How To Grow Hens And Chicks In A Hen And Chick Planter

The display options for hen and chick planters are virtually limitless, and hen and chick planters belong to the group of simple plants to cultivate.

Even if you have a reputation for being unable to keep anything green alive, hen and chick planters are the best option for gardening in the open air.

Why Do People Keep Hens And Chicks?

You can raise hens and chicks effectively regardless of whether you have a green thumb.

Because hens and chicks are succulents, hens and chicks are unlikely that anyone will be able to cause them any harm. Their Latin name, Sempervivum, literally translates to "live forever."

Although I will never be able to cultivate hens and chicks before with any degree of success, doing so has always been one of my primary objectives. When I was in Chicago the last time I went to Meijer, and when I was there, I saw a container that was full of hens and chicks. While I was there, I also saw a chicken in a container. I have no idea why I waited so long to obtain hens and chick plants, but I did so and cannot explain.

Hens and chicks were less than nine dollars, so I grabbed them and put hens and chicks in the cart without thinking I would have to stuff them in my trunk with everything else I was transporting back to Pennsylvania and keep hens and chicks from toppling over or getting squished. I put hens and chicks in the cart anyhow.

I saved hens and chicks last and stowed it in the trunk, hoping for the best.

The Planters

I searched for the most suitable planters, during which time I let the container I had been using serve as a temporary home for my plants on the front porch of my house.

Strawberry pots were the only thing that made sense to me then, and I could pick some up at Joann's during their clearance sale.

When I finally got hens and chicks into my possession at home, I observed that they lacked several essential aspects I had sought.

I wished they had little "pockets" like the ones above to hold the soil in place, but they didn't, so I had no choice but to work with what I had and try to make the best of the situation.

Hens and chicks were not significant—maybe $8.00 for both—so hens and chicks were not a problem. However, when I shop for flower pots the following year, I will most likely purchase those that would have been more appropriate for my needs.

The Proper Drainage And Soil

Choosing the right soil is crucial when growing succulents.

I already had everything I required; however, the items that I recommend and have used are included in the following supply list:

Supplies: a planter or a strawberry pot, Live succulents, hens, and chicks - if you choose to have either. Have you heard that you may purchase hens and chicks on Amazon? I had no idea till I looked hens and chicks up

Peat Moss Perlite Miracle-Gro Sphagnum Miracle-Gro Perlite Peat Moss

Potting Soil for Cactuses, Palms, and Citrus from Miracle-Gro 

As a side note, I bought all the soil I used in the previous section from Walmart. However, if you don't want to schlep the bags home or can't locate them in your area, the links in the box above are for these goods available on Amazon.

How To Grow Hens And Chicks

It is not difficult to raise chickens and chicks. The plants can be found at almost any nursery that sells plants. They need to be grown in well-drained soil and even slightly gritty. Providing a lot of fertilizer or water to hens and chicks is unnecessary and should not be fed very often. Hens and chick plants are accustomed to receiving very little water because they are succulents. Learning how to cultivate hens and chicks from offsets can be a fun and rewarding job. It is possible to carefully separate the chick from the mother plant and replant it at a different site. It is possible to raise hens and chicks with very little soil, and they can even be grown in rock crevices.

The 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit is considered the most comfortable for hens and chicks (18-24 C.). Plants will enter a semi-dormant state and stop growing when temperatures reach extremes above or below their normal range. Clay containers filled with a cactus or succulent mix can be used to plant containerized plants. In addition, you can create your own by combining dirt, sand, and perlite in a ratio of two to two to one. The fertilizer requirements for plants grown in containers are going to be higher. A liquid fertilizer diluted by half should be applied during the spring and summer irrigation.
Additionally, hens and chicks can be grown from their seeds. An incredible diversity of species is available at online nurseries, and growing your plants from seed will provide you and your friends with a wide range of options. After the seeds have been sowed in a cactus mix and sprayed with water until the entire mixture is evenly damp, the seeds are placed in a warm environment to wait for germination. After the seeds have germinated, a little layer of fine gravel will be spread around the plants to retain moisture. The seedlings should be grown in a bright sunny window and receive a light misting every few days. They should wait to be transplanted when they have achieved a diameter of one inch (2.5 cm). The care required for hens and chick plants is minimal. After four to six years, the mother plant will become extinct and should be removed before it does. When the plants have reached their full maturity, they will develop flowers, which must be pulled off the plant before they wither and die. At least once every two years, separate the young plants from their mother plant to avoid overcrowding.

