Photo hungry mob luring you in...wants you to sleep with your camera...

My niece in the Houston area really liked this semp I'm growing. I bought her one from one of the big box stores, potted it up, and kept it here in my dry arid part of Texas and when the opportunity came, sent it to her. She's said she was pretty neglectful and she had it protected from too much rain. She thought just the humidity around Houston was the main reason it died for her. I had told her not to water it much and she assured me she hadn't, but it sounded like it died from too much water. The potting mix I prepared drained really fast because I knew it was going to an area that gets rain, so it should have drained quickly. Is it possible she was correct about the humidity?

Greg, that is an amazing collection! Do you know what each one is? I'm blown away! And what a great way to keep them! MR

Donald, how disheartening. I was so beautiful. It is hard to say what might have killed it. Did she keep it in full sun? The summer heat in Houston, combined with the humidity would be enough to kill it, even with little water. I just kind of melts them. Without seeing photos of the dying or dead plants it would only be guessing.

Lynn,

Mine didn't die! That thing in the photo is still going strong. This has been an easy plant for me. It can take the heat, for sure. I hardly ever deliberately water it. It had aphids last week which I've not seen on it before. I submerged it in the stock trough and swished it around. Most seem to be gone, but not all. I was hoping for a rain so I could locate a fire ant mound. I was going to set the pot on the mound and stir the mean things up hoping they'd find the aphids and take care of them for me. But it didn't rain, so that experiment is on hold for the time being.

Her description made it sound like it just melted away, but I'm not sure it was totally in full sun. I think she had it on her apt. patio, so it probably wasn't in sun all day but I was never there so I don't know how much or what kind of sun. Mine actually gets a lot of sun, but usually very low humidity.

Yes, that high humidity is really tough on them, especially if given to much water at the wrong time of the day. Best time for watering in heat with high humidity would be in the cool of the evening. It would give the plants time to dry out before the next day arrives.
I am so relieved to hear that you didn't lose yours. Do you know which semp it is, it is lovely.

It was sold as Sempervivum 'Purple Beauty'. About three years ago it was being offered around here by nearly anyone who sold plants - Walmart, the big box stores, local nurseries. They all had it for sale, often in large numbers. Since then, I haven't seen it offered again. Go figure. The original label that came with mine indicates the original came from FEZ's Greenhouse as the wholesaler. It's so nice when those tags stay with plant. So often they are missing.

Donald that is a lovely planting, and I love the pot too!!