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Can you grow Sempervivum from seed?

22 years ago

I am in the process of starting a rock garden around my mailbox and would like to have lots of Sempervivum growing there. Are these difficult to grow from seed? How long do they take to mature from seed?

Also, does anyone know the best place to purchase a big quanitity of them for a decent price?

Thanks!

Kim

Comments (9)

  • 22 years ago

    Thanks Robert! I just checked out that website and they have some wonderful varieties there!

    I think I might try using seed in some of the area that won't be seen as much and then buying the nicer varieties for the main areas.

    If I use seed, do you know which type might grow/spread the fastest?
    Thanks
    Kim

  • 22 years ago

    I think that you're only going to find packets of mixed Sempervivum seed Kim, that will give you a range of sizes and colours. Try it and see. I assume that Sempervivum seed will be as readily available in the US as it is here in the UK.

  • 22 years ago

    I grew some from a mixed packet from Park's Seed. I started them in early February and they're now about two inches in diameter. There are maybe three or four distinct varieties, and they are probably not as dramatic as ones you might get as plants, but some have nice reddish tints. They were very easy to grow and grew faster than the seed packet instructions suggested they would. I'm not a sempervivum connoiseur, but I am very pleased with the results. The packet has a lot of seeds. You would have to start them indoors are at least in a weed free bed with very fine tilth, or else you'd probably overlook them, as they are very tiny when they first appear.

    cranebill

  • 22 years ago

    Kim,

    Walmart in the Indy area has the strawberry planters FULL of them.. overflowing. I would say there were probably around 15 of the big ones with tons of offsets. They were under $10. You can pick out the semps, put them under your mailbox, and have a nice terra cotta planter!

    -Chad

  • 22 years ago

    I grew some from seed this winter/spring and can't say I recommend it for a beginner or anyone without some patience. The packet probably had around 2-300 seeds. These seeds are ultra tiny.

    I germinated them using the baggie method (put seeds in wet coffee filter, fold then stick in plastic baggie until they sprout). They germinated much faster than the packet indicated (2 weeks vs 2 months), but they are so small that handling them was difficult. I ended up scraping them off the filter into the seed starting mix.

    They grew well enough, but it seemed like only those that germinated in the baggie ever germinated (around 10%).

    From there it took a few months before they reached 1" in size an now I have them set outside in the veggie garden and pretty much ignore them. They are surviving with no care, but every single one is a plain green rosette that looks identical to teh one next to it.

    Compare this to the variety pack I purchased last year from an internet vendor of about 20 sempers and planted under my mailbox. Those things are interesting to look at, multiply at a good pace (although not as fast as I would like) and as I type several have flowered and I have to say they are the most interesting things to look at when they are in flower.

    If I could find some strawberry containers loaded with them for $10 I would probably buy 10 or more of them as it sounds like an absolute steal.

  • 21 years ago

    Dave zone 5,

    Would you mind telling us the source of your 20 semp "variety pack". All of my more unusual-looking semp seedlings ultimately didn't make it. It didn't help, I'm sure, that the squirrels repeatedly dug them out of their containers so that I had to replant them several times. I did have a sufficient number of the green semps so that some survived the decimation by the squirrels' repeated assaults. By the way, the squirrels didn't seem to eat them - they were just looking for a "sandbox" to play in, I guess. Anyway, this year I'd like to expand my collection, and your variety pack sounds nice.

    Thanks,

    cranebill

  • 12 years ago

    Smg succulemts have fantastic prices....you get about 5-6 2" chicks for average price of $3.75 per named variety. my personal order came as chicks with chicks....there 27 in my pot of "nouveau pastel" and 6 2" and a combined total of 18 chicks with semp "Rosalind"
    I buy the semp cuttings as well. Some will be .5" to 2". (Not many are .5 unless they are a very small variety anyway). I get 50 for $20! They always have a semp on sale at $2.50. All come in a brown bag with label bare root.
    I really like SMG. I wouldn't buy anywhere else based on product for cost.
    I DID pick up four of those walmart strawberry pots of common semps....AND they had carrying packs? Not sure what to call it. Planters were oblong, about 10" X 5" with a plastic Handle. They had cobweb varieties, HUGE Reds with beautiful watermarks...some of a blue tint..,all BIG VARIETIES. I got 7 packs of those and counted as I separated....16 varieties in all once divided....reds, grays...cobwebs...some fringed...some small, most large. I had so many I gave lots away for Mother's Day in containers I made up for friends. Not too bad for walmart!!! Of course I keep my named varieties separate and my cuttings from SMG separate as well, (the cuttings are named semps...you just don't get the names of them lol...so definitely nice to look at and I can always use a photo once mature to have them identified).
    I used the bulk semps to fill an old birdbath, lots of planters. An old rusty tonka truck. One day maybe I will have enough established to trade!! This is my second year "collecting" and my first year to purchase named varieties.
    :) once again. SMG. U can't go wrong!!
    Click on specials first to see what the sale is....then click sempervivum to get to the cuttings area....then u can choose semps a-z hybrids as well as basic semp non hybrid. They have a good variety of sedum as well as a few non hardy tender succulents. They carry jovibarba as well!!! Super great place and nice folks on their Facebook page too!

  • 11 years ago

    They grew well enough, but it seemed like only those that germinated in the baggie ever germinated

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