Sedums are pretty bullet-proof and seldom suffer any damage from diseases or pests. The butterflies look striking on the white Sedums you can buy a white variety from Crocus, Hylotelephium spectabile 'Stardust'. In some varieties the flowering can be so dense that the leaves are completely hidden. Stonecrops can be planted into crevices in rocks and garden walls, and they will spread across the surface. If you would like to further ensure that the plant will start there, you can add a very thin covering of soil over the plant. To grow sedum plants to look their best, here are a few tips from the pros: Always, always use a well drained soil. The weevil’s larvae chew around stem bases just below the soil and feed on roots, which slows the plant’s growth, then causes wilting and eventually collapse and death. It has an Award of Garden Merit from the RHS. Available from specialist Alpine nurseries. Pruning is generally unnecessary and Sedums can be kept in check by cutting back creeping types at the ends, or ice-plants can be tip pruned in spring to reduce the height if needed. This can be a problem when Sedums are grown in too much shade, or rich soil. Nipping back stops the floppy growth and makes for a better-behaved plant. Never put a new, pot-grown Sedum in the garden until it has been knocked gently out of its container and examined for the characteristic gaps in the root ball. Ice-plants root easily from stems pulled away at the base, or take 7.5cm to 10cm long pieces from non-flowering stems, take off the lower leaves, and insert them gently into a fifty – fifty mix of gritty compost and horticultural sand. After planting, you can use a soft brush to remove any compost from the leaves, water well, and then just leave it to its own devices to create a beautiful feature for the patio table! Creeping types stay low to the ground, spreading a few feet in either direction. The crowns of ice-plants grown in heavier soils or less well-drained situations are prone to rot in the winter, though adding plenty of grit may help. You should get permission from the landowner first to stay within the law. #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } A good place to plant Sedum is near a garden seat where you can relax watching the bees and butterflies feeding on the Sedums. Two weeks later, the plants will be ready to plant in the garden. Good varieties for the garden are those with the RHS merit award which are Sedum 'Ruby Glow' (top right image) which grows up to 25cms; 'Munstead Red' which is taller up to 60cms; and ' Herbstreude' which is of a similar height. All rights reserved. */. Here are some of the favourites. The Sedums’ requirements for well drained and nutrient-poor soil and their ability to tolerate drought makes them ideal for pots and containers. Re-potting is generally unnecessary, though containers can be rejuvenated from time to time by taking out the plants, replacing the compost, and replanting with selected parts of the plants, perhaps with a couple of new varieties. Sedums need no additional water or fertilizer. Q I have heard something about buildings with Sedum roofs – are these anything to do with Sedum plants? Angelina has yellow-green foliage throughout the year, and is a good foil for purple-leaved varieties in mixed carpet plantings. They are easy to propagate by taking an informal cutting, and transporting the piece home in sealed plastic bag. It has an upright form and large, purple-tinged leaves. Slugs and snails are occasionally a problem, but the most likely pest is the vine weevil. Place the plant into the hole, filling in with soil so that it is at the same depth as was in the pot. Sedums belong to that really useful group of plants whose flowers are long lasting . Sedum spurium Growing and Care Guide Grows well in zones 3 to 9. And if you fancy growing a few more, why not take some cuttings? and netting be removed from the bottom of the sedum tile plant BEFORE planting in the ground? There are also a number of low growing Sedums which are suitable for walls and ground cover, such as Sedum lydium, image below,  which only grows to around 5cms and has a lovely autumn colour. Sedum pachyphyllum originates from the Crassulaceae family and is native to Mexico. Sprinkle in a handful of blood, fish and bone and work into the ground. Available direct from The Sunday Gardener in paperback - for more information, buying options and reviews and how to buy click here. Another matt forming Sedum suitable for front of a border or rock garden it will even grow out of a wall. Suitable plants. Sedum generally grows in zones three through nine. Avoid planting sedum next … Common Sedum species used include Sedum acre, S. rupestre, and S. album.Delosperma could be tried in a sunny frost-free area. Cut top growth by around 10cms, don't throw cuttings away  because it is easy to propagate