1. As Aeonium are acclimated to the Mediterranean environment, spring is the ideal time to grow them (not too hot neither too cold). Make sure the weather is warm and there is sunlight if you wish to plant it at a different time of the year. It is not an issue for those who wish to plant it in the winter (when the days are shorter), but you must use powerful artificial lighting for at least 12 to 13 and ideally 15 to 16 hours per day.
2. When sowing, you have the option of using a seed tray (which is required to transplant the plants once they sprout), or you can plant it straight in a flowerpot. Avoid using clay containers since they dry out too quickly and the Aeonium, unlike other succulents, requires constant moisture in the substrate.
3. In addition to cactus/succulent mix, the ideal soil should also contain peat, worm compost, and a combination of half cactus mix, half general soil (often referred to as potting soil), and a half of worm castings (you can replace peat for coconut coir). If you can’t find the items specified above, you can also make a substrate by combining peat and cactus mix (equal parts).
4. After selecting the ideal container and preparing the substrate, fill the pot with dirt and water it. To give the water time to decant, add a lot of water and then leave the container. Be sure to gently distribute the seeds on the substrate. The seeds must only be lightly pressed; you must not bury them or push too hard. Add some more moisture to them with a tiny spritz.
5. To maintain air humidity, wrap the pot in plastic wrap or place it in a plastic bag. Keep it closed until it germinates successfully. There won’t be a need to open the bags and water them again if there is enough humidity inside. If soil is drying out throughout the germination phase, it is not being adequately hydrated or covered with a zip bag or anything similar.
6. Keep the temperature between 20C and 25C (68F and 76F), but allow for a drop to 15C at night (59F).
7. When the seedlings first sprout, make sure to maintain the seed tray or pot in a bright, dark area. To help the seedlings get used to the sun, you can place the container in full sunlight for a few minutes each day (increase the time week by week).
8. Transplanting should begin once the seedlings have grown used to the sun (if you planted them in a seed tray). The chance of catching diseases or having plants with aberrant leaves and stems is reduced if the weak ones are removed and only the most strong and vigorous ones are transplanted.
9. Place the seedlings in the pot as you see fit after adding the substrate to it. After you’ve finished, it is advised to add one more layer of compost or worm compost.
10. Some leaves might fall to the ground throughout this operation. Remain calm because it is expected.
Aeonium Care Part
Watering: As was already said, Aeonium plants are native to the Canary Islands, which have a Mediterranean climate and moist soil. You need to water them every two to five days, depending on where you reside. The best approach to determine how many days you have is to stick your finger in the substrate; if it is dry, they definitely require water. Remember that the substrate can only dry to a maximum depth of a few inches or centimeters (no more than 5 cm). Due to the fact that they do not hold as much water in their stems as other succulents do, if you do not water them in a timely manner, they risk dying. However, everything is in balance. Overwatering them could result in rotting roots.
Cutting: The propagation process for succulents is really simple. Take a leaf or use one of the many fallen leaves that are available during the growing season (see above), then let them dry out for a few days before putting them in the pot of your choice. Don’t forget to scatter the seeds rather than burying them. You will start to see the new roots emerge within a few weeks. In any case, wait until a new leaf falls because it will develop into a new plant if you do not want to go through with this process.
Temperature: As previously stated, the ideal temperature for these plants is one that is neither too hot nor too dry; in other words, a subtropical environment is ideal. Accordingly, the minimum and maximum temperatures are respectively 4o C and 100o F.
Light: If the sun is not too intense, placing your Aeonium in a location where it receives direct sunlight is ideal. If the sun is intense, however, placing the plant in a light, shaded area is also a good alternative because it will avoid sunburn in your plants.
Pests and diseases: It is impacted by a few pests, such as slugs; to stop this, use a cactus- and succulent-friendly insecticide or fungicide. Additionally, it’s possible that birds will try to eat your plant. If this bothers you, move your plant to a location that birds cannot access.
How are aeonium seeds obtained?