How to Plant Hens and Chicks

After I had finished gathering all of the necessary items, I got started with the planting process.

I used scissors to puncture a small hole in the plastic container in which the hens and chicks were housed, so it would be simpler to remove them from the container.

Hens and chicks were jammed in there reasonably well, and I didn't want to lose any little ones.

Put a rock in the bottom of each planter to prevent the soil from escaping while allowing water to drain. Another option would be to make use of a paper coffee filter.

I then spread perlite over the bottom, followed by sphagnum peat moss and cactus potting mix.

I got to within a few feet of the first group of holes before I halted.

To separate the chicks from the group at this stage, I used only my fingers without using any tools. I then nestled these chicks into the available spaces.

After that, I added sphagnum peat moss and cactus potting mix until the mixture reached a level just below the lip of the strawberry pot, around half an inch from the very top.

Because the soil will eventually settle, chicks must not leave a massive gap between the top of the pot and the earth.

After that, I positioned the remaining hens with their trailing chicks at the top of each pot.

How Should I Handle The Chicks?

The young birds that follow behind their parents are called chicks. When the chicks have reached an age where they can "live" without their mother's care, the stem will wither, and the chick will fall off.

Once chicks have fallen off, please pick them up, create a small hole in the dirt with your finger, and place the chick in the spot along with their mother hen or a separate container.

You might be able to make out roots that resemble hair all along the new stems.

A newly independent chick buried in soil will begin to grow roots immediately.

When Will We Know What It Means When The Hens Bloom?

Unfortuitously, the appearance of blossoms on a hen indicates that she has entered the latter part of her life and will pass away shortly.

Even if you cut off the blooms, the process will continue. However, the hen will have given birth to many chicks and will be between two and three years old.

After the flowers had passed, I took the stalk from the pot, waited for the hen to pass away, and then disposed of her body.

That can be accomplished quickly and easily by simply pinching and carefully withdrawing the substance.

Hens and chicks shouldn't be too difficult to dislodge the hen from her perch in the pot because she will most likely be brownish-black and feel dry to the touch.

Instructions On How To Take Care Of Hens And Chicks

After moving your hens and chicks to their new homes, please provide them plenty of water. After that, you should wait until the soil has completely dried up before watering hens and chicks again. Hens and chicks are resistant to drought and will flourish in high temperatures.

When placing your hens and chicks in their permanent or semi-permanent home, remember that they do best in a location that receives full sun rather than partial sun.

Hens and chick plants are hardy enough to survive the harsh winter conditions in zones 4-8. You can search for the information on your time zone right here if you are sure what it is.

Winter Care For Hens And Chicks In Containers And Flowerbeds

The winters in southwest Pennsylvania may sometimes be somewhat challenging.

Hens and chicks did pretty well despite being exposed to the elements, even though I left them in their pots in the flowerbed where they were kept.

If you live where the temperature drops below freezing during the winter, you should probably bring your potted hens and chicks inside for the season.

Putting hens and chicks in a container with packing peanuts or anything else that can tolerate water exposure is a terrific way to insulate and protect them while transporting them.

Make sure that the packing peanuts you are using are not the excellent eco-friendly type because some disintegrate when they come into contact with water, and others can be recycled.

Hens and chicks should be kept in a sheltered space such as a garage, basement, or enclosed porch and given water whenever necessary.

Where you will keep your hens and chicks over the winter should have plenty of natural light.

Once the frost threat has passed, move your plants outdoors.

Fertilize hens and chicks and then admire their beautiful growth next summer.

Do Hens And Chicks Return Each Year

 Hens And Chicks Planter indeed do!

The hens will have a lifespan of around three years before passing away, but at the end of each growing season, hens will give birth to chicks that will eventually mature and carry on the life cycle.

How you can showcase hen and chick planters is practically unlimited, and the plants themselves are part of a group of easy-to-grow species. Hen and chick planters are the ideal alternatives for growing in the open air, which is true even if you have a history of being unable to maintain anything green alive and have a reputation for the plant.