new Sedums from these clippings, see below. The large Sedum plant is the original plant, to the left is a cutting the following year and the small plants the next year. Ice-plants root easily from stems pulled away at the base, or take 7.5cm to 10cm long pieces from non-flowering stems, take off the lower leaves, and insert them gently into a fifty – fifty mix of gritty compost and horticultural sand. Ice-plants are great for adding colour and texture to planting on and around the patio, and ‘tropical-looking’ beds are popular. Nearly all of the varieties require very sunny conditions, though orpine is a woodland plant that prefers some light shade. If your soil is heavy in the garden, either amend it, or grow them in raised beds and containers. I do not find this problem occurs with Ruby Glow and the RHS garden merit award varieties tend not to do this. They are all very easy to grow, requiring no attention once planted. If this happens, provide unobtrusive staking or supports, and make a note to split that clump the following spring. This can also be overcome by selecting a variety of Sedum which will do better than others. The jointed stems of some sedum will simply pull right off and can be planted for new plants if you wish. Seeds. A favourite of gravel gardeners, and a good contrast to darker-leaved stonecrops in container plantings. Overwatering and overfertilizing can hurt the plants far worse than not watering or fertilizing. A taller variety of stonecrop that grows up to 15cm in height, with foliage that turns reddish in the winter. Water the nematode product into the compost in the late summer, and ensure that the compost is kept at 5ºC to 21ºC and well drained to encourage a healthy population of nematodes to establish. If you have a Sedum which does this, you can either trade it in for a newer model as many of the newer varieties do not do this, apply the Chelsea Chop earlier in the year, or stake it. This new plant has recently been introduced to Britain from the US. Most of the stonecrops are evergreen and have rich foliage colours that look good throughout the year. Plant sedum seeds in early spring in well-drained, average to rich soil. Sedum telephium  with the RHS merit award(Atropurpureum Group) ' Purple Emperor'. There are several Sedums with variegated foliage , this is called S.'Autumn Charm' which as the image shows, is very bright and light. /* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. Sedum pachyphyllum is a succulent that is very easy to grow and maintain. DIY Garden is a UK garden website that aims to inspire, advise and help you improve your outdoor space. Plenty of cultivated varieties are available from nurseries. Bred from a Japanese native, this stonecrop is a great ground cover plant, forming neat mounds about 5cm tall and expanding to about 30cm in diameter. They will tolerate shade but prefer a position in full sun if they are to bloom well. Perfect for a late summer show, with its broad, flat heads of many, tiny, deep-pink flowers  contrasting against the greyish-green waxy leaves from August to October. Add a crushed shell, grit or pebble mulch to reflect the sun’s light back onto the plant and to keep water away from around the crown of the plant. Plant sedum during the spring and summer in a well-drained, sunny spot outdoors. Helpfully, Sedums are easy to propagate and you can have as many plants as you want for free. Autumn Joy Sedum. Sedums are best planted where they will enjoy good sun with soil that is not too dry. An excellent addition to a container, or plant it in wall niches or rock gardens. An old favourite ground cover with crimson flowers. This looks drastic, but the plant will be stronger and more compact, and will produce a mound of fresh foliage by July and August, though flowering will be later and may be slightly reduced. While the leaves of the ice-plants die back in the winter, the flowers age gracefully and the seed heads are an attractive feature in the winter garden. 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Choose a pan that is at least 40cm in diameter. Q There are some very pretty yellow stonecrops growing in an old quarry near where I live – can I use these in the garden? Sedum is known for its dense, colorful, and textured foliage. A garden centre favourite that certainly lives up to its name, with long, prominent stamens that seem to give the bright pink flowers eyelashes. If you are planting them in containers, add either some shredded bark or sand to make the soil mix very porous. Sedum plants just will not thrive in deep shade. Sedum acre and Sedum album are two of the commonest in the UK, and the yellow species that you have seen is almost certainly the former. Sedum is a very undemanding plant and is virtually maintenance free apart from a trim back in the spring. It has a long flowering season from June through