The Benefits and Uses of Golden Stonecrop and How to Grow It

Golden stonecrop is a small and lovely plant, but when it grows in patches, it is also very bright and pleasing to the eye. For example, when planted on a roof, it looks very beautiful.

I. The Uses of Golden Stonecrop

1. Golden stonecrop has a particularly strong growth capacity, is cold-resistant, drought-resistant, and resistant to pests and diseases. Stonecrop is a succulent plant with a very high water content, fleshy and juicy stems, and small emerald-green leaves that look like jade, neat and beautiful. It produces golden-yellow flowers, and the leaves are also very lovely. When it blooms, flowers cover the ground, and it is very beautiful. It is often planted on green roofs, lawns, roadsides, leisure plazas, and gardens, and is also the best plant for flowerbed landscaping.

2. Golden stonecrop grows very fast and has a strong spreading ability. Its root system crisscrosses and binds tightly with the soil, so it will not be washed away by rain, and it has a very good heat-insulating effect and waterproof protection. As a green roof plant, it has a very good effect. When stonecrop is planted on a roof, it can resist high temperatures, and even in summer the indoor temperature will be very cool. Once stonecrop has grown in, it needs no pruning, rarely suffers from pests and diseases, takes shape naturally, stays evergreen all year round, and has very high ornamental value.

3. Golden stonecrop has a very strong ability to absorb dust, and it not only absorbs carbon dioxide but also releases a large amount of oxygen, which can effectively improve indoor air quality and improve the ecological environment. This allows your home, even in a noisy environment, to enjoy clean and fresh air.

4. On a roof or rooftop greened with golden stonecrop, in summer it insulates 5-7°C, and top-floor residents can save 60%-70% on cooling electricity bills; in winter it keeps warmth 3-5°C, and can save 30%-40% on heat energy (heating electricity bills). The investment is small and the results are quick. Calculated on saving 30%-40% on air-conditioning costs, the cost recovery period is three years. In other words: the air-conditioning costs saved over three years can completely earn back the entire investment cost of the stonecrop greening project. A bare roof (rooftop) reaches temperatures as high as 70°C in the heat of midsummer, and in winter it is around minus 10°C. One cold and one hot, expansion and contraction, cause damage to the waterproof layer and roof structure, resulting in cracks and water seepage. Using stonecrop to green a roof or rooftop precisely solves the problem of "expansion and contraction," narrows the temperature difference of the roof (top), achieves the best effect of warm in winter and cool in summer, and at the same time prevents roof leakage and extends the service life of the waterproof layer by 2-3 times.

II. How to Grow Golden Stonecrop

1. Soil: It is relatively robust by nature and can tolerate poor soil. It can grow normally in various loamy soils, whether clayey or sandy. When potting it, we choose a relatively small flower pot, and for the potting soil we can use a growing medium made by mixing ordinary garden soil with a small amount of river sand.

2. Watering: When the temperature warms up in spring, that is when stonecrop begins to sprout. Its watering should also be sufficient, and the soil should be kept moist. By April-May, you can let its potting soil dry out a little, because it is a relatively drought-tolerant plant, and if there is too much water, its growth will instead be poor.

3. Temperature: It can tolerate cold to a certain extent. In the cold conditions of winter, as long as the temperature is not lower than 10 degrees, it will grow relatively well. If it can be placed in a sunny, wind-sheltered spot, and the potting soil is neither too dry nor too wet, it will not be frostbitten, and by the following spring it can grow vigorously again.

4. Fertilizing: During its growing season, it is best to give it rotted manure once a month, so that it can grow more vigorously, and by May-June it will bloom even more, forming a very good ornamental effect.

Golden stonecrop not only works well on roofs, it is also a very good groundcover plant. Its shade tolerance is also relatively outstanding. In garden green spaces it can be combined with other trees, shrubs, and so on, and it will still grow very well in shaded groves.