Food-Gardening Lessons From A Wartime Victory Garden

How Do I Start Seeds of the Rare Succulent Sinocrassula yunnanensis?

Sinocrassula yunnanensis

“I was gifted Sinocrassula yunnanensis seeds. What’s the best way to germinate seeds.” Question from Lizzy of Ocala, Florida

Answer: The seeds of the rare Asian succulent Sinocrassula yunnanensis need some care for effective germination. The beautiful plants have nearly black foliage and form dense, succulent clumps. Bloom time is in fall or early winter, and the flowers are ivory with red tips.

The seeds should not be covered when sown. They need to be planted in winter and kept under cool growing conditions (65 to 55 degrees F) beneath grow lights. Plant them in a well-drained Seedling Mix with lots of extra perlite. The seeds should take 2-3 months to germinate. After germination, water the seedlings very little to avoid any chance of rot. The soil should be kept just lightly moist. When they get large enough to transplant, plant them in a very well-draining potting mix, such as Black Gold Cactus Mix.

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

 

About JESSIE KEITH

Plants are the lens Jessie views the world through because they’re all-sustaining. (“They feed, clothe, house and heal us. They produce the air we breathe and even make us smell pretty.”) She’s a garden writer and photographer with degrees in both horticulture and plant biology from Purdue and Michigan State Universities. Her degrees were bolstered by internships at Longwood Gardens and the American Horticultural Society. She has since worked for many horticultural institutions and companies and now manages communications for Sun Gro Horticulture, the parent company of Black Gold. Her joy is sharing all things green and lovely with her two daughters.

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