They just need a good beheading

A couple of succulents here that were growing as solitary rosettes until I chopped off the heads a few weeks ago and let them branch. The Graptopetalum sprouted two heads near the top and two from the base. Same story with the Echeveria, where the original stem is now covered by new growth.

The moral of the story: if you want to convert a solitary plant into a clump in a hurry, sometimes it pays to just cut the head off. (Both heads are busy rooting elsewhere.) In each case I made the cut so that there were still some leaves left on the stump. Presumably this helps. That's what I read, anyway.

Now I will have to go back and look over the rosette succulents to see who's next for the guillotine! There's a leap of faith involved in beheading a thriving plant, and a very suspenseful period afterwards while the headless stump decides what to do. But it's pretty cool when it works.

I would love to see pictures of other people's experiments along these lines.

I haven't cut this one, but eventually I'm going to have to do some trimming. Not sure what I have here. I'm thinking Echeveria. I just took this picture right before I saw this thread, so I thought I would post it.

Nothing like a good beheading for lots of plants. Wish I could grow those here.

I think that's also a Graptopetalum. The easiest way to tell the difference is when it flowers. The flowers should be open, not closed and tubular like the ones on an Echeveria. Here's a shot:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/139910/

Today I saw a few really nice old Graptos. They look fabulous with lots of rosettes spilling out of the top of a barrel. The branchier the better.

Too bad those plants can't handle the Texas heat, but you can do the same sort of beheading experiments on other succulents that do (eg. agaves, cacti).

I think you're right Baja. Maybe the greener ones in the back are Echeverias?

Here's a closer picture.

Could be. I really don't know. The flower should help you get a good ID. Could also be Pachyphytum or hybrid. I get lost real fast in that part of the family.

I was just about to post a question and stumbled upon this thread. Maybe I'm on the right track. I left this (with fingers crossed) before going South. It got watered weekly, indoors with lots of bright sun and warm temps. Needless to say, I'm happy it survived my husband's propensity for over watering. Not much else did. How can I help it spring forth with abundance! ;)

It looks like it's already springing forth, judging by the picture. A daily dose of bright sun is key in an indoor situation. I water some indoor plants weekly, and they do go dry in between. Other indoor succulents I water about every 3 weeks and they don't complain. It sort of depends. Stick with what works.

The top has roots poking out through the bottom into the air. Should I "behead" and transplant it? Never done that before... Or, leave everyone alone and keep in sunny, hot spot?

Thanks!

The aerial roots are not uncommon... sometimes a sign that the "real" roots are not doing their job, other times just randomly popping up on long stems. You can behead the plant any time you want. There should be minimal lag this time of year. Pot it up in a relatively shallow container and water it more or less like a normal plant (esp. if it already has roots), but wait until the cut end has had a week or so to heal before you start watering. Once you see new growth you can up the pot size.

Be careful... sun is good for these plants, heat is not. Too much heat and they will melt. Especially if the roots get cooked. In a climate-contolled indoor situation this should not be an issue, though I do try to shield the actual pots from the sun if it's convenient, so as to avoid turning them into casseroles.

These rosette succulents (many Mexican) can be problematic in some climates because of their poor heat tolerance. They still appear in the local garden centers, presumably sold as annuals or indoor plants (but not necessarily labeled as such).

Thanks for the notice about the heat. I have the perfect pot for the top. I'll just keep everyone in the same room. It will double as a "greenhouse" when weather gets bad.

First and only Echeveria I have. Very pretty little thing(s). I have it potted with a Sedeveria Hybrid "Blue Giant." It survived husband's rouge watering plan while I was away. I know nothing about it. More research... Love it.

Muchas gracias por su ayuda.

This process can go really fast. I have already cut the top head off that Graptoveria (again), as well as the original re-rooted rosette (again). Within a year that one original rosette has given rise to 5 (and counting). Great fun. It looks like I will be able to fill up a pretty good sized pot in no time.

Echeveria "Spruce Oliver" looks pretty good right after its beheading (3 rosette tops set up for rooting in another pot). I noticed the heads on the plant were pretty tall, which makes them ideal for this (and you can tell one rosette is already offsetting at the base, another good sign). The stubby projections along the main stem are the remains of flower stems.

I have a couple of Aeoniums. If I behead them will the lone stalk die.

Maybe, maybe not. They sometimes sprout new heads at the cut or at ground level. It's very unpredictable.

Here are a few shots of Aeoniums I beheaded 2-3 weeks ago. A little under half of the stems have done nothing, but the ones that sprouted were pretty enthusiastic about it.

Fourth shot shows the plant from the start of the thread a few weeks after I beheaded it again (so these are 3rd generation rosettes).

And here's the Echeveria from earlier in the thread. All three stumps have sprouted new heads (maybe 5-8 each).

Nice Baja! I wish I had time and room to try some cuttings. I do have some plants starting from leaves that have dropped off into the pots below them. Here is a picture of the Graptopetalum that I posted above. I don't know if it is a good thing ( the color change), but sure is pretty.