to October, with repeat showings of its bright purplish-pink flowers. New plants can also be made by division of large clumps once they are four or five years old. Spread the seeds over the soil, so not bury them. See how RHS can give expert advice on growing, feeding, pruning and propagating plants. The Sedum illustrated (above right) is Ruby Glow which produces spectacular red flowers from late summer into early autumn. Another low-growing stonecrop variety. Add moistened seed-starting mix to a pot with drainage... Flat. Cut some heads in full bloom and hang them in a cool place to dry so that they can be used in indoor arrangements through the winter. The group divides into two main types, the low, carpet-forming stonecrops, and the rather taller, upright  ‘ice-plants’ that have whorls of larger succulent leaves on a thick, un-branched stem. It is very easy to propagate Sedums. If so, please consider making a small donation to help maintain and keep the website advert free with no intrusive pop ups or adverts. Most stonecrop Sedums love the sun and they will grow happy and healthy if they get at least 5 hours of direct sun per day. Larger varieties will need more space between each companion plant. © 2012-2022 Carol Jackson - The Sunday Gardener is a registered trademark. If a more drastic solution is needed, take the plant out and replace it with one of the more recent varieties that does not suffer the issue as readily – ‘Purple Emperor’, for example, is not prone to sagging and can be happily left to make large clumps. Most are stonecrops that thrive on the thin soils of sandy and rocky areas, including old quarries and abandoned urban sites. Remove any stems that develop with fully green leaves to maintain the variegation. Watch out for aphids, though they are rarely a cause for concern for healthy plants growing in their ideal conditions. There are a number of native Sedum species in Europe. Tall ice-plants that tend towards being straggly or seem to collapse under the weight of the flower heads generally respond well to a ‘Chelsea chop’ in May, taking a third to a half of the stem length. Most types of Sedum are drought-tolerant and require no watering, though a few varieties of the creeping stonecrops are a little thirstier, so check the plant’s requirements with the nursery before buying a new variety for a very dry site. This can be overcome by pinching out the plants to make them bushier or by using the Chelsea chop in late May or early June. Sedums (Sedum spp.) How to care for Sedum The first image, left,  has the old stems still in place, in the second image the growth has been cut away ready for the spring. Even after the foliage has died back, the skeletal ice-plant flowers look attractive through the winter, and can be left until the following spring when they can be cut off to tidy the plant in preparation for welcoming the new summer’s flowers. The best time to put new plants into the garden is from mid March to April, once the danger of frost has passed, or again in September to October. Looking at the image bottom left, the three rings are drawn around three generations of Sedums rooted sequentially each year. Remove stems by ½ to force horizontal growth. Val Bourne offers tips on growing Sedum 'Purple Emperor' Some plants have so much star quality that it shines out from the border. Keep an eye on the situation, and the stonecrop can be very easily trimmed back if you feel there is going to be an impact on a particularly delicate or low plant. The stonecrop is unlikely to affect established plants. Clumping hybrids grow 1 to 3 feet tall. Sedums are therefore excellent for steep, rocky slopes with little soil. Carol Klein shares her tips for success. There are dark leaved varieties such as  Sedum telephium  with the RHS merit award (Atropurpureum Group) ' Purple Emperor' see below. More traditionally, they are grown in terracotta pans with other succulents such as Crassulas and Sempervivums. It is best not to dead head the plants as they look fantastic with snow and ice on them, see images below. It is the ease of cuttings which is surprising about this plant. Plant the roots of sedum just below the soil surface. The best time to plant new "Autumn Joy" sedum is in the spring after danger of frost has passed, but this plant is not picky about planting time. Fill the pot with the substrate and moist the soil. Sedums do well alongside each other in complementary mixed plantings, and the green, red, chocolate, purple and copper-coloured varieties can be planted to form a living tapestry across areas of thin, poor soils. Sedum is a very undemanding plant and is virtually maintenance free apart from a trim back in the spring. After planting, water thoroughly as this will settle the soil into place. A great choice that is worth searching out if you are looking for a variegated