The fleshy leaves of Echeveria laui are covered with a thick layer of white farina, resembling snow on a mountain peak. The contrast between the blue-green leaves and the farina covering gives the whole plant an elegant and mysterious appearance. This layer of farina adds to the leaves' tactile and visual texture and provides a protective barrier, allowing the plant to better adapt to dry and sunny conditions.
In the autumn, Echeveria laui blooms with red or orange-red bell-shaped flowers. These flowers, covered in a layer of farina, stand firm and resilient like snow lotus blossoms on a snowy mountain peak.
Due to its excellent genetics, Echeveria laui is widely used as a parent plant for other popular succulents such as Echeveria 'Laulindsayana,' Echeveria 'Champagne,' and Echeveria 'Ariel.' These varieties inherit the desirable characteristics of Echeveria laui, such as fleshy leaves, captivating appearance, and drought tolerance, making them highly sought after by succulent enthusiasts.
Echeveria 'Laulindsayana' is a cross between Echeveria lauii and E. lindsayana. The similarities and differences between this and Echeveria laui can also be seen in the appearance of the sanglehe, with the most obvious difference being that Echeveria 'Laulindsayana' has a greater number of leaves that cascade down to a greater number of leaflets.
How to Care for Echeveria Laui
The Best Soil for Echeveri Laui
Echeveria laui has high soil requirements. If you want to plant Echeveria laui, choose loose, well-draining, fertile, and airy soil. If you are making your potting mix, you can select sandy soil and add an appropriate amount of leaf mold or perlite, ensuring the granular soil ratio is around 50%. Alternatively, you can purchase succulents and cactus soil.
Planter Pot for Echeveria Laui
Echeveria laui is sensitive to waterlogging, so you must use planter pots with drainage holes to ensure that excess water is promptly drained. A drainage tray can collect excess water, preventing soil from soiling the ground. Ceramic, clay, and resin pots all have good air permeability and drainage.
How Much Light Do Echeveria Laui Need
Echeveria laui likes full sun. In full light, it turns pink. In addition, succulent plants usually produce more white frost in full sun. Inadequate light will cause it to grow tall and floppy. Whether indoors or outdoors, ensure it gets at least 5-6 hours of direct or indirect light. If placed in direct sunlight, such as solid summer sun, shade is needed to prevent the leaves from turning brown and brittle. You may wonder: How to Shade Succulents in Summer.
The Ideal Temperature for Echeveria Laui
The ideal growing temperature for Echeveria laui is between 60°F and 80°F. It has some cold resistance, but prolonged temperatures below 40°F will cause its leaves to frostbite, potentially leading to frost damage and death. Extreme temperatures above 90°F will make Echeveria laui's leaves brittle and may lead to death. Keeping it within the appropriate temperature range is best to maintain its best form and health.
How to Water Echeveria Laui
Echeveria laui is watered relatively more frequently in spring and fall than in summer and winter. You can use the following three steps to determine the specific watering frequency while reducing redundancy:
Step 1: Insert a wooden stick into the soil two inches deep. If the stick emerges with dry soil, it indicates the need for watering; however, if the soil appears moist, refrain from watering.
Step 2: To water your Echeveria laui plant, you can use the bottom watering method. Firstly, find a container that has a wide diameter and moderate depth to hold the water. Next, place your Echeveria laui plant in the container and let the soil absorb the water through the holes in the bottom of the pot. Continue watering until the surface of the potting soil is moist.
Step 3: Check for any standing water on the leaves, soil surface, inside the pot, and on the pot's tray. If there is standing water, promptly remove the excess water.
Echeveria laui has a strong drought tolerance and does not require much water. Overwatering is the most common mistake people make when caring for Echeveria laui. Overwatering can cause root rot and leaf edema, causing irreversible damage and even plant death. You may wonder: If your are underwatering or overwatering succulents.
When watering and fertilizing, try not to splash water or fertilizer on the leaves and avoid rain, especially prolonged rain; these are to avoid rinsing off the white powder on the leaf surface to prevent Echeveria laui from becoming ugly.
How to Fertilize Echeveria Laui Scientifically
Echeveria laui does not need much fertilizer and is sensitive to over-fertilization. If you want to fertilize it, you can apply diluted succulent-specific fertilizer or balanced fertilizer (Low nitrogen, high phosphorus, potassium) once a month during the spring and early summer (during the growing season). However, be sure to avoid over-fertilizing (which can cause softening of the leaves) and fertilizing during the winter (dormancy).
How to Repot Echeveria Laui
You can repotting Echeveria laui every 1-2 years in the spring or autumn. Soil compaction can severely hinder the growth of Echeveria laui or even cause root rot.
Disease and Pest Control
Echeveria laui is prone to infestations by scale insects, which feed on the plant's sap.
If you discover mealybugs (white, cotton-like), eliminate them from the plant by gently wiping them off with alcohol or neem oil.
In addition, leaf spot disease and root rot are also common diseases.
Because Echeveria laui is very afraid of heat, it will be dormant or semi-dormant during the summer heat. Remember not to let the Echeveria Laui get wet during the dormant period. High-temperature rain will break the dormant rhythm of Echeveria laui and easily cause Echeveria laui roots to rot and leaves to become transparent.
Overwatering or inadequate soil drainage can also cause root rot. If this happens, remove the plant from the soil and cut off the rotted roots. Transplant the plant to fresh, well-drained soil and water conservatively.
Leaf spot disease is caused by exposure to excess moisture, leading to fungal diseases. It causes brown or black spots on the plant's leaves.If this happens, use tweezers to remove the affected leaves and place the plant in a ventilated environment, watering using the soak and dry watering method above. You can also use fungicides to prevent the spread of the disease.
How to Propagate Echeveria Laui
Propagating Echeveria laui is a relatively simple process but since it takes more time to root slowly, you will need more patience to wait for it to germinate. It is best done during the active growing seasons of spring and early summer. Stem or leaf cuttings can be used.
Propagation by offsets
1. Select intact small offsets growing at the base of the mother plant.
2. Use sterilized scissors to cut the offsets.
3. Let the cut offsets dry in a ventilated, cool place until calluses form on the wounds.
4. Plant the offsets in well-draining dry soil.
5. After that you can use the SOAK AND DRY WATERING METHOD of watering. First, you should wait until the potting soil dries out before watering it. When watering, pour water on the soil's surface and wait until it seeps out of the pot's bottom holes.
Propagation by Leaf
1. Select healthy leaves.
2. Use sterilized scissors to cut the leaves intact.
3. Let the cut leaves dry in a ventilated, cool place until calluses form on the wounds.
4. Place the leaves on dry soil in indirect sunlight.
5. Place the leaves on dry soil in indirect sunlight; the soil should be loose and breathable.
6. Water the soil and the root system of the seedling, without spreading it on the leaves.
7. Once the plant has leafed out, water as described above.
8. After the mother leaf completely dries out, transplant the new plant into a suitable pot for further growth.
Conclusion
Although caring for Echeveria laui can be challenging, it makes plant enthusiasts eager to cultivate beautiful Echeveria laui. Remember to choose soil with good air permeability, provide sufficient light and appropriate water, and pay attention to disease and pest control. Leaf cuttings, seeds, and offsets are all excellent choices for propagation. Select the propagation method that aligns with your preferences and circumstances. May this article add a guide to your journey with Echeveria laui and make your garden more colorful and vibrant!
