I just received a bunch of the ChickCharm Giants for a TV spot and a couple of them have reflexed lower leaves even after being in the box for 2 days. I know they went into the box without this but I'm pretty sure they will assume a normal position as soon as they get back in good light. No surgeries please!

Kevin

I assume they weren't wrapped snugly? How were they packaged?

I think it's because of etiolation

But if the rosettes are wrapped, even with etiolation, the leaves should not become reflexed...?

Sempervivum can do that very quickly when deprived of sufficient light. Plus pushing them for quicker growth.

Aeonium2003 said: But if the rosettes are wrapped, even with etiolation, the leaves should not become reflexed...?

I don't understand how that works, either, but they start acting like they're trying to climb out of their pot like a hermit crab climbing out of its shell.

Here are my four Giants. They didn't have spike or tape labels and the big Chick Charms labels were tucked loose under a box flap so I took this picture to ask the seller to ID them.




You can see that Steel Appeal, at upper right, already looks significantly narrower than the other three because of the curled leaves.

Maybe it's just a characteristic of certain cultivars, since the other three aren't nearly as affected?

Or maybe it and it's clone cohorts were traveling longer to arrive at the seller, and never had a chance to settle before being shuttled 3/4 of the way across the Nation to me. I'd look like I wanted to escape in those circumstances, too.

No the plants were packed beautifully and the soil was still in the pots. Semps respond to low light by elongating and send the older basal leaves backwards. Once back in soil and normal light, they'll be fine. I saw large groups of these at a local dealer and all of them looked fine.

Kevin

JungleShadows said:...I saw large groups of these at a local dealer and all of them looked fine.

Kevin

I bet that was a beautiful sight!
I've never actually seen them in stores before, that I can recall.
Only the tender ones, echeveria and the like.

Mine have gone through the same process and are now starting to look normal. I think it affects the large rosettes more than it does small/young offsets.
I agree with Kevin. Just plant them and make sure they get enough light.

Well, I was exited to get some of these new varieties when I placed my order almost four months ago. But now with temps around 100 and full summer mode I am wondering if I should cancel for this season. Dealer's site says swamped with orders. Waiting until cooler weather to plant will allow precious little time to get established before the ground freezes.

Frustrating, for sure!
Hopefully you'll be able to make it work!

Westfork, it might be a good idea to wait. See if you can get some the first of next year, even if you have to keep them in your garage until your snow is gone.

valleylynn said: Westfork, it might be a good idea to wait. See if you can get some the first of next year, even if you have to keep them in your garage until your snow is gone.

Lynn, if only we had reliable snow. Winter is our extreme dry season, but most of the time there is very little snow cover for insulation so our frost goes over four feet deep for most of the season. Then one year in five we get more snow than we know what to do with, but at least more plants survive.
I contacted the dealer and will see what he says. Acclimating them from greenhouse to near 100 degree full sun would take time and they won't get a lot of root growth before winter.

When this thread started I went to In The Country Garden and found that they had a lot of them listed. So back in November I put in a big order that pretty much included everything that was listed at the beginning of this thread.

Sadly I heard from Josh recently and he did not get any ChocoLatte, Emerald Explosion, Pink Sapphire or Maroon Mountain from Chick Charms. And he was told that Pink Sapphire was being discontinued due to rot. And the other 3 are still uncertain. I did get ChocoLatte from another source and am disappointed that I won't be getting the others but I guess that is just part of the semp game.

Melissa, I also have 'Choco-Latte', along with 'Gold Mine', 'Gold Rush', 'Copper Canyon' and 'Steel Appeal'. All are doing well.

Melissa,

Yes I think the "soft launch" of these new ones greatly exceeded Chris' anticipation for their demand. They should be more available next year. Seedable still has plants of these, I think, as they ordered as soon as they were available. Ditto Dancing Oaks.

Kevin

Melissa, aren't you glad you at least had picked up something Chick Charm-ish at Dancing Oaks? I delivered the one I picked up to Utah garden.

Lynn - I do have all of those so I shouldn't complain about the ones I didn't get. In fact I ended up with duplicates on some of them. Mine are also doing well.

Kevin - I will hold out hope for those K missed. I haven't checked with Seedable but I bought everything Dancing Oaks had back when I was rhere.

Be v - oh so very glad! I don't even care tt I got some doubles.

Took some photos today of the new stuff that CC recently released. I ended up with duplicates of several because I ordered online last fall and then went to a couple of nurseries in the spring who also happened to have some of the new stuff. So to make sure I didn't miss out, I bought again and now have two or more of some.

Autumn Apple


Choco-Latte


Copper Canyon



Gold Mine



Gold Rush




Lotus Blossom


Pineapple Paradise


Steel Appeal