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Do you have this in your houseplants?  It is easy care.  Echeveria

12/2/2025

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image from ehouseplants.com 
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I have been out and fed the cats, and it is cold out.  We still have clouds so it makes it feel colder.  I don’t think the sun is coming out for a few days, so here we go.  I can’t believe Thursday morning it will be below zero with wind chill near -15.  That is beyond cold.  Today’s high is 22F(-5C).  Stay warm, stay safe.
 
Now Australia family and friends with their start of summer will have a different story.  Wed Dec 3rd they will have a high of 82F(28C) with a touch of more humidity.  I see the 102F has been pulled off the temperature this week, so that is good.  Mostly clear for them.  Stay cool, stay safe.

I have noticed I have lots of these succulents growing.  They are in the greenhouse so I will move them more to the center of the greenhouse so they can stay a little warmer.  I can’t believe how they grow, and believe me they are easy to grow.  Especially the part during the winter water every 2 to 4 weeks.  Do you have some in your succulent plants? 
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complete Guide to Growing and Caring for Echeveria Succulents  Plants  Written By: Lauren Landers
If you need proof that tough plants can be total softies, look no further than echeveria. These hardy succulents are undaunted by heat, drought, and even cool weather, but they’re so easy to keep that beginners can master them—and they come in lots of fun colors too. I’ve kept a number of echeveria indoors and outdoors over the years, and here are all the tips I’ve used for succulent growing succ-ess!
Echeveria are sometimes called “hen and chicks,” but they should not be confused with true hen and chicks or Sempervivum—an entirely different, but related, plant. Like Sempervivum, echeveria belongs to the Crassulaceae family and features plump, colorful leaves that grow in tight rosettes and often reproduce via offsets. However, echeveria aren’t quite as cold-tolerant as Sempervivum, and they’re native to central and south America, while Sempervivum hail from Europe and Africa.
Currently, there are about 150 recognized species of echeveria, as well as thousands of unique cultivars with different leaf and flower colors, bloom times, and more. But despite all that diversity, most echeveria are relatively slow-growing plants that only reach 2 to 12 inches tall and spread just about as wide. Most types of echeveria share similar care needs and thrive in well-draining locations with ample sunlight and minimal watering.
If you live in an area with mild winters, you may be able to keep echeveria outdoors year-round in pots, rock gardens, or xeriscapes. But as I live in New England, I only grow echeveria inside as a houseplant, and find it to be a very easy to keep one! These plants excel exceptionally well in terracotta pots, but I also enjoy mixing them into dish gardens with other succulents that have similar care needs, such as kalanchoe and sedum.
Planting
Although echeveria can be grown from seed, it’s much easier and faster to grow them from nursery-started plants!
Choose the right location: Outdoor echeveria should be planted in full-sun locations with well-draining soil, while indoor plants require well-draining pots that are at least 4 inches wide.
Use succulent potting mix: If you’re growing echeveria in containers, select a potting mix that’s specially designed for succulents and cacti. You can also create your own potting mix by blending equal parts of growing medium, sand, and perlite.
Plant at the correct depth: Echeveria should be planted at the same depth they were growing in their nursery pots. These plants can be spaced relatively close together in dish gardens, but tight spacing can increase the risk of plant competition.
Withhold water: Waiting a week to water newly planted echeveria can reduce the risk of rot. When you do water, do so sparingly!
Growing
Echeveria makes excellent plants for xeriscape gardens that are designed for drought resistance. If you live in an area where echeveria can grow perennially, try pairing these plants with pricky pear, hen and chicks, and other xeriscape plants with similar care needs. Then, apply a pebble or gravel mulch around your plantings to keep weeds down. I find that these mulches are better for succulents as they don’t trap moisture against the plant’s stems and are less likely to cause succulents to rot.
Water
The most common issue that occurs with echeveria is overwatering. To avoid this, water these plants sparingly and keep them in well-draining pots with succulent or cactus potting mix. Indoor plants should be watered deeply about once every 2 to 4 weeks until the water trickles out of the drainage holes in the plant’s pot. Then, dump any excess water out of the plant's saucer to ensure its roots don’t stay too damp.
Light
As with most succulents, echeverias are full-sun plants that need a minimum of 6 hours of bright light per day. South- or west-facing windows tend to be best for these plants, while those that appear leggy or stretched out require more light.
Humidity
Low humidity is no problem for echeveria, but highly humid conditions may increase the risk of rot. That’s why these plants aren’t great fits for bathrooms and other steamy areas!
Temperature
Echeveria can grow outdoors perennially in locations that don’t experience frost and that stay above 45°F year-round. If you live in a cooler climate, you can keep echeveria outdoors in summer, but plants should be moved back inside before cold weather sets in. Indoors, echeveria should be kept away from drafts and cold windows, which can potentially damage their leaves.
Fertilizer
Although echeveria generally don’t need fertilizer, you can feed these plants lightly in spring and summer if they look like they need it. Just use a liquid organic fertilizer diluted to ¼ strength and keep the fertilizer off the plant’s leaves to avoid fertilizer burn.
Toxicity
If you have pets in your home, you’re in luck. Echeveria are nontoxic and          purr-fectly safe for cats and dogs!
Echeveria come in an astounding array of colors, which usually get more vivid when the plants receive more light. You can find these plants in blues, greens, yellows, reds, pinks, purples, grays, and near black. Some have wooly leaves for even more excitement!
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/plant/complete-guide-growing-and-caring-echeveria-succulents
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365  Beckysgreenhouse.com  Facebook Becky Kerndt Litterer or Becky’s Greenhouse
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    Hi! My name is Becky and I am a Master Gardener. I own Becky's Greenhouse in Dougherty, Iowa.

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