As a perennial of superlatives, the indestructible houseleek thrives in places that other plants try to avoid. It retains its distinctive silhouette in the bitter cold, sweltering heat and desert-like drought. These answers to frequently asked questions show why you cannot do without this magnificent problem solver.

The houseleek loves the sun

Table of Contents

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  1. Plant houseleek properly
  2. care tips
  3. Which location is suitable?
  4. The right planting distance
  5. What soil does the plant need?
  6. What is the best planting time?
  7. When is flowering time?
  8. Cut houseleek properly
  9. Water houseleek
  10. Fertilize houseleek properly
  11. hibernate
  12. propagate houseleek
  13. Houseleek in the pot
  14. Is houseleek poisonous?
  15. What are the best planting ideas with houseleek?
  16. trivia
  17. Beautiful varieties

    18. Plant houseleek properly

    In order for enchanting garden pictures with houseleeks to take shape successfully, plant the succulent plants in a sunny location. If the soil does not come close to the sandy-dry ideal conditions, add sand, fine grit (€46.95) or expanded clay (€19.73) to the soil. How to plant correctly:

    • Dig small pits 10-15 cm apart
    • Pot up the houseleek, insert in the middle and fill the hole with substrate up to the two lower leaves
    • Do not add compost or other fertilizer to the excavation
    • Pour in sips, avoiding waterlogging at all costs

    If houseleek has the task of staging picturesque images in the planter, the planting process is similar. Poor cactus soil, enriched with sand and lava granules, is ideal as a substrate.(13.99€) In addition, insert small pieces of clay or pebbles between the opening in the ground and the substrate so that they act as drainage.
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    care tips

    As a botanical ascetic, houseleek lives in beds and pots according to the minimal principle. If it gets the smallest possible dose of everything, the perennial is in top form. This applies to the supply of water and nutrients. The only exception is their insatiable hunger for sunlight. The individual factors of proper care therefore fit on a beer coaster. That's what matters:

    • Do not fertilize houseleek
    • Water only during summer drought
    • No pruning required
    • Remove the withered flower along with the dead rosette

    There are no provisions for overwintering in the bed. If the rock rose thrives in a pot, place the pot on a block of wood in front of a rain-protected southern wall in winter. A cover of bubble wrap or jute tape keeps the frost away from the root ball.
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    Which location is suitable?

    In order for the rock rose to be able to stage its firework of colors and shapes perfectly, it requires a location in full sun. The blazing sun can also dominate here during the hot midday hours in summer without the perennial becoming limp. Green up the rock garden, the dry stone wall, the gravel bed or the barren roof garden with houseleek, because the thick-leafed plant won't let you down here.
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    The right planting distance

    The majority of houseleek species reach a width of 10 to 20 cm, regardless of their individual growth height. So you are right with a planting distance of 10-15 cm in order to decorate an area completely with the beautiful rosettes. For larger areas, we recommend 20 to 30 specimens per square meter.

    What soil does the plant need?

    Houseleek prefers dry, mineral soil. Therefore, choose a location with sandy-gravelly and well-drained soil that can be calcareous. In the common, nutrient-rich soil, the rock rose will fall far short of expectations. In order for Sempervivum to exude its pithy charm in the pot garden, a lean cactus soil should be used as a substrate, optimized with sand and lava granules.
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    What is the best planting time?

    Planting time for houseleek in containers is throughout the growing season. We recommend April/May and September/October as ideal planting times to give the dainty, distinctive perennial the best conditions for a start in life. Especially in the sun-warmed autumn soil, a young rock rose quickly gains a foothold in order to surprise with a bloom in the second or third year.

    When is flowering time?

    In the period from June to the end of July, the white or pink inflorescence rises above the magnificent rosettes of leaves. The sunnier the location, the more colorful the spectacle of the single or double flowers. Do not cut off the withered inflorescence too early, because the seed pods are also very decorative. Since the entire rosette dies at the end of the flowering period, it is removed together with the withered flower stalk.

    Cut houseleek properly

    At the sight of delicate stone roses, no one would think of grabbing a pair of scissors. That's a good thing, because these perennials don't know a shape and maintenance cut. When the first and only flower appears at the age of 2 to 3 years, cleaning out or a replacement cut is also out of the question. At the end of flowering, the rosette that produced the inflorescence dies. Their remains are completely removed from the soil, whereby the neighboring shoots and secondary rosettes are not touched, as flowering can be expected here in the following year.

