I have written several posts about sedums recently. But I did not touch on this issue that seems to bother many of my readers, following their reactions to my other posts about this beautiful succulent. Sedum looks good if it is healthy, and logically people want to know how to make sure their plants thrive, instead of falling over or simply dying. Let me get straight to the point:
Sedums may fall over from a variety of reasons. The most common are overly rich soil, over-watering, and lack of sunlight. Reducing nutrients in the soil, less water, and more sunlight can help sedum plants stay in good shape. Let’s have a look at how you can address this issue as a grower, and make sure your Sedum won’t fall over.
Table of Contents
Providing Support System
When the stems or stalks of sedums fall over, it means that the plants’ system is not strong enough to support the weight of the plant. Providing a support system will help in 9 out of ten cases. Let me guide on how you should do it, in two simple steps.
- Pound stakes around the plant. What you need are 18-inch wooden stakes, and then you simply stick them in the ground around the plant. Of course, if your plant is smaller, the stakes do not need to be that long. Use common sense when deciding about the right size of the stakes.
- Tie the Stakes. The next thing you should do is to tie a twine connecting all the stakes that surround the plant. I want to sort of wrap the plant with twine several times tightly. There are many ways to do it, again you just need to follow a common sense, making sure the twine really helps to keep the plant together, that it gets it the support it needs.
Related: How to Prepare Sedum for Winter?
Replanting Sedum clumps
If your sedum plants are three to four years old, chances are they form dense clumps. It may be another reason why your plant starts to fall over, or at least it isn’t doing as well as it should be. Here’s what you need to do:
- Divide the dense clumps. Divide the dense clumps into smaller ones, as easy as that.
- Transfer them to new location. Take the clumps and transfer them to a new location. I suggest that you choose a spot in your garden that has access to sunlight for about at least four hours a day. Sedum loves sun, so you should give it some.
- Replant the clumps. Now that you have chosen the perfect spot for sedum clumps to grow, it is time to replant it. Dig a hole where the clump will perfectly fit. Get those excavated soil and tamp it around the roots. If there are clods, break them so that they can be distributed evenly around the plant.
Of course, in many cases do not have to or want to replant sedums. You can just prune the heavy part so that they won’t fall over.
A few extra tips when it comes to growing Sedum
We know at least 400 varieties of sedums. Some are small while others can grow up to three feet tall. Those that grow tall tend to produce huge flower heads which cause them to fall over. It commonly happens in sedums that are planted in the soil rich in nutrients. And while you do not want your plants to fall over, at the same time you want to enjoy the flowers :).
If this is the case, mix the soil with sand to neutralize the nutrient content. The other thing you can do is prune the heavy top. When you do this, make sure that you use clean and sharp pruning shears. Pruning will help especially succulents that grow in low light. It will help them develop sturdier stem. The stalks will also become thicker and stronger.
Another reason why sedum plants may fall over is the lack of sunlight exposure. If you are growing sedums indoors or in shade, you might probably come across this issue. The easiest thing to do is transfer the plants to sunnier areas. And if you grow them outdoors, you should get a grow light.
Related: Can Sedum Grow in Shade?
Final thoughts
Sedums are some of the most resilient succulent plants you can have in your garden. And I love them exactly for this reason. However, they may still show some problems, one of which is the inability of the plant to maintain the top weight.
What you can do is figure out what causes the problem (following the advice from this post) and resolve it. For instance, if the problem is rich soil, add some sand into it to neutralize the nutrient content of it. If the root cause is over-watering, you need to adjust the amount of water. Lastly, if you think that the lack of available sun is the culprit, move the plant to a sunnier area. I hope it helps, and enjoy your sedums!
May also interest you:
- My complete succulent guide – everything you need to know about growing succulents.
- Is Sedum poisonous to dogs? – Do you have a pet at home, or roaming freely in the garden? Learn whether having sedums there can cause your pet any problems.
- Will sedum survive winter? – Eerything you need to know about how to keep you sedum safe during the cold months.
