rosette dies after flowering and can be removed afterwards if you don't want to get any seeds. The daughter rosettes, however, either remain in the eyrie or can be separated and planted independently.
Plant daughter rosettes
The propagation of Sempervivum via the offshoots called daughter rosettes is very simple:
- Separate the desired offshoots from the eyrie,
- gently pulling them apart with your fingers.
- Houseleeks only have very shallow roots,
- which is why any existing roots are simply pulled out with it.
- Now prepare the new location,
- by using the appropriate cactus or succulent soil or
- own substrate mix
- place in the designated planters or in the bed.
- Make sure there is good drainage
- because succulents like the houseleek do not tolerate moisture.
- Plant the offshoots immediately in their new location
- and water them a little.
Further care measures are usually not necessary, because the houseleeks, which are very easy to care for, will quickly grow and put down new roots. The best time to separate and plant the offshoots is spring or early summer. Incidentally, the young plants are absolutely hardy.
tips
While propagation via offshoots is always true to the variety - this means that the daughter plants look exactly like the mother plant and also have the same characteristics - seed propagation is much more exciting. With seedlings, you never know what to expect - and what you'll really get in the end. This promises to be very interesting, especially with the varied houseleeks!