The houseleek is a very popular outdoor succulent that impresses with its sometimes bizarre leaf shapes, wonderful colors and delightful flowers. In addition, the succulent plant does not bear its Latin name "Sempervivum" without reason - after all, "ever-living" is an excellent description of a plant that can survive for a long time even in the driest conditions. Since the houseleek is native to Europe, it is considered to be adapted to local temperatures and absolutely hardy. Although she doesn't mind frosty temperatures, a winter that is too wet can cause her problems.
Houseleek is considered to be absolutely hardy
Pay attention to the location when planting
In order for Sempervivum to survive the winter without injuries, you should already pay attention to an optimal location when planting. Houseleeks get along very well with extremely little water, but not with moisture or moisture. In addition, the succulents feel most comfortable in a full sun and sheltered location - i.e. where they are not constantly rained and / or exposed to a constant draft. If necessary, Sempervivum in planters can be quickly cleared away and moved to more suitable locations; transplanting planted specimens is not that easy.
Overwinter houseleek
Basically, nothing needs to be considered when overwintering the houseleek, after all it is a hardy plant and very insensitive to extremely low temperatures. It only becomes a problem when the winter is not really cold, but is all the more humid - in such a case, the only thing that helps is to shield the houseleeks from the wet. Otherwise, the moisture-sensitive succulents could rot.
Houseleek in planters - what to consider?
The case is different for houseleeks used in planters, because these should be protected from frost - the smaller and narrower the planter, the more important winter protection is. In contrast to specimens that have been planted out, the roots in the containers are in danger of freezing, which is why you should place the containers on a polystyrene or wooden base and wrap them with fleece or something similar. It is better not to put the succulents in the house, because they still need the frost.
tips
If you want to propagate houseleek by sowing, you should sow the seeds in small planters from January / February and place them outside. The plants belong to the cold germs, which is why the germination inhibition must be broken through a frost period. However, you can also achieve the same effect by placing the seeds, wrapped in a bag with moist sand, in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for a few weeks.