Spring/Fall Types

Orostachys boehmeri

 

O. boehmeri

This small succulent has thinner leaves and an adorable rosette shape. Runners actively grow from the plant during the growth seasons, and the ends of the runners produce offsets so the plant can multiply and spread across the ground like a mat. O. boehmeri is sensitive to the heat and high humidity of summer, and its growth will stop completely in winter when its surrounding leaves wither and curl. Members of this genus originate from Japan and other parts of Asia.

Points to Check when Buying

Choose a plant that is full of life and energy. Check its color and luster, and make sure it has a lot of leaves and offsets.

Soil Composition

Mix 5 parts small-grain Akadama, 3 parts Kanuma soil, and 2 parts mulch for a ratio that has good drainage, water retention, and breathability. Add a layer of gravel like large-grain Akadama or pumice to the bottom of the pot.

Fertilizer

When you transplant a succulent, add a layer of granular base fertilizer on top of the layer of gravel.

How to Transplant

If you neglect to change pots for several years, the succulent will become root bound, grow weak, and die. Pull the plant from its pot, carefully massage out the old soil, and transplant in fresh soil.

Pour in the slightly dampened new soil. When you have finished transplanting, lightly tap the pot to level the soil and place the plant in partial shade to take root.

How to Propagate

When your plant has multiplied and filled its pot, use division. Alternatively, when offsets grow at the ends of the slender branching runners, you can cut a runner in the middle and plant it as a cutting.

Division

Stem Cutting

Cut off a runner with scissors or a utility knife, then insert it into soil.

 

Key Points for Growing O. boehmeri

This species grows naturally in rocky areas, and can even sprout in thatched roofs, although you don’t see that too often anymore. Places with good drainage and ventilation are most suitable for growing these succulents. During the growing periods, you should give your plant lots of water after the soil in the pot dries out. Your succulent will be prone to rotting in summer due to the heat and high humidity, and it will stop growing in winter even though it is strong against the cold, so in these seasons you should move your plant to partial shade and be conservative when watering it.

Cultivation Calendar

Succulent Advice Q&A

Q In winter, the surrounding leaves of my plant have turned brown and withered.

A This species is extremely strong against the cold and won’t die even if frozen. In its dormant winter state, the lower leaves will wither, so there is nothing to worry about. If you water your plant from the middle to the end of February, it will begin to sprout in March. This may happen a month later in cold regions, but wait for the sprouting to inform you of the plant’s spring awakening.

When the weather turns warm, many runners will stretch out from this plant.

Members of the Orostachys Genus

O. malacophylla iwarenge variegata “Fuji” ※ Sensitive to the heat and high humidity of summer

O. malacophylla iwarenge “Genkai”

O. japonica