skip to main content

Cacti & Succulents

Advice for Caring for Silver King Sempervivum

Renee_Nampa, Idaho (7a)

8 years ago

My Silver King Sempervivum looked like this before I began sticking it outside in the sun

Once it began spending most of the day in the sun, it gained a redish-purple color. Most of the time, the Silver King was placed facing south until I heard the sun's rays are quite harsh on South-facing things and I alternated by moving the Silver King to where it was facing north instead.

For a few days, the temperatures were in the 90's and after that the Silver King began looking like this (note: this was while the Silver King was south-facing)

As of last night, the Silver King looked/s like this:

(The photo below is with a higher light setting on the camera)

One of the leaves had dried up and I was easily able to pull it off

Any suggestions as to what may be causing it and what action/s I should take?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
8 years ago
Renee

Sorry to say, but it looks totally toasted.

I am not sure if there is any part of it that could be saved, even the babies (chicks-new plantlets). Looks like you put it into strongest sunlight from a low light - in first photo, it is very etoliated (stretched-looking for sun) and lacking any color (too white in the center).

Going from such low light to full sunlight just cooked it.

Semps will do very well in full sun, but just like any plants, need to be introduced into strong light gradually (acclimate).

I would take it out of pot, gently take off dead leaves and see if there is any rosette left - there is something tiny there, maybe still alive? (I circled it in red).
If it is all mushy, I would say just toss it.

Btw, semps should be potted in well draining mix. What I see in your pics is peat, that will either stay too wet or becomes totally dray - either way isn't good. It's not easy to keep peat just right.
0
Renee_Nampa, Idaho (7a)
Original Author
8 years ago
Ok. Thank you Rina. What type of soil do you think is the best for a succulent to thrive in? Is Perlite good?
0
Related Discussions
Look what arrived this morning
Q
Comments (23)
MauveGirl8 -- I plan to stay here for a few years. I haven't even yet applied to school, and the program I'm intending to complete is 5-6 years. My next move will be way south -- Florida. As such, there are a lot of things I have that won't work there, so I wouldn't take them with me. And in any case, I'm not going to dig anything out. If I want to "bring any with me" it will be via rooted cuttings. And before I go, I intend to share some other rooted cuttings with friends -- and my landlord. He and his wife will be building a new home on empty land in the near future, and I said I'd be happy to share anything he'd like for his new yard. Certainly I'll be bringing along my "pot pet collection", and cuttings of anything appropriate for Florida that I got from Vintage Gardens that isn't available elsewhere. And by that time, I'll also make an announcement here for anyone interested in "hard to find" things I nabbed for this garden. For example, the Hybrid China 'Nouveau Monde' from VG doesn't seem to be available anywhere else. I'm using it as a climber against a raised back deck railing. The few flowers it had when it arrived were very fragrant. I posted two pics of it on HelpMeFind from when I first repotted it. Since then, it has grown quite vigorously -- one cane trained horizontally against the railing is easily 10' long from the ground. :-) ~Christopher
...See More
I could use some advice (sorry, kinda long)
Q
Comments (55)
Linda, dropping dirt is exactly what I do ha. I work for a propogating nursery and we have huge compost piles outside which we are generously allowed to use. I take two big plastic boxes left over from when we moved here and fill them every day with the compost (mostly dirt but lots of interesting stuff comes up in it). I take it home and drop it on the sand until I have the size or shape garden I want. I plant it and eventually I border it with dropped cement. I've made about seven gardens of different sizes doing this. Seriously I could drop the dirt and water it and all kinds of goodies would pop up (along with weeds). I've had datura, viola, spiderwort, hyssop and of course petunias come up in it. Adele
...See More
Substitute for King George V
Q
Comments (7)
Hi Cohouser, I dug up all Clematis I received from Chalk Hill last fall that did not wake up. If you want to investigate what is going on with your KGV, you can gently scratch the soil off above the crown first. Just do it slowly and carefully. I did not dig a hole more than 10-12" in diameter to completely remove the plant from the ground. If the crown of the Clematis had some sprouts, I just covered it back with dirt. It is much easier if you have some last year dry vines - you know where to dig. Some of Chalk Hill plants did not have any top growth, so I was especially careful with those. I have too many new Clematis to be planted, so I can not wait any longer for the CH Clematis to wake up. I reported about the result in this thread. Sadly, King George V is also among two Clematis that look dead. I potted it up. Sometimes, Clematis stay dormant for a long time. I am going to wait for a month or two. Still hope for the best.
...See More
Silver Foliage Plants and Artemisia Silver Mound opinions
Q
Comments (16)
I've had Dusty Miller overwinter even here in zone 3 with good snow cover but they always look ratty the second year so I buy them as bedding plants and grow them as annuals. When I lived in zone 5 they over-wintered fine. They look good in a massed planting. I have lamb's ears for hardy perennial silver plants - they self-seed but one can cut off the flowers. I leave them as the bees love them. We're trying to keep Russian olives alive but they are struggling - our soil is likely too heavy for them and they are large shrubs or trees so that's not what you want. I also have an Achillea "Moonshine" which has somewhat silvery foliage. Snow in Summer is attractive but may be invasive. E. wulfenii 'Silver Swan' has attractive foliage altho I don't like the flowers and I'd cut them off. There are also various sempervivums which are silvery.
...See More
rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
8 years ago
Succulents need very well draining mix. Perlite is good, but using just perlite may not be just so simple. Best would be to get some grit and perlite, and mix them together, with perhaps 20-30% of total volume soil. I don't know where you are, if the temps you mentioned are normal, is it humid...everybody should add general location and/or zone besides their name to indicate climate, and/or at least mention it when asking a question.

