Some Echeveria Questions

[KeithG]

I have some questions about some of my Echeveria. One question relates to the first two Echeveria - are these flower spikes or new rosettes?

The next question relates to this broken flower spike that I picked up in a GC and (not really expecting anything as my understanding was that plants couldn't be propogated like this) I potted it up. It has sat there for about ten months not really doing anything but recently new growth has emerged........

Are these new rosettes or has the flower spike come back to life? If you look at the second photo you can see new growth emerging from below the soil.

Thanks for looking

[Diane]

In answer to your first question - yes, they are flower spikes and should slowly develop flowers when they have extended, although they can sometimes abort flowers and just keep growing.
The second question, yes they can be propagated from flower spikes - it looks as though yours has developed pups. This can be quite a good method of propagation, a flower spike laid on a gritty compost mix may root and develop babies from the small leaf bracts on the stem.

[KeithG]

Thank you Diane

The second question, yes they can be propagated from flower spikes - it looks as though yours has developed pups. This can be quite a good method of propagation, a flower spike laid on a gritty compost mix may root and develop babies from the small leaf bracts on the stem.

So rather than discard a spent stem it may be worth laying it on a seed tray to see what happens? If so that is good news as my Echeveria make good trading 'currency' on a general gardening forum that I use. I assume that only really applies to the 'fleshier' types of stems, not the thinner stems of, say, E.elegans?

[Diane]

You've got nothing to lose by trying, Keith, but results might be a bit hit or miss.