Planting Hens and Chicks | |
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Hens and chicks are hearty and an excellent plant for a new or beginning gardener. Most can handle temperatures down to -5 Fahrenheit, and can be used as a houseplant, outdoor plant in a pot or can be used as an outdoor ground cover. | |
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Hens and Chicks are shaped like an artichoke with rosettes that vary in size and color, depending on the species they can be bright red, grey and purple, or green. Being they are succulent plants they have high light and low water requirements, since they are able to store water in their leaves. | |
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You can find them as big as 12 inches around and as small as 2 inches at full maturity. Some are 'bearded' with fine or down like hairs and some will appear to be covered in spider webs, depending on what kind of Hens and Chicks you have. | |
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They reproduce via branches or offshoots. As the rosette grows, it puts out shoots or stems, if these shoots get long enough to find soil, they will root and create new rosettes. The first rosette is the "hen", the stems or shoots are the "chicks". |
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To Plant Hens and Chicks You Will Need:
Your choice of succulent plants found in many Lawn and Garden Shops or just ask a friend who has some Hens for some chicks. I am using Golden Sedum here.
Any kind of planter a minimum of 4 - 6 inches deep or a sunny area in your yard. Garden Charcoal Potting Soil, specific to Citrus and Cactus |
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I used my container gardening method to get started, but it is not necessary with Hens and Chicks.
Start with a little garden bark in the bottom of the planter and a toilet paper core. |
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Then add some charcoal. | Fill the pot with dirt. |
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Fill the core with more garden bark. | Then add some fine gravel on top to keep the Hens and Chicks up off of the soil to prevent rotting. |
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Gently pull a chick from the container. | Brush away as much soil as possible exposing the root. |
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Press the chick into the prepared area near the edge and bury the entire root. | Continue until you are satisfied with your arrangement. |
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Use a soft paintbrush to clean dirt out of the rosettes. | To Water, fill a sink or bucket with water and submerge the entire pot. Not covering the plant any more than you have to.
When air bubbles stop rising out of the pot remove it from the water and allow it to drain until all dripping stops. Let your Hens and Chicks remain out of sunlight until the rosettes are totaly dry (otherwise they will burn). |
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Remove chicks as the pot becomes overcrowded and remove any dead leaves | |
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If your plant begins to look unhealthy the most common problem is due to too much watering. If the soil is soggy prepare a new planter with all fresh soil and transplant your Hens and Chicks ASAP. | |
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Don't be concerned with fertilizing as you will probably burn the roots with it, when you are ready to transplant the chicks refresh the soil with a 50/50 blend of the original soil and the citrus and cactus potting soil. | |
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Almost all hens and chicks will form a flower when they reach full maturity. After flowering it will die.
The Hen will stop making chicks and a spike will grow in middle of the rosette as she prepares for the end of her cycle of life. | |
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For a FREE Adobe PDF of this project visit my article on Instructables.
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Comments: 27
Thanks Mystery Solved. I have this plant and didn't know what it was called.
You're welcome Debbie
What is the bark and charcol for? I ask because I have never used either in planting Hens and Chicks. I have planted them in Ohio and Florida (two totally different climates) and have had much success with them. Hens and Chicks are one of my favorite plants to have around.
The bark as stated in the article is a personal preference for adding drainage the charcoal I believe (and I could be wrong here) is to absorb and retain nutrients to keep the soil fed Sandy
So how do you eat this? Is it a secret recipe and you are just toying with our emotions knowing full well we will not know how to prepare this culinary delight. People will say yuck to my preparations unless you give me the recipe. Prett please!!!
LOL William, maybe I can find a good fried cactus recipe for you.
Y is missing, like Y I wrote the above. I'm okay now, if you think so.
I'm glad you're OK, Bill. If you want to eat succulents, check to see if you have any wild purslane. It use to come up all over our garden when I was a kid. Here's a recipe:
Kendra’s Version of Sunset’s Purslane & Cucumber & Yogurt Salad:
Mix Together:
1 Cucumber, seeded and diced
2 c. chopped purslane
2 Tbs. chopped mint
1 garlic clove mashed to a paste with 1 tsp. salt
2 c. plain yogurt
2 tbsp. olive oil
zest of 1 lemon
freshly ground black pepper
I think you are ok William and John thanks for helping William out with the recipe before he withers away.
its a really pretty plant!! very interesting to learn about these
Theres a lot of history to this plant Fran, people used to grow them on their rooftops to keep sorcery and witchcraft away.
You really do have a green thumb ... you must have a wonderful garden.
Not me Magi, Hubby is the gardener I scare plants to death.
Then specialize in weeds! LOL
Well illustrated, clear directions. We have some succulents which survive our winters, part of which get down below -20 degrees F.
Wow John -20? just the thought of that makes me shiver!
I've grown these before. I can't find them in Utah.
E mail me your mailing addy Bob and when I get new chicks I will ship you some.
Thanks for sharing, for some odd reason mine did not come back up this year. It might be bacuase Iwe had such a bad winter.
I love this plant. I have one in a pot in my home, but mine is artificial (LOL) but it's pretty. You did a nice presentation for planting and growing the plant. Thanks so much for your time and effort. I may just turn my artificial one into a real one. LOL
I have chickens in my garden...all they do is crow and wake the peonies up.
Thanks Debra.
So glad that I came upon your post. I didn't know that once hens and chicks flower they die. Mine flowered last year and this year there were only a few plants. I am hoping to get some new plants to place in my garden. Love these plants.
Nice photos
This is a plant that reminds me of my childhood as my mom always had some in her gardens. I used to have some years ago but they died out eventually.
You've given excellent planting instructions especially with the photos. We have some of these, but I did not plant them. My neighbor did. I like them especially because they require no watering here since we'll get rain often enough for succulents.
I love these. My mom and dad always had them.