Variegated Hens and Chicks – Succulent plants

Variegated Hens and Chicks is an ornamental succulent plant. It forms attractive clumps, up to 15 cm tall of small tight rosettes up to 15 cm wide with short blue-gray leaves that have wide cream-colored margins with a hint of pink on older leaves and leaf margins, primarily in winter. It has nice orange and yellow flowers on an up to 30 cm tall inflorescence that rises vertically and then arches over gracefully.

Scientific Classification:

Family: Crassulaceae
Subfamily: Sedoideae
Tribe: Sedeae
Subtribe: Sedinae
Genus: Echeveria

Scientific Name: Echeveria ‘Compton Carousel’
Synonyms: Echeveria ‘Imbricata’ f. variegata
Common Names: Variegated Hens and Chicks

How to grow and maintain Variegated Hens and Chicks:

Light:
It thrives best in full sun to light shade. In indoor an east or west-facing window where they receive four to six hours of sunlight is ideal.

Soil:
It grows well in a well-drained succulent mix, with an ideal pH around 6.0 (slightly acidic) or an equal part sharp sand with all-purpose potting mix.

Water:
Water Echeveria plant regularly during the summer and spring. keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. You can allow the topsoil to become slightly dry between each watering. Reduce water in the winter.

Temperature:
It prefers an average to warm 65 degrees Fahrenheit – 80 degrees Fahrenheit / 18 degrees Celsius – 27 degrees Celsius. Slightly cooler in fall and winter 55 degrees Fahrenheit – 75 degrees Fahrenheit / 13 degrees Celsius – 24 degrees Celsius.

Fertilizer:
Fertilize every two weeks from spring through fall with 2-7-7 liquid manure diluted by half.

Repotting:
Re-pot as needed, preferably during the warm season. To re-pot, a succulent, make sure the soil is dry before repotting, then gently remove the pot. Knock away the old soil from the roots, making sure to remove any rotted or dead roots in the process. Treat any cuts with a fungicide. Place the plant in its new pot and backfill with potting soil, spreading the roots out as you re-pot. Leave the plant dry for a week or so, then begin to water lightly to reduce the risk of root rot.

Propagation:
It can be easily propagated by seeds, offsets or leaf cuttings in spring. To propagate a leaf cutting, allow the leaf to dry for 24 hours to stop the oozing of its sap. Push the cut end into the moist potting mix.

Pests and Diseases:
It has no serious pest or disease problems. Mealybugs can be a problem, and if dead leaves are not expelled from the plant, it can attract other insect pests or have problems with fungus.