Product Review

How to Grow Plants of the genus Sempervivum go by many common names, including hen and chicks, stonecrop and liveforever, which is a direct translation of the Latin name. All species of sempervivum are small, low-growing succulent plants with a rosette form and spreading growth habit. Although most sempervivums are commonly cultivated using vegetative propagation methods such as division, they also grow reliably from seeds if they are exposed to very warm, bright conditions and kept moderately moist. Sempervivum seedlings are very susceptible to a fungal infection called damping-off, but this is easily avoided by not overwatering. Instructions 1.Fill a seedling tray with a well-draining growing mixture comprised of 2 parts coarse sand and 1 part perlite. Leave the top 1/4 inch of the seedling tray empty. 2.Sprinkle sempervivum seeds across the surface of the soil. Distribute the seeds so that only one or two land on each square inch of the growing medium. 3.Spread a very scant layer of fine sand over the sempervivum seeds to help hold in moisture while still allowing light to reach them. 4.Mist the sempervivum seeds heavily after sowing them. Spritz the surface of the soil until the top 1/2 inch feels moderately moist. Maintain this level of moisture during the germination process.