    Water houseleek

    With a watering can in hand, you will rarely set out for a houseleek. The succulent ornamental plant has its own water reservoir, which it fills up during the rainy season to draw on when there is a drought. In contrast to drought, waterlogging causes considerable problems. Therefore, only water in exceptional cases when life-threatening drought prevails.
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    Fertilize houseleek properly

    Fertilizer in any form impairs the vitality and color beauty of houseleek. This applies both in the bed and in the pot. If additional nutrients reach the rock rose, it will grow masty, accompanied by off-color and rot. In the planter, Sempervivum receive a sufficient quantity of nutrients if they are repotted in fresh substrate from time to time.

    hibernate

    When it comes to overwintering, the houseleek once again proves that it is one of the easiest-to-care-for perennials. In the bed, the stone rose survives the cold season without any special protective measures. Only in the bucket or balcony box do we recommend taking the following precautions so that the root ball does not freeze through:

    • Before the first frost, place the planter on a block of wood in front of the south wall of the house
    • Wrap the bucket or planter thickly with bubble wrap

    Do not carry the little beauty indoors, because she will not survive there. Only in the unheated, bright garage or the cold box is there a chance of getting through the winter healthy behind glass.
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    propagate houseleek

    Before a houseleek begins its final lifetime achievement in the form of a flower, the plant has already taken care of offspring on its own. In the immediate vicinity, offshoots and daughter rosettes thrive, so that over the years a dense Sempervivum carpet develops in beds and tubs. These Kindel offer themselves as excellent propagation material. How to proceed correctly:

    • The best time for vegetative propagation is spring
    • Separate fully developed secondary rosettes from the mother plant
    • Place in the dry, sandy soil at the new location and water lightly

    For propagation, use daughter rosettes that come from a mother plant that is at least two years old. These are developed to such an extent that they survive the stress of separation unscathed.
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    Houseleek in the pot

    Since houseleeks need fresh air and the cold stimulus of winter for vital growth, they are unsuitable as houseplants in pots. The perennials make up for this shortcoming by accepting almost any container as a home, as long as it has a water outlet. The stone rose has already been spotted in old shoes, which were quickly filled with a little soil. Sempervivum adorn the cottage garden in disused wash tubs. The maintenance effort can be counted on one hand:

    • Only water a little when there is no rain
    • Houseleek with wet feet inevitably dies
    • Fertilizing and cutting are not necessary

    If winter is at the garden gate, place the pot on a block of wood or a styrofoam plate. Covered with bubble wrap, the perennial lingers in the open air, because the cold stimulus contributes significantly to vitality. If in doubt, carry the pot into the unheated, bright garage or put it in the cold box until the frost has let off steam.

    Is houseleek poisonous?

    Houseleek has been used in a variety of ways as an ornamental, medicinal and food plant since the Middle Ages. Even the legendary healer and nun Hildegard von Bingen praised the wide range of effects for all kinds of ailments. The valuable ingredients heal skin irritations, relieve burns, eliminate warts and are even said to work against deafness. There can therefore be no question of a toxic content in the case of Sempervivum
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    What are the best planting ideas with houseleek?

    The frugal houseleek decorates every conceivable container with its magical rosettes. Search the whole house up to the attic. Visit flea markets and antique fairs. We have listed some of the most beautiful planting ideas for you here:

    • In an antique pewter teapot
    • Remove the padding from a chair, fill in the soil and plant
    • Fill the curved side of a roof tile with substrate and plant houseleeks
    • Convert a disused Gugelhupf mold into a planter
    • Provide a large ladle with a water drain and plant a stone rose

    Embellishing old leather shoes with houseleeks has become a classic. What is new, however, is the concrete ring cake, in the middle of which Sempervivum can unfold wonderfully.
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    trivia

    Houseleek's middle name has been Dachwurz for generations. In some regions the plant is called thunderroot or thunderweed. This title is based on the historical tradition that numerous houseleek species were said to have magical powers. Planted on the roof, the plant is said to protect the house from lightning. This belief manifested itself in an order from Charlemagne that every roof should be colonized with this plant. The fact is that roofs planted with roof leeks were less likely to be struck by lightning. This is less due to magic than to the fact that such roofs are not as dry and therefore not as flammable as a roof without plants.

    Beautiful varieties

    • Cono: Globular rosettes whose olive-green leaves boast rich red tips; Growth height 5-10 cm
    • Cobweb houseleek: covered with delicate webs, creates a picturesque look; Growth height 10 cm
    • Bronze pastel: The rosettes enchant with changing play of colors over the course of the year; Growth height 10-15 cm
    • Othello: Impressive giant houseleek with reddish-brown rosettes and pink flowers; Growth height 15-20 cm
    • Himalayan Houseleek: Delighted with white flowers over spherical, evergreen rosettes; Growth height 3-5 cm
    • Emerald: A green gem among the Sempervivum for beds, tubs and stone plants; Growth height 15-20 cm

Category:

Vegetable garden