Echeveria imbricata is one of many beautiful flowering succulent plants which has become very popular amongst houseplant enthusiasts. it is a very attractive plant and can make an eye-catching addition to any home with interesting, colorful flowers.
Over time, echeveria imbricata plants produce offsets, these baby Echeverias can be separated from the parent plant and replanted to produce a new plant or simply left on the mother plant as an ornamental feature.
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Echeveria imbricata is not particular about soil so long as the growing medium is well-drained. It prefers the soil to be slightly gritty and sandy rather than soggy or heavy clay. A popular medium for reproducing echeveria is perlite as it helps provide excellent drainage around the root system of a plant and reduces waterlogging.
Echeveria imbricata propagation
Echeveria imbricata propagates very easily from leaf cuttings and offsets.
Paper clip a leaf to your desired starting medium (cactus mix, orchid bark). Allow it time (3-6 weeks) for the plantlet to develop and grow roots. Plant in soil with other succulents after it outgrows its current pot.
You can also divide the Echeveria imbricata plant by cutting apart the individual heads, roots, and all. Place cuttings into the soil immediately.
Dividing echeveria is best done in late spring or early summer when they are growing most actively, it’s pretty hard to mess this up! 🙂
Echeveria imbricata makes a great potted plant as well and can be grown in the same conditions as other echeverias.
Echeveria imbricata care
Light requirement
It is easy to grow Echeveria imbricata in the shade, semi-shade, or full sun. But light requirement varies among varieties, generally speaking, it prefers partially shaded areas.
Temperature and Humidity
The ideal temperature for growing Echeveria imbricata is between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius. They can take temps down to about -2 degrees Celsius, but if the temperature is to fall below freezing for a long period of time you should bring it back inside. Just keep in mind that they prefer warm temperatures and lots of sunlight. The minimum temps for echeveria are about 0 degrees Celsius (32 F).
Soil
Echeveria imbricata grows well in most soil types and can grow in sandy soil or clay. Heavy (clay) soils should be avoided though as they retain too much water and Echeveria cannot tolerate wet feet for long periods of time.
Watering
Echeveria imbricata is a drought-tolerant plant but also doesn’t like to dry out completely. In summer, during the active growing season, you should water it regularly and keep the soil moist. In winter watering can be reduced to about once a month or less.
You need to avoid getting leaves wet as they tend to lose moisture through them very quickly. Echeveria imbricata may also get infected with fungus or bacteria if left wet for a long time. Echeveria can tolerate short periods of drought, but it’s much better to avoid letting the plant go dry.
Fertilizer
Echeveria imbricata is not a heavy feeder and it can be fertilized lightly once or twice during the growing season with balanced (10-10-10) fertilizer diluted to one-half the recommended strength. If you are growing the plant in a container or an area with poor soil, it is better to fertilize more often.
Tips on repotting Echeveria imbricata
These plants do not need frequent repotting and should only be repotted if they are getting root-bound. Since the plant is growing in a container, it will be easier to repot them when they have outgrown the pot.
And also remember to not over-pot Echeveria imbricata! They can grow pretty big and you may end up with root problems if you put too much soil into the pot (and keep watering!). Echeveria generally prefers small pots (2-4-inch) and they grow best in small pots even if they are getting root-bound.
How often do I need to repot?
Echeveria grows relatively slowly and you should not repot them every year. If it is in a small container (less than 1 gallon), you can probably go 2 or 3 years without repotting; if it is in a bigger pot, say 4 inched across, they can live for about 5 years either in the same pot or with repots. But I would recommend that you repot them once in a while to make sure new roots will be generated (proliferated) and the plant growth becomes much stronger.
Pruning and shaping tips
If you look at the bigger picture of Echeveria, it is actually a succulent bush – meaning that there are many rosette-shaped plant parts to one root base. So if you buy a nice big Echeveria and just stick it in the soil as is, you will end up with all the little rosettes growing from one major root base. So if you want to shape Echeveria into a nice-looking plant, it is best to cut off the little rosettes when you are repotting (they can be used as offsets).
Hardiness
Echeveria can tolerate cold temperatures down to about -2 degrees Celsius but do not like freezing water or wet feet for a long time. If you are growing them outside, in areas of high humidity (e.g. coastal regions) the plants will need protection from frost; and if grown in containers, they may need to be brought inside during freezing weather.
Or you can choose Echeveria varieties that have better tolerance for cold weather, like these: Jade Princess (Echeveria derenbergii) , Angel Wings (Echeveria pachyphytum), carpet-of-stars (Echeveria peacockii), or the Sunset glow (Echeveria glauca).
Toxicity
Most parts of Echeveria are poisonous if ingested. If you have pets, be careful they don’t chew on the leaves.
Pests and diseases
If you are growing Echeveria indoors, there are not many pests to worry about. But as with most plants, they can get spider mites and mealybugs if you do not provide enough air circulation around the plant.
If you see any pests on your plant, you can wash them off with a hard jet of water from the shower. If that doesn’t work, there are insecticides specifically formulated to combat pests on succulents.
