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Houseleek

Dilly3Dilly3 Posts: 91
in Plants

Hi

last year I was given a houseleek in a plastic pot, I kept it alive over the winter and this spring I repotted it  into a new larger shallow pot and it has grown really well.

It had lots of flowers on long stems and I think they are coming to an end and now I don't know what to do with them. 

So my question is should I just leave it to nature or do I cut these stems off? 

Posts

  • Alan Clark2 in LiverpoolAlan Clark2 in Liverpool Posts: 2,041

    After a rosette flowers it will die. You can easily remove the dead rosette and flowers when it has finished.

  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 36,217

    With any luck Dilly there should be some small offsets from the original parent rosette that you can grow on to form new houseleeks.

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • Dilly3Dilly3 Posts: 91

    As it's now stopped raining I've just been out and taken a look at the plant and I notice the long stems are growing from the side of the big rosettes and  they seem to be ok so hopefully I won't lose them , and yes there are many small rosettes so I could easily make some new plants to give away. 

    This plant has grown really well and I haven't fed it or even watered it, I just let the rain do that. 

    Did I do the right thing? I suppose I did. 

    Thanks for your replys ?

  • MarygoldMarygold Posts: 331

    Yes Dilly, you've done the right thing by not watering. They are known for growing in shallow soil and like plenty of drainage. I keep mine under cover in a cold greenhouse over winter and don't water them for months. If you have to keep it outside in winter, put it close to the house or somewhere similar so it doesn't get too wet or frost in the compost.

  • Alan Clark2 in LiverpoolAlan Clark2 in Liverpool Posts: 2,041

    If you keep them well fed and watered they will produce lots of new rosettes but not many flowers. If you keep them thirsty and hungry they will flower more. Take your pick!

  • Dilly3Dilly3 Posts: 91

    Marygold thanks for  that, I will keep it close to the back door, that way I will get to see it every day and hopefully it will make it through the winter. 

    Alan if I did decide to feed it next summer what plant food would I use, I always have some tomato food , would that do? 

    Thanks again for your replies ?

  • Alan Clark2 in LiverpoolAlan Clark2 in Liverpool Posts: 2,041

    Tomato food should be reasonable, but a low potash food might be better to discourage flowering. I doubt if it really matters very much.

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 52,214

    Hi Dilly - I've never fed mine but you can use anything if you want to do that - tomato food would be fine, but I'd dilute it well.

    The main enemy is wet, so as Ladybird says, keep them out of the worst of the winter rains. I also tip mine slightly, by sticking a block of wood or a couple of pot feet under the pot - at the back. That allows any excess water to drain down to the front where I have a plant which doesn't mind that.

    Plenty of grit in the medium you have them in is always beneficial. image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Dilly3Dilly3 Posts: 91

    Thanks to all of you for your help . 

  • Steve 309Steve 309 Posts: 2,753

    In my (limited) experience of these, they're unkillable!

    A few years ago I took over a neglected greenhouse where there were many houseleeks, large and small, in pots of dried-up compost.  They all looked like ex-houseleeks.  Nevertheless (always the optimist) I watered them and, by the time I came back the following week they'd all (well, mostly) perked up and looked green and reasonably healthy.  I potted up some in fresh compost, and some went in the ground outside.  All did well, most of them flowered and most also had offshoots,

    So I don't think it matters much what you do with them!

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