How Do You Care For Senecio Serpens?

How Do You Care For Senecio Serpens?

Senecio Serpens is easy to care for and requires low maintenance. While the plant requires full sunlight, cover it with a shade cloth or bring it indoors during a heat wave. Senecio Serpens requires at least six hours of direct sunshine every day for best development. If you don’t live in a particularly sunny area, let the plant outside for around eight hours.

Senecio Serpens, like many succulents, loves well-drained soil. Use a ready-made cactus and succulent mix, or make your own by combining fine gravel and coarse sand with regular potting soil. The following are the factors to consider when caring for Senecio Serpens:

Sunlight:

Senecio Serpens needs full sunlight to partial shade. Because it is succulent, it can tolerate direct sunlight even in the summer. So, if possible, allow your Senecio Serpens to grow indoors during the summer when its leaves might wither and drop off due to lack of sunlight. Plant your Senecio Serpens in a spot that receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight every day, even throughout the cold season or when it is cloudy outside.

Watering:

Senecio Serpens is a drought-tolerant plant. Allow the soil to dry before watering thoroughly. Once established, you should give your plants a deep watering around once a month. As with most succulents, your Senecio Serpens will get root rot if the soil is too wet.

So, try watering it only when the soil is dry enough to have a few beads of water form on top when squeezed. If you live in a dry place, water it only once a week and use plenty of mulch to keep the soil cool and well-drained.

Soil:

Senecio Serpens likes well-draining soil. Use a ready-made cactus and succulent mix, or make your own by combining fine gravel and coarse sand with regular potting soil. Because this plant is drought-tolerant, you can use excellent potting soil. For example, use a cactus and succulent mix that has been moistened before using it.

To get the best results from your Senecio Serpens, use a cactus and succulent mix containing gravel and coarse sand that has been well-moistened. You could also mix in some sphagnum peat moss to improve the drainage of your soil.

Temperature:

Senecio Serpens prefers cold to warm temperatures ranging from 60 to 82°F (16°C to 28°C) for growth. Do not expose to temperatures below 32°F (0°C) for extended periods of contact with the leaves and stems killing this species, so avoid planting it near frost pockets.

Humidity:

Senecio Serpens prefers low humidity and low to average watering. Succulent plants store water in their leaves and stems, so they usually don’t need extra water. The humidifier may cause rot to the plant’s leaves and stems, so it is better not to use a humidifier.

Fertilizer:

Senecio Serpens does not require any fertilizer for growth. If you use a cactus and succulent mix, you can apply cactus and succulent fertilizer once a month. Fertilize garden plants with a balanced liquid supplement once a year in the spring if desired.

Propagation:

Senecio Serpens is easy to propagate. You can propagate this plant by seeds, offsets, and cuttings in the spring and summer. When cutting them into pieces about the size of a pencil, put them in a jar filled with water, keeping the jar in direct sunlight for about three weeks, and then put them in an area with bright light.

After that time, you should be able to take out small pieces of leaves and stems from the jar (having water inside to cover your hands) that have roots attached to them.

Repotting:

Senecio Serpens should be repotted every 2 years. Repot plants in spring or early summer or whenever the roots begin to grow through the drainage holes in their pots. Use a cactus and succulent mix with 50 percent sand or perlite. Before repotting, soak the potting soil in water to ensure that it’s moist.

Carefully remove the plant from its pot by sliding your fingers along the sides of the pot to loosen the root ball. Knock away any excess soil from around your plants’ roots.

Pruning:

Senecio Serpens is easy to prune. You can prune this plant in the spring, but not too early in spring because you do not want to cut off the main stem. Pruning is also not recommended in summer because this could cause damage to your Senecio Serpens.

Look for a time when the plant is dormant, then prune your Senecio Serpens. Make sure that the new growth from your cut pieces will be able to grow freely and will not be damaged by any late rains or high winds.

Pests and Diseases:

Senecio Serpens is susceptible to pests and diseases. Check the soil regularly for pests, such as mealy bugs, white flies, thrips, and spider mites. If you find any pests or diseases on your Senecio Serpens, try to solve the problem before it gets too serious because it might turn into a disease that is difficult to treat.

