How to take care of my variegated "Compton Carousel" echeveria so that it doesn't die trying?
How to care for my variegated "Compton Carousel" echeveria so that it doesn't die trying?
It is another of the five succulent plants that I consider to be the most delicate in cultivation. It is very easy to make it feel bad, however if you can get it to feel good, it will grow fast, vigorous and very prolific. It is a very sensitive plant to develop fungal diseases such as fusarium that trigger rot and loss of the plant immediately. Here are some tips for good maintenance:
It is a 100% outdoor plant. To keep it inside you would need; lights, ventilation etc. It does not tolerate temperature changes well, it cannot have heating or air conditioning.
Like most echeverias, it rests in winter when temperatures are low and is most active in fall/summer/spring. Although with a mild climate it can remain active throughout the year.
Being a variegated plant, from May it must be protected from the sun and placed in a location that is filtered or directly in the shade, where it is bright until the end of September.
He likes stability, not continually changing his location and orientation to the sun.
It is one of the plants most susceptible to humidity. In favorable conditions of temperature, ventilation, light, with an adult and healthy specimen you could water like any other succulent plant without a problem. As these variables are difficult to determine, we recommend that you always water from below with a container or plate so that the water does not directly touch its rosette and leaves. Add the water to the irrigation container or dish, leave it for a few minutes and once the substrate is moist, discard the excess water.
You should not irrigate with minimum temperatures lower than 8º or above 32º maximum or 20º minimum continuously. The plant is with the activity at rest and does not need water, if it had it it would become the perfect broth for the fungi to proliferate in both situations.
It requires a substrate that is as mineral as possible to avoid waterlogging and to drain excess moisture. A 50% universal substrate and another 50% pomice, volcanic gravel or akamada of small volumetry so that it does not retain humidity, it is the perfect combination. I would avoid perlite and especially vermiculite, both are moisture retainers.
In the milder seasons you can use antifungals such as Copper salts in preventive irrigation. You can also use biofungicides that activate plant growth, help produce defenses and fight pathogenic fungi.
