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Alpines & Rock Gardens

HELP!!! Why have all my sempervivums (hens and chicks) died???

20 years ago

Hi Everyone!

I came home from college for the X-mas and found that 90% of my beloved and favorite Sempervivums and Jorivarbas have died (rot???) It's wet here in northern CA but I don't think the wet and rainy weather is the only contribution to the loss. I found some "maggot" like larvae in the soil and fat roots of some semps that seem to be sick. When I touched some of the rosettes, they fell off their root and leaves dropped off. Are these 'maggots' the one causing the big kill??? What can I do?

Thanks!

Tin

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Comments (3)

patrick_nh
20 years ago
Sounds like they have too much moisture. Try increasing the drainage by mixing some sand and gravel into the soil and/or relocating them to a southeasterly facing side of the house, or under some sort of protective overhang such as extended eaves or the edge of a carport, etc. You could also try some winter protection from the rain, such as removable row covers. The maggots may be secondary to the root rot, or just a coincidence and not related at all.
xanadu
20 years ago
I don't know about the maggots but when my semps rot from poor drainage combined with cold temperatures they start turning somewhat translucent from the center spreading out until all leaves are mushy and translucent. Because of all the recent rain here my semps are covered. We'll see if I lost some anyway to wet and cold when I get home. When I lived in zone 6 with lots of snow I never lost a semp, winter or summer. Here I have to baby them winter and summer. The only times they are happy are fall and spring.
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You guys must try https://www.storesonlinepro.com/store/1818384/?sitecookie=8e6f069988792b3c5c0feff58737a10a I'm sure some of you know them as being squaw mountain gardens..,not sure if this is just a branch or if they changed completely. I've ordered six times in two years and am always happy with my plants. Prices are $3.75 per named semp and $.40 per un-named cutting. I can also pay $3.60 for "growers choice" with name labels and get no less than 4 named semps...one each. The orders come in paper lunch sacks, bare root with a name tag inside, each order gets about 4-5 medium size semps. (1-2") and at Keats 3 of mine have always had chicks growing. I counted my pot of nouveau pastel just for a guide...I planted it two weeks ago right out of my bag and have 4 2" hens....one 1" and each hen has TONS of chicks. One side from my seat I can loosely count 19...so u get your money's worth. I've bought from eBay....I usually pay $5 for ONE small semp and then shipping....or even if I'm lucky to get a $3.99 lot of four I still have higher shippig than cost of plant :/ smg has a $4.95 had leone charge and then ur ship pinch ages with size if order. My last order had 12 named semps...40 cuttings and 3 sedums. $7.40 shipping. So not bad.
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'Oddity' is kind of the odd man out as far as Semps, Stush, but the others you can learn to tell apart easily with a little time. And of course no one else pups quite like a Semp, and most Echeveria help point themselves out with their powdery surface that Semps don't have. What you have there, iso, are two Echeveria plants (the two silverly blue plants) and two Aeoniums. The top Aeonium, with pink edges, is Aeonium 'Kiwi,' while I'd say the bottom Aeonium is A. haworthii. A. 'Kiwi' is a variegated hybrid of A. haworthii. Neither Echeverias nor Aeoniums are hardy, so they need to be inside if a frost is in the forecast. This is the problem with the nickname "hens and chicks." Most commonly it applies to Sempervivum, and I find it easy to accidentally assume someone who has used that phrase is referring to Semps. The usage of it has stretched over into Echeveria, and growing an Echeveria is none too similar to growing Semps in the winter. Semps are extremely cold-hardy, but safe to assume other succulents are not. Glad I asked the question. I initially assumed because you had noted the specific plant S. tectorum, that you knew you had S. tectorum. This post was edited by teatree on Sat, Sep 21, 13 at 21:04
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M S Hope they help...I am wondering if your plant you are having difficulty in separating, is J. heuffelii - is it just very tight clump, or are they growing offsets as I described? I can't tell from your photo. I would agree with Karen that you really won't be able to spead up growth (besides providing good growing conditions); but by separating and planting elsewhere, you'll have plants in more spots. It doesn't guarantee fast growth - but visually, will look like more plants. OTOH, one lonely plant may look 'lost' - so be patient. You likely will not see much difference this year, but in Spring. I like semps growing in clumps - to me, that is the way they look best. But that is JMO :). Finally, I potted the chicks I neglected for a long time (photo in my first post)....Ended up with three 4" pots of smallest ones - hope most (all??? :) will root by Spring: Photo of some growing in ground, over rocks, in my previous garden:
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MarkG_UK
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Hi, the root rot might be right, but it sounds like vine weevil to me. These are fat maggots with brown heads, they are particularly fond of living in pot plants and feed on the roots, until the plant literally falls out of the ground. I have had vine weevil on semps..my suggestion is if they have any base of the plant to put them into dryish sand and hope they grow new roots.In the UK you can either get nematodes (ie biological control) or use provado. Both give protection for about 6 months. Nursery's over here now have to use this kind of treatment or whole stocks are lost to the little blighters. Hope this helps, Mark

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