What are the morphological characteristics of Sedum 'Little Beauty' (Graptopetalum mendozae)? What are the planting methods and precautions?
Sedum 'Little Beauty' is a smaller variety among succulents, but the color of its leaves changes with the different seasons. So, how do you plant Sedum 'Little Beauty'? What are the planting methods and precautions for Sedum 'Little Beauty'?
1. Morphological characteristics of Sedum 'Little Beauty'
A single plant can reach a diameter of 3 cm, clustered plants can reach a diameter of more than 25 cm and a height of up to 15 cm, and they are much branched.
The leaves are plump and round, obovate, flat or slightly convex on the upper side, convex on the lower side, with a bluntly rounded leaf tip. They can reach 1.0-1.5 cm in length and about 0.5 cm in width. The leaves gradually become smaller from the base to the tip. In an environment with sufficient light and a large temperature difference, they are pale pink cream-colored; in an environment with insufficient light or humidity, they are grayish green, and the leaf scars are dark red.
The flowers of Sedum 'Little Beauty' are very small, only about 1 cm in diameter, and the flowers have 3, 4 or 5 petals. The white petals are dotted with more or fewer tiny red spots.
2. Planting methods for Sedum 'Little Beauty'
1. Soil requirements for growing Sedum 'Little Beauty'
Like other succulents, Sedum 'Little Beauty' likes well-drained, airy, sandy soil. This allows excess water to fully evaporate and promotes root growth.
We can mix pine needle soil, leaf mold and sandy soil in equal proportions.
2. Light requirements for growing Sedum 'Little Beauty'
The more sufficient the light and the greater the temperature difference between day and night, the pinker and more tender the leaf color of Sedum 'Little Beauty' will become. When the light is insufficient, the leaves of Sedum 'Little Beauty' will appear grayish green, dull and lusterless.
3. Temperature requirements for growing Sedum 'Little Beauty'
Sedum 'Little Beauty' grows faster in spring and autumn. Below 5°C and above 35°C, Sedum 'Little Beauty' will take emergency measures on its own, stop growing, and enter a dormant state.
4. Water requirements for growing Sedum 'Little Beauty'
The leaves of Sedum 'Little Beauty' are thick and contain relatively high moisture internally, so it should not be overwatered to prevent root rot.
Under normal growth conditions, water about once every 10 days, and water thoroughly.
3. Precautions for planting Sedum 'Little Beauty'
During the planting of Sedum 'Little Beauty', as time goes by, its size will continue to increase. In order not to affect the growth of Sedum 'Little Beauty', it needs to be repotted at this time, so the following points should be noted when repotting Sedum 'Little Beauty':
1. Removal
When removing the maruha Sedum 'Little Beauty' from the pot, be careful and gentle, and harm the plant's roots as little as possible. Use a small shovel to dig down carefully from the edge of the flowerpot, and it is best to remove the succulent from the pot without any damage.
2. Root pruning
After removing the maruha Sedum 'Little Beauty' from the pot, separate the soil and small stones from the roots, and clean off the soil sticking to the roots. Trim away all old roots and rotten roots, leaving only those healthy roots that have grown well.
3. Adding soil
First put part of the soil into the pot (about one third of the total capacity), then place the maruha Sedum 'Little Beauty' into the pot, position it well, hold the maruha Sedum 'Little Beauty' with your hand, and begin adding soil. It is worth noting that the soil should not be added too full; if it is too full, it will be difficult to water later. Before placing the maruha Sedum 'Little Beauty' into the pot, you can add some fertilizer to the soil to supplement its nutrients.