The most popular methods for propagating succulents include cuttings, offsets, leaves, and division. Growing succulents from seed is a fun and instructive approach to grow more plants. The sole way to propagate some succulents, including Dudleya, Lithops, Echeveria, and Cacti, is from seed because it is the most feasible method. Since many succulents do not offset as freely as others, this is the case. Succulents are frequently available in smaller sizes in nurseries. Because they are cultivated from seed, different succulents don’t typically come in 2″ pots, or if they do, they might cost more.
A gratifying and enjoyable method to learn about a plant’s whole life cycle is to grow succulents from seed. Getting seed is the initial stage in this procedure. Online sources for succulent seeds can be difficult to locate and are frequently unreliable. Collecting seed from your own collection is the greatest method to ensure that you are receiving what you expect.
The maturity and cross-pollination of your mother plant affect your ability to gather seeds. It could take the plant several years to flower if it is a young one. All three genera—Aeonium, Greenovia, and Agave—are monocarpic, which means a rosette will only bloom once throughout its lifetime and that it can take longer to be able to collect seed from them. Aeonium are quick-growing plants that, once planted in the garden, will eventually bloom annually from various offsets.
Many succulents require cross-pollination, which is the transfer of pollen from one plant of the same species to another. If you do not notice pollinators visiting your plants or if your collection is kept in an area that is not accessible to pollinators, you will need to manually pollinate them with a little paintbrush. Note: Cuttings from the same plant that are genetically identical succulents will not result in the production of viable seed. The fruit will begin to grow and mature, which is a sign that pollination has taken place.
How to Gather:
Seed capsules should be fully ripe and dry before collection in order to ensure the best viability. Some fruits, like Aloe spp., will naturally split open and disseminate. In this instance, it’s crucial to gather the seeds before they fall to the ground or are carried away by the wind but before the seed capsule becomes dry or brown. Use a small net or sock to catch the flower stalks, or place a dish or tray underneath.
the image above Green describes an unripe Glottiphyllum nellii fruit (left). a hard, brown, dried, and ready to be harvested seed capsule (right).
Place a paper bag over the inflorescence, cut the stem, and turn the bag upside down to gather minuscule seeds like those of Aeonium, Dudleya, and Echeveria without losing them to the breeze.
NEVER take seeds from natural ecosystems. If you don’t have a permit, this is termed poaching and is against the law.
Aeonium ‘Ballerina’ seed not yet ready for harvest (left) and Aeonium ‘Thundercloud’ seed ready for harvest and planting are shown in the image above (right).
Processing Seeds:
The capsules may simply be opened by hand, allowing the seeds to be processed. Smaller seeds can be treated by first separating the seed from the capsules with a small grinder, and then using a mesh filter to separate the seed from the chaff. You can remove the seeds from hard seed capsules, such as Mesembs (Lithops, Glottiphyllum, etc.), by putting them in a Ziploc bag or paper bag, pounding them with a hammer, and then removing them by hand.
To avoid having them suddenly blown away by a gust of wind, always process seeds indoors.
How to Keep Seeds Safe:
Seeds should be kept in dry, protected settings in paper bags or seed packs. Heat and humidity severely impair viability. Make sure the seeds are totally dry if you intend to store them in plastic bags. Seeds that are prematurely picked will perish in glass or plastic due to an overabundance of moisture. Name of the species, time and place of collection should all be written on the packaging. When stored properly, seeds can be kept for many years without losing viability.
Growing numerous plants from your own seed is a sustainable method. The color and structure of leaf can vary widely due to genetic variety. The real fun starts now, and you might even be able to come up with a unique list of choices.
How long does aeonium take to grow?
About 35 species of succulent plants belonging to the genus Aeonium have particularly shiny, waxy leaves that are grouped in rosettes. The species varies in size from small ones like A. tabuliforme and A. smithii, which only reach a few inches across, to larger ones like A. arboreum, A. valverdense, and A. holochrysum, which reach heights of several feet across.