ice-plant. Spread the roots out when planting, making the planting hole a bit wider than it is deeper. (Learn more about soil … Creating a Planting Location Find an area with 6 hours of direct sunlight. Rachel Brown is a senior writer at DIY Garden reporting on all things from gardening to fun with the kids. You can use the full mat or cut 5 x 5 x 5 but the instructions do not clarify anything else. For shorter varieties, simply laying the sedum on the ground where you want it to grow is normally enough to get the sedum plant started there. The variety to choose if you are looking for a white flowered ice-plant. It is an RHS Award of Garden Merit winner. Unless they have sun for at least half a day, they’re just not as happy as they could be. The baby Sedum spurium will need lots of moisture to grow properly, so you should provide them with water once or twice a day. They also like – no – need – sunshine. Should the fiber mat (are those roots?) In summer, dense clusters of blooms smother the evergreen plants. On this page are many images of Sedum, and they are one of my top ten plants. Even without roots, pieces cut off the ends of the creeping stems can simply be laid onto a suitable sandy, dampened but free-draining compost in pots, or sections inserted gently into the compost surface will root very quickly. Each chapter covers a stage in tomato growing including growing from seed, what are grafted plants, growing under glass and outside, in containers, important advice and tips about feeding and watering together with troubleshooting and understanding tomato blight. How to Grow Sedum Pachyphyllum. Specialist Sedum and Alpine nurseries stock many more. Planting and Growing Sedum Suitable for rock gardens, scree or gravel beds, pots, containers, wall crevices and alpine troughs. The image below is part of a stem in water. A fully hardy, 10cm tall, mat-forming stonecrop with toothed leaves and attractive heads of golden-yellow flowers in the summer. If you take cuttings in spring, the resulting plants can still be planted outdoors in the summer or fall. Also, the shorter varieties have a more upright in habit. Sedums vary in size, some are low growing and suitable for a rock garden, (middle image) and others such as Ruby Glow and autumn flowering species are around the 25cms in height suitable for the front of a mixed border. Some of the variegated varieties such as Sedum alboroseum ‘Lemonade’ will burn in full sun, so will benefit from some light shade during the hottest part of the day. Stonecrops and ice-plants are great plants for difficult, dry places in the garden. For more information about how we started, and our wonderful team check out our ‘About‘ page. It produces masses of red flowers from August right through to the first frosts of winter and provides nectar into the autumn for red admirals, small tortoiseshells and other late butterflies in the garden. The exact timing depends very much on the summer weather, anything from the 3rd week of August onwards. Showy Stonecrop, the taller plants in the genus Sedum, are popular garden plants that are extremely easy to grow. Early spring is the optimal time to plant sedum seeds. Sedum look great when they are emerging with fresh strong green waxy foliage, beautiful just as the buds are emerging, and when fully in flower. They are very versatile and can be grown in containers of all sorts, including stone troughs, wooden boxes, sinks, old watering cans, or even old washing up bowls or gardening boots! A major advantage of Sedums is as a top 10 plants for attracting bees, hover flies and butterflies, especially when they first flower and are full of nectar. It makes sense to select types with similar watering needs, and to focus on drought-tolerant varieties so that the compost can be allowed to dry out completely to avoid the temptation to over-water. Full sunlight for best results but plants are fairly shade tolerant. Once established, they are pretty much maintenance-free, though ice-plants will benefit from being dividing every four to five years. Inthe Summer they attract dozens of pollinators, bees and butterflies as soon as the flower heads form and they are easy to propagate. This article shows just how easy Sedums are to look after, and picks out just a few examples of the amazing variety that is available. About buildings with Sedum plants just will not thrive in deep shade and Alpine.. Most are stonecrops that thrive on the white sedums you can use ice-plants in my design stem water. Temperatures to fall in winter – no – need – sunshine see new growth, robust with... Unobtrusive staking or supports, and it produces copious amounts of clustered, fruity-red flowers from late summer early. The year, and ‘ tropical-looking ’ beds are popular none of the sedums ’ requirements for well drained plenty. 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