Image – Wikimedia/Dinkum
The Graptosedum it is a beautiful succulent plant. You can have it pretty much anywhere you want, as long as it doesn’t lack light and grows in soil that drains water well. In addition, if you keep in mind at all times that it resists drought much better than floods, it will easily last a few years.
But if you want to know what care to giveand thus grow it healthy, then we will talk about all this.
What is Graptosedum?
Image – Flickr/PINKE
It is a series of succulents that you will not find in nature, because they were created by human beings. In reality, is a hybrid between Graptopetalum and Sedum. Depending on the species of each genus you have chosen, we will have cultivars or others. For example, Graptosedum Bronze is the result of the cross between Graptosedum paraguayense Yes Sedum stahlii.
But anyway, we are talking about a very specific type of plant, which develops more or less straight and relatively short stems, from which are born fleshy leaves grouped in rosettes. These can be of different colors, with green (or one of its many shades) and pink being common.
The flowers are also small and fleshy, growing from a stem about 5 to 7 centimeters long. They bloom during the summer.
How is Graptosedum cared for?
Graptosedum is a non-cactus succulent plant, which means that it’s not related to cacti. Now, like them, it is a succulent, since it uses its body to store water, which helps it resist drought. In addition, if we now talk about its cultivation needs, they are very similar to those of cacti, which is why it is interesting for beginners and, also, for those who are looking for plants that require little maintenance.
So if you want to know how to take care of Graptosedum, note:
Indoor or outdoor?
Image – Flickr/PINKE
To answer this question, we must first ask ourselves another one: Does it withstand the temperatures of our region? And it is that if the answer is yes, we can choose to have it abroad all year roundbut otherwise we will have no choice but to grow it indoors every day, or only in autumn and winter.
Well, you should know about our protagonist that he is very chilly; i.e. very sensitive to cold. Ideally, the temperature should be between 10°C and 40°C, but it can withstand down to 0 degrees.
Knowing this, you can choose to have it outside or inside the house.
Sun or shade?
It is recommended to get used to being exposed to direct sunlight. This is done little by little, leaving it for an hour in the early morning or afternoon in the sun, then bringing it to a protected area. Over the weeks, you have to increase the exposure time by 30 or 60 minutes, but no more, otherwise you risk burning it.
If this is not possible, the Graptosedum is a succulent that can be in partial shade, even in a very bright place, whether or not there is direct light.
When to water?
That’s rude it tolerates drought very well, but that does not mean that it should never be watered. Moreover, the lack of water can be as harmful as the excess. But, yes, it would be much easier to recover it if it were dry and not drowned, since it would be enough to moisten the soil well and, therefore, to water more often.
On the contrary, if we have watered too much of it, we will have to take it out of the pot (or from the ground), remove the earth from the roots, look if there is a -root- that is black and cut, remove it, and apply a treatment with a fungicide. Later, only later, it can be planted in a pot with holes and with new soil.
Now, When should it be watered so that problems do not arise? Well, it’s best to do this when the soil is completely dry. This is easily known if you pick up the jar and notice that it weighs little. Now, if you are in doubt, take a wooden stick and use it to check the humidity of said soil. If when you remove it from the container, you see that it is practically clean, it is that it is dry and you need to water it.
What land do you need?
Land for Graptosedum it should be light and sandy, with good drainage. Therefore, if the soil you have in the garden is clayey for example, because it is compact and heavy, you will have to dig a planting hole of about 30 x 30 centimeters and then fill it with a substrate for cacti and other succulents. such as Is.
In case it is going to be in a pot, we will also put this substrate.
Do you have to pay?
Image – Flickr/Zruda
Isn’t it more. As long as we have a potted plant -unless it’s a carnivorous plant, since these never need to be fertilized- we can give it some fertilizer from time to time for grow well.
To fertilize the Graptosedum, and since it is a non-cactus succulent, we will add a specific fertilizer for this type of plant in spring and summer, like this one. Now, in case it is going to be outdoors, we recommend applying an organic fertilizer such as guano.
How is it multiplied?
Only for stem cuttings. But don’t worry, because it’s quite simple. In spring, a piece should be cut off and left in a dry, shady place for the wound to heal about 4-7 days. And after this time, it should be planted in a small pot with holes in its base filled with substrate for succulents.
Over the next two weeks it will produce its roots.
When should it be planted in the ground or in another pot?
When the roots come out of the holes in the pot, it’s inor when several years (4-5) have passed since the last transplant, then you can plant it either in another pot or in the garden.
But wait for spring to come and finish setting up, because if there was even a very light frost, it would cause significant damage.
What is its resistance to cold?
It is practically nil; In fact, Yes there are frosts it will have to be put in the house so you don’t have a bad time.
Do you have Graptosedum in the collection?