How to grow Echeveria

Echeveria · Mexican snowball

Rosette-forming succulent with fleshy leaves in glaucous blue, grey-pink or green; compact, easy to grow and slowly forms clumps of offsets.

Quick facts

Type	Houseplant
Family	Crassulaceae
Light	Full sun
Frost	does not tolerate frost
Soil for sowing	from 10 °C
Where it grows	At home

When to plant

Sow straight into the bed after your last spring frost, once the soil has warmed.

Frost dates · When to plant

Care

At home

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 14 days	—	potassium, 14 days into the stage; potassium, 44 days into the stage; potassium, 74 days into the stage; potassium, 104 days into the stage; potassium, 134 days into the stage; potassium, 164 days into the stage
Winter rest	every 28 days	—	—

Growing notes

Light

Needs a very bright spot such as a sunny windowsill; leaf colour is best in good sun.

Soil

Gritty, sharply draining cactus compost, or two parts loam-based compost to one part grit or sharp sand, in a pot with plenty of drainage holes.

Care

From spring to autumn water thoroughly once the surface of the compost is dry and let the excess drain away; never leave it standing in water, or the roots rot. Use rainwater where you can, as fluoride in tap water can mark the leaves. Feed once a month from April to September with a high-potassium liquid feed or a cactus feed. From November to early March give it a cool, dry rest, at about 10 °C but not colder, watering only lightly every few weeks to stop the leaves shrivelling; warmth and frequent watering in winter give weak, spindly growth. ASPCA lists echeveria (Echeveria multicaulis) as non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Pests and diseases of Echeveria

Two-spotted spider mite

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.