I don’t know if there is anybody who is just like me, being crazy about this sort of succulent, called “Echeveria”. I know my husband never was. He thinks they are very low and not worth giving any attention. However, I am fascinated by their growth. To me it’s like looking into a kaleidoscope at year 7. Mind you that I always wanted to own a kaleidoscope when I was little, and even now I still keep it in a quite top position of my wish list

The Hen who was pregnant

Yes, they made me swoon. I often thought of them when I am somewhere else away from home, wondered how they are doing. They said that’s called “the LOVE for your plant”….I don’t know about that and probably would never think it in that way, but I do care about this one, and I check on it everyday after work. I do bend over or crouch down to give it a very very close look, trying to find if there is anything new that I didn’t know about before.

I guess I am a big fan of them. To be honest, my most ambiguous gardening dream is to grow a Echeveria in a big pot and see the pot becoming full and many many little rosette plants filling in the every corner of the pot. Yes, I want to have as many as possible of them…..

The 12 chicks and leave cuttings

Not long ago after the winter, I noticed there were miniature rosettes starting to emerge below the big one, like hens hatching chicks. They grow bigger and bigger until recently they got me worried about if there is enough room for them to grow in a small pot. Then I read some posts about its propagation method. I guess I might have found a way to get close to my dream.

Now I have cut the little offsets from the mother hen, and potted them in a paper egg tray with half sands and half normal potting mix. I also took some single leaves from the hen, leaving them to dry out for a while, so I can soon try single leave cutting propagation as well. By the way, I repotted the “hen”, hoping what I have done can also relieve some burden from her for her own health sake.

I was surprised to find I actually got about 12 little ones out from the pregnant hen. If these 12 babies can make their way survive eventually, I will be the most satisfied. So, fingers crossed…..