These species are occasionally mistaken for man-made plants because of how perfectly rounded the leaves of the rosette structures are.
These distinctive rosettes can be solid white, yellow, red, or green or they can be varied with those colors. From the middle of the rosettes, tiny, star-shaped blooms sprout in clusters, but they are not particularly eye-catching.
Anytime is a good time to plant aeoniums in the garden. The small bunches of flowers that emerge from the centers of the rosettes take up to five years to develop on these somewhat slow-growing plants. The majority of aeoniums are monocarpic, which means that after flowering, the mother plant perishes, but the pups (branches) continue to generate other shoots.
How much time does aeonium require to root?
One of the most straightforward succulent plants to root, in my opinion, is the aeonium. I can vouch for this based on all the aeoniums I have previously rooted and propagated. Take a stem cutting, place it aside, and keep it somewhere dry and out of the sun if you want to see it grow roots. After around two weeks, you will notice roots starting to grow from the base of the stem. That’s how easy it is, in fact. You can use a rooting hormone if you want to see results more quickly.
I’ve never really attempted to root aeonium leaves. It can, however, and many have supposedly tried and tested it. According to the general rule, an aeonium has a better chance of taking root when its leaves are thicker. I haven’t really tried to root the leaves because stem cuttings are so simple and practically infallible, and because I eventually get numerous plants from a single stem cutting due to the way it branches out. However, if you’re wondering whether that’s conceivable, it seems to be.
Are succulents challenging to cultivate from seeds?
You can move your seeds securely to new sites after they have developed into large enough plants.
Growing succulents from seeds isn’t particularly difficult, but it does require the right tools and some patience, just like growing any other kind of plant from seed does.
You should be able to produce your own succulents as long as you are patient and adhere to the aforementioned instructions.
What is the time required to develop succulents from seeds?
Your plants may take three days to a few weeks to start growing, depending on the kind of succulent, the temperature, and the amount of sunlight. It’s crucial to complete your study before purchasing your seeds in order to estimate the length of time it will take for them to germinate (some may even take several months to a year). Remove the lid during the day to keep the leaves ventilated after you notice that they are starting to emerge.
As your plants develop throughout the first week or two, keep the soil moist and make sure there is enough drainage. Keep them hydrated because at this point their roots are just starting to form. It’s not necessary to always keep the soil top damp once the roots are developed. When you’re ready to water your plants as you would adult plants, observe their growth and apply your best judgment (along with any research you’ve done about your succulents).
Additionally, now is the ideal time to expose your succulents to additional sunlight. Despite being desert plants, succulents and cacti don’t require intense heat or sunlight to survive. Baby plants should not be exposed to direct sunshine until their leaves have fully developed. After then, gradually increase their exposure to light. Once you’ve gotten them to tolerate the level of light in the location where you intend to keep them permanently, gradually increase the light by about an hour every few days. Again, depending on the type of plant, different lighting conditions will be optimal.
Aeoniums can be propagated from leaves.
Cuttings of offsets can be used to quickly propagate Aeonium Arboreum. The first few weeks of spring are ideal for propagation. Summer dormancy at the Aeonium Arboreum makes summer months a challenging time for propagation.
After cutting an offset or a branch, place it in a shaded, dry area for about 24 hours before planting it either in the ground or in a pot filled with succulent potting soil. In 3–4 weeks, roots should start to show. See our post on how to take and plant succulent cuttings for further information on how to propagate cuttings.
It’s improbable that Aeonium Arboreum would develop a brand-new plant from a leaf. Some roots might emerge from the leaves, but they almost definitely won’t give rise to any new plants.
We have never succeeded in growing Aeonium plants from their leaves, and we don’t think any Aeonium species can do it.
However, arboreum can be grown from seed. To be really honest, it is not really worth the time and effort it will take to grow a plant that is a respectable size.
A well-rooted plant will begin to produce a lot of offsets in the fall. A modest cutting can develop into a healthy-sized “tree” with numerous easy-to-produce offsets in a few years.