I just beheaded a Sedeveria. I'm curious to see what happens. I have roots on a few of the leaves I've tried to sprout, but nothing else. Echeveria leaves placed at the same time with Sedeveria have plantlets. All very cool.

Thanks, Baja. I'll probably do some beheading in the spring. Right now, all of my plants are fighting for a place near the windows in my basement.

No basement here but looking for shelves to extend widow sill space! I hear that! We still have some time yet, but it doesn't hurt to plan ahead! :)

Here are a few pictures showing what those plants look like a year later... to give a sense of how these things play out over time.

First plant started out with 3 heads, now has more than 20. Second shot shows the three original heads, now rooted and growing and just beheaded again a couple of weeks ago. Third shot shows the Echeveria that started with one solitary head now filling out its half of the pot nicely. Finally the ugly mother of my Graptos, which has been beheaded serially four times, still putting out new rosettes.

Hey! Wow! Look at that! I separated my "Grapto," as well as the rest of the succulents in the large planter where it was contained. So far so good. Sure hope it blooms again. Not quite to the beheading stage yet. This thread will help with that. Finally got the nerve to lop off my Senecio crassissimus to propagate. Regrowth was questionable. I've had luck. Where there were 2 now there are 5!

Crowded shot. Apologize about that.... Magical room in transition!
Peace~

Baja- Thanks for the great thread. Very helpful. Now I must go get my hatchet...
smashedc- LOVE the yellow cup with that plant.

Baja - super thread! Thank you very much. Now for all of us to get brave and make like the Queen of Hearts.

The risk is part of the fun. :)

Just remember, with the Echeveria types, try to make the cut relatively high. Ideally you want to leave several healthy leaves on the mother plant, because that's where the new branches will sprout. You need zero exposed stem on the cutting for it to root properly, though I normally remove a leaf or two so I can anchor it in the soil properly.

This message was edited Aug 14, 2014 10:45 AM

Hi, I have a question. Are red yucca considered succulent? Alda

I'm not sure if they are succulent but if so, not very succulent... pretty fibrous plant, reduced stem. In any case they behave similar enough to their succulent cousins the agaves that they can be treated the same.

Potential beheading awaits. Too dark for photos yet. Noticed Grapto in possible need yesterday. I'll post when the sun is up!

Yippee!

Kiley

Not so yippee....... I was shocked to see this. The first photo was what led me to believe I need to pull out the guillotine. After pulling it off the sill, it appears...... What? Burned? Rotten then burned? I'm not sure what to make of this.
I keep it VERY dry. It sits in a Southern exposure all day. It has been happy in the past...... We have been under clouds for the better part of a week. Gave it a sip about a week ago. The room stays warm, air well ventilated and circulated.
Remediation?
Thanks

Photo?

I apologize.

It looks like some of the stems have gone soft... is that what you're talking about? Easy enough to fix if you want to cut the affected rosettes off where the stem is still healthy, then re-root. These plants can be a bit cantankerous when they don't get enough light, but they are relatively thirsty (for a succulent) when they're in the sun. In my experience they need water about twice as often in the sun compared to bright shade. You can adjust the watering interval for cloudy weather accordingly.

I like to water well (till water comes out the bottom) then wait until the soil goes dry, and repeat. Too little water and the roots will start to lose strength. Hopefully that helps, or if I missed something please let me know.

Deep apologies for the delay. My self inflicted work schedule has been lucrative but extremely time consuming.

The stems that appeared soft were in fact dry and brittle. Your advice about more H2O per more sun was correct. That is where I went wrong. Since, I have trimmed and started two new Graptos! The rest of the plant will thrive thanks to the new awareness you have granted me!

I appreciate the help and apologize for not having posted sooner.

Kiley

Good news. Glad to hear your plants are multiplying.

Hi BaJa, I was wondering if Cacti and Succulents can still get sunburned. Can they get too much hot direct sun? Thanks, Debi

Most definitely. Sunburn is my number one killer of cacti actually. Plants are most vulnerable when they go from a low light situation (eg. shade, indoors) straight to midday sun. They are also more vulnerable when the sun is accompanied by hot temperatures. Look for brown, yellow, or pale green color as signs. Many aloes will blush pretty colors when they are stressed (not a bad thing in my book). This time of year (south of the equator) plants are going to be most sensitive because the sun is particularly strong.

Baja, I envy your weather already! Got out first freeze last night.

Just burned an Aloe by moving it into too much sun too quickly! I was surprised because it was only a slight rotation. They really can be sensitive. Especially if you are moving them indoors onto a window sill! Magnified sun and amplified heat really can do some fast damage!

Thank you, Baja, I have HOT sun and HOT temperatures right now and summer is not here as yet (so they say. lol). We are having 40 degree heat and the sun to go with it. I am thinking of putting up some sort of easy covering. Any advice for that? I am on the understanding that Cacti/Succulents NEED direct sun, is that the case? Thanks, Debi