Dudleya Pachyphytum cutting not rooting

[Aiko]

Dudleya pachyphytum comes from the Cedros Island off the coast of Baja California and receives winter rainfall.

Is this an obligatory winter grower, or is it more of an opportunistic grower, growing whenever it receives water?

Some succulents are maybe winter active in habitat, but grow perfectly fine as summer active plants (like some Aloe, Dinteranthus, Argyroderma, Titanopsis).

[Stuart]

That's a good question Aiko, I see lots of Dudleyas by the roadside in California each year, they've always dried up and shrunk right back for the summer and the flower spike is easier to spot than the plants. At the same time, in mid summer, in wholesale nurseries in California and Arizona, Dudleyas are in full growth. I've always treated them like cacti and they seem fine as summer growers. With the exception of Tylecodons, I really don't like wet plants in the greenhouse in the winter.

Stuart

[Simon S]

I'd absolutely agree with Terry about day and night temperatures HaoBao (if your window sills are similar) - there's no need to put your cutting outside.. and I'd personally be wary of flash inclement weather at this time of year. Along with moist akadama, try to give your plant as much light as possible to compensate for our more northern latitude. I'd imagine hot grow lights are too much though, especially without roots.

I always believed that plants from leaf cuttings are impossible, but have recently heard that the subterranean tuber-like stems of D. nesiotica can be grown from leaves, albeit in California. This surprised me as the leaves of this species are not hugely succulent and die off each year before flowering. I've never tried to root leaf cuttings either, particularly because it's really easy to grow from seed, as mentioned.

I also think Stuart's right Aiko, in that dudleyas can be grown as summer plants - I have friends who treat them this way. It's just personal preference, but I think they struggle a little when treated as summer growers, only because they've evolved in the winter rainfall Mediterranean climate of western North America and are naturally triggered by the rise in precipitation and cooler nights (when their mode of photosynthesis also changes). I guess it comes down to individual choice with all the plants you mention - and mold from damp can be a challenge without good airflow.

Please let us know if you have any luck HaoBao

[ralphrmartin]

I also think Stuart's right Aiko, in that dudleyas can be grown as summer plants - I have friends who treat them this way.

I used to do that, without obvious problems, until Terry told us they were obligate winter growers. They had a short rest this autumn, and are now being watered again...

[BrianMc]

I have a couple of D.pachyphytum and a D.pulverulenta which I leave dry during the summer months . The thing to bear in mind is that Dudleya are not like Echeveria. I worry that your cat litter will be too dry to root your cutting (but I dislike using pure cat litter) if you can get the watering balance right you will stand a chance. I successfully chopped and rerooted one of my D.pachyphytum last year. Patience is required as they don't root as quick as Echeveria. I used a 3.5 inch clay pot filled with sandy soil and perlite. keeping the mix just slightly damp through the winter proved to be successful and by late winter the roots were well developed.

[HaoBao]

Thank you all for your replies. I’ll use slightly damp soil, mostly inorganic and leave it by the window and check for mold occasionally. If I do see mold do you know what to use to treat it? I heard dry powdered cinnamon works but you lot know more than me I did remove some of the dead old leaves from the stem as I thought if that’s where any roots would come from it might be easier for them to come out and without the layers of thin dried leaves it might lessen the chance of mold.

Fingers crossed

[Terry S.]

I would not expect fungal diseases on plants grown as house plants because the relative humidity in our houses is low at this time of year as a consequence of our heating systems. Fungicides should not be required

I few weeks ago, I spotted a patch of botrytis on a a Crassula 'Celia' in the greenhouse. If I had ignored it, the plant would be dead by now. I just removed the mouldy piece and brought the plant indoors onto a windowsill. The rot has not developed any further and the flowers are opening.