Can you grow them in ground-do you have garden? If not, they will grow well in appropriate containers with appropriate medium. They are hardy succulents, will survive pretty cold winters, as long as they have good drainage.
0
Renee_Nampa, Idaho (7a)
Original Author
8 years ago
I live in Southwest Idaho in Nampa which is about 10 minutes from the capital, Boise. I don't currently have a garden or any available space in which to plant a garden.

I removed everything except for the small rosette in the middle and it now looks like this

Does it still look a lost cause at this point?
0
rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
8 years ago
Really hard to tell looking at pics; is it relatively firm? or soft & squishy?

You can just try and see. Can you get some perlite and some grit? No sand, unless you sift it thru kitchen sieve and keep only grains that stay in the sieve. Small gravel is best, about size of aquarium gravel.

If you could get these ingredients, mix them together with some soil - not sure what can you find readily in store; perlite is easy to get in any garden center and in stores like Lowe's, Home depot, Wallmart...Do you have other plants? - if so, it would be easier to buy (small amounts are harder to find).
0

Related Stories

HOUSEKEEPING How to Clean and Care for Your Mattress

By Bonnie McCarthy

See what the experts recommend to protect your mattress from dust, moisture and stains

DECORATING GUIDES 8 Great Ways With Silver Leaf

By Jason Ball Interior Design

Make a Room Shine with a Shimmer of Silver

DECORATING GUIDES Get Glowing With Gilded Decor

By Elements of Style

Learn the history and modern uses of gilt furnishings to set your home agleam with gold or silver's radiance

LIFE Improve Your Love Life With a Romance-Ready Bedroom

By Mitchell Parker

Frank talk alert: Intimacy and your bedroom setup go hand in hand, says a clinical sexologist. Here's her advice for an alluring design

LIFE Houzz Call: Where (and What) Are You Reading This Summer?

By Stacy Briscoe

Whether you favor contemporary, classic or beach reads, do the long and lazy days of summer bring out the lit lover in you?

FURNITURE 10 Secrets of Successful Secondhand Furniture Shopping

By Cathy Rebecca

Design professionals offer tips on how, where and what to buy

DECORATING GUIDES Stage Your Home and Sell it Fast

By Susan C. Kim

11 ways to prep your house for more offers and a quicker sale

HOLIDAYS Holiday Party Prep: Ready Your Supplies

By Laura Gaskill

Take stock of serveware, wash off the dust and clear out the pantry now for low-stress entertaining later

PETS 10 Tips for Keeping Indoor Cats Healthy and Happy

By Laura Gaskill

It's National Cat Day: Ask not what your cat can do for you (because it will ignore you) but what you can do for your cat

FUN HOUZZ Everything I Need to Know About Decorating I Learned from Downton Abbey

Mind your manors with these 10 decorating tips from the PBS series, returning on January 5

Sponsored

More Discussions

Can I trim this plant?

1

ID this cactus please?

8

21 year old Jade Plant 4ft tall Pruning Repotting Questions Concerns

3

Euphorbia disease advice?

3

Jade plant soil?

4