skip to main content

Cacti & Succulents

Hen and chicks indoor or outdoor?

8 years ago

Hi all,

I got a hen and chicks plant a month ago and thought that it would be fine indoors near a sunny window but now am reading that they do better outside? I am in zone 6 so we have some nice, sunny, hot, dry days in the summer but some really wet ones as well, and cold, snowy winters. If you have your hen and chicks plant outside, how does it survive the summer pouring rain days? And do you leave it outside all winter long or bring it inside near a sunny window when it snows?

Thanks in advance

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (12)

rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
8 years ago
Outside...these are hardy to zone 3. Shouldn't be grown indoors in your zone, don't bring them indoors for the winter pls. Unless they are sitting in low spot where water collects and doesn't drain, they will survive and thrive.

There are many many threads on this topic on this forum, here is just one very recent - read thru it please:

click here - about hens and chicks
AS _NJ ZONE 6B
Original Author
8 years ago
Thank you very much. I moved my

Hen and chicks outside, can't wait to see it grow
Related Discussions
New to Hens & chicks
Q
Comments (9)
That photo also doesn't look like hens and chicks (Sempervivum tectorum) to me. I'd suspect it is some sort of tender succulent, most likely an Aeonium, but suggest you post on the Cacti and Succulents forum for confirmation. Hens and chicks are an incredibly hardy grouping of plants, fully winter hardy outdoors to zone 3. They tend to be very flat, spreading plants and only extend their growth when they produce flowers, after which the flowering mother plant (hen) dies. The chicks will form along side the hen and look exactly like her but in miniature - see this link for an example of "true" hens and chicks. The more tender succulents - and there are many - are much more fussy both about cold, soil conditions and watering - they are for the most part true desert dwellers, whereas H&C are native to mountainous areas of southern Europe. When posting in the Cactus forum, I would also ask suggestions about repotting, as the mix your plants are in looks far too dense and moisture retentive for their preferences. That's why your extensions (aeoniums can produce 'arms' or branches) are not looking good.
...See More
Hens and Chicks Sempervivum
Q
Comments (1)
Try to market to the clientele there. If they are upscale, than you can probably charge enough to recoup your cost of planting them in a nice pot, strawberry jar, or whatever container. If they are down to earth, they won't pay the extra cost, and marketing them cheaply is probably the way to go.
...See More
Hens and Chicks Sempervivum
Q
Comments (7)
I'm taking this year off from market, but those containers have been such good sellers for me that I certainly will sell them again when I return. I do not grow from seed. I have quite a few semps, some very large plantings, and so I thin and take starts from my garden, starting new plants. I have a spare raised bed filled with sedum starts - cuttings that I've rooted - that I can divide and use for the containers. With some advance, planning the containers can cost almost nothing to put together. This is the only photo I have - it's kind of difficult to make out the containers against the crushed rock. I've used 3 sizes - shallow rectangular, small (6") round and larger round.
...See More
Potted Hens & Chicks Indoors for the Winter?
Q
Comments (3)
Regardless the growing zone, all succulents benefit if in containers with drainage holes. I have quite a few Sempervivums in containers, and they overwinter outside. The only time I lost some was when we had 3 or 4 cosecutive days of freezing rain and it crusted over any plants. I lost some orher potted perennials at that time. Sempervivums are Alpines, and should have some cold period. If you have to overwinter them indoors, try to keep them cool. Unheated garage or porch would be good for this. You could keep them 'warmer', but I wouldn't do it every year. JMO. Drainage is important regardless of how you overwinter succulents.
...See More
rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
8 years ago
Just one thing - how long have they been indoors? If they were kept in relative dark space, it would be good to get them used to much more sun gradually, to make sure they don't burn. They can take full sun, but need adjusting sometimes.
AS _NJ ZONE 6B
Original Author
8 years ago
I had the plant inside for about a month. The spot I moved it to outside is not super bright, more dappled sunlight. Now, I keep finding mushy leaves! I have only water the plant once in the last month that I have had it though....
rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
8 years ago
A S
Hmmm, mushy leaves - did you have lots of rain at ones? Is the soil/potting mix well draining? Is there a drainage hole? Maybe you can post a photo for us to see.
Rina
AS _NJ ZONE 6B
Original Author
8 years ago

I have it sitting in a slightly sunny location and it has only been watered twice in the last month that I've had it. Once when I repotted it, and then yesterday it briefly rained so that would have been the second time. I have been noticing the mushy leaves before that though. I used Miracle Gro cactus potting soil and it's in a terra cotta pot with a whole on the bottom. I don't know where I'm going wrong 0.o
rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
8 years ago
The leaves were probably damaged before you repotted. They don't 'heal', just get worse. I would take all mushy leaves off to try to prevent spreading of rot. It would help to add some perlite or grit (even better - both) to the MG soil.
They can take rain, but as I already mentioned - if the drainage is sufficient.
AS _NJ ZONE 6B
Original Author
8 years ago
Ok I have been picking mushy ones off so I will keep doing that. I can add some perlite but do you think it's ok to repot again if I repotted when I got the plant a month ago?
AS _NJ ZONE 6B
Original Author
8 years ago
By the way, thanks very much for all of your help.
Karen Tay
3 years ago
I have the same question wondering whether it will survive the rainy days.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
3 years ago
Yes, they will survive rain, snow and well below freezing temperatures just fine. Just make sure they are planted in freely draining soil. And if in a pot or other container, one that is much wider than the one pictured above. These propagate primarily from producing offsets - the chicks - and they need room to spread.

These are commonly called houseleeks in the UK and are often grown on roofs. In fact, they make an excellent plant choice for a living or 'green' roof.
Karen Tay
3 years ago
Thanks so much for the information.l am at zone 8,Vancouver BC which rains alot.

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Hens-and-Chicks

By Annie Thornton

Plant Sempervivum succulents for fuss-free garden color and character all year

PETS What You Need to Know Before Buying Chicks

Ordering chicks for your backyard coop? Easy. But caring for them requires planning and foresight. Here's what to do

Indoor Gardening: Herbs and Succulents

Pop easy-care plants in a sunny window for beauty, fragrance and flavor all year

COLORFUL KITCHENS Kitchen of the Week: A Midcentury Marvel in Santa Barbara

By Vanessa Brunner

Globe lights, pegboard and walnut evoke 1950s flair — and you'll love the indoor-outdoor breakfast bar

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Backyard Living: The Scoop on Chicken Coops

Perk up your morning with fresh eggs and chickadee clucks when you build a chicken coop in your own yard

GARDENING GUIDES Succulents Juice Up Outdoor Gardens

By Danyelle Mathews

Climbing garden walls or sprouting from cans and crates, succulent plants add a creative touch to ordinary landscapes

SUCCULENTS Amazingly Low-Maintenance Picks for Outdoor Planters

By Kristy Woodson Harvey and Beth Woodson

Turn to succulents, cacti and ornamental grasses to keep your summer watering and care to a minimum

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING DIY Project: Mobile Container Garden

Get your garden going anywhere with a planter on wheels

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Chicken Coops That Rule the Roost

By Vanessa Brunner

These 8 chicken coops designed by Houzz users will have you clucking in admiration — and maybe even planning a henhouse of your own

WREATHS Hamster Wheel Garden Wreath

Sturdy succulents hide the clever reinvention, but the wreath's long-lasting beauty speaks for itself

Sponsored

More Discussions

Are cacti legal to sell online?

3

Why are there brown blotches on my Euphorbia anoplia

0

Can I trim this plant?

1

Euphorbia disease advice?

3

Jade in Need of Help

3