Diseases, including rot and fungal diseases, can be prevented by making sure your soil is healthy and not too dry, using good drainage, watering your plants with enough water, and using good quality potting soil.

How Do You Propagate Senecio Serpens?

Senecio Serpens is easy to propagate. You can propagate this plant by seeds, offsets, and cuttings in the spring and summer. When cutting them into pieces about the size of a pencil, put them in a jar filled with water, keeping the jar in direct sunlight for about three weeks, and then put them in an area with bright light.

After that time, you should be able to take out small pieces of leaves and stems from the jar (having water inside to cover your hands) that have roots attached to them. You can use a chopstick or a knife to make the cut when cutting this plant.

Hold the knife or chopstick against the stem to make the cute push it through the stem with your finger. Then, leave the cut pieces in a jar full of water for about three weeks until roots emerge. The following are steps to follow when propagating Senecio Serpens:

Propagation by seeds;

• Choose a healthy, mature plant.
• To collect the seeds, shake the seed pods over a bowl after they begin to ripen.
• Remove the seeds from the petals, and soak them in warm water for about two days to soften the outer coating. You can also put your seeds under a stack of books after soaking them in warm water for a day. The seeds will be ready to sprout when their coats begin to crackle when you move them gently or when you blow on them.
• Put your seed flats in a brightly lighted area, such as under fluorescent lights, but avoid direct sunlight because this plant is susceptible to sunburns.

Propagation by cuttings;

• Remove the flower head from the plant and gently remove it from the stem.
• Plunge your cutting into a tall jar of water for about one month to allow new roots to develop, and then tie several pieces of string to the cutting’s stem and hang your cutting upside down in a bright location.
• After about 2 weeks, you will find roots emerging from around the stem, and after about 2 months, you can remove your cutting from its root-grafting container and plant it in soil that has good drainage.
• If you wish to propagate multiple new plants from a single cutting, replant your cuttings in a large container filled with soil. Keep the growing medium moist, and soon you will have a new plant.

Propagation by offsets;

• Touch the offsets with a pencil and plant them in a container of warm water to encourage the growth of roots. Remember to plant your offset no deeper than the diameter of the tap root.
• After several days, you can lift the offsets out of the warm water and let them air dry for about one day. After that, you can plant them in potting soil that has good drainage.
• Keep them warm and humid, and once they have rotted down to the size of a pencil, remove all the leaves and then transplant them into another container filled with soil that has good drainage.
• You can also propagate new Senecio Serpens plants this way by taking one or more offsets and then prying it out of the side of the plant using a sharp knife or other implements, leaving at least two roots behind.

How Do You Repot Senecio Serpens?

Senecio Serpens is easy to repot. You can repot Senecio Serpens once every 2 years in spring or early summer or whenever the roots begin to grow through the drainage holes in their pots. Use a cactus and succulent mix with 50 percent sand or perlite. Before repotting, soak the potting soil in water to ensure that it’s moist. Carefully remove the plant from its pot by sliding your fingers along the sides of the pot to loosen the root ball. Knock away any excess soil from around your plants’ roots. When repotting, make sure the new pot has plenty of drainage holes and use well-drained potting soil. Here are steps to follow when repotting Senecio Serpens:

• Before repotting your Senecio Serpens, take a piece of root and scratch it off the bottom of the pot that you wish to repot.
• Put some fresh potting soil in your container and work it into the bottom of the container until you have packed it tightly enough to hold the roots in place.
• Add some more potting soil on top, and then gently press the soil down to remove any air pockets around your plants’ root ball.
• Make sure that the top of your Senecio Serpens’s root ball is even with or slightly below ground level, and then water your plant well.
• Place the plant in the center of your container, fill in surrounding the sides, and water the pot.
• Do not allow the soil to dry out completely between watering, and place your plant in a brightly lighted area but avoid direct sunlight because this plant is susceptible to sunburns.