Crassula MULTICAVA

Crassula MULTICAVA - Fairy crassula, Pitted crassula, London pride.

Crassula is a very interesting succulent plant. The genus received its familiar common name "jade plant" or "stonecrop" thanks to its thick leaves and stems, and indeed in translation from Latin "Crassula" means "thick". Most representatives are native to Africa, some to Australia and the island of Tasmania. In nature, it grows in wetlands and on rocky slopes. There are many perennial and annual varieties, both herbaceous and growing in shrub form. They live for 10-15 years, but older specimens can also be found.

It grows quickly and in a short time the smooth trunk of the plant can reach 30 cm (12 in) in diameter and 2 m (6.6 ft) in height. On solitary or branched (tree-like with age) shoots are opposite fleshy (thickened toward the middle) leaves, shiny bright green in color and elliptical in shape. Solitary inconspicuous white flowers bloom on an inflorescence stalk in the form of an umbel. In home conditions, it blooms extremely rarely.

Crassula is very popular in home floriculture thanks to its decorative appeal, fairly rapid growth, and unpretentiousness. Moreover, many beliefs are associated with it. The plant looks very impressive both individually in a separate planter and in compositions with cacti and other succulents. Some species can be grown in bonsai style.

Crassula multicava is a plant up to 35 cm (14 in) in height. It blooms with small white flowers. It looks impressive in a group with cacti and other succulent plants. It prefers a well-lit spot. During the winter period, it prefers cool conditions.

Seeds are surface-sown into a shallow container in a sandy substrate, preliminarily mixed with its top layer. They are moistened from a spray bottle, covered with glass or film, and germinated in the light at a temperature of 17-21 °C (63-70 °F). Seedlings require ventilation. Overwatering and drying out of the sowings must be avoided. The cover is removed after sprouts appear. After two to three leaves appear, seedlings are transplanted into individual pots. It is impossible to obtain seeds under home conditions.

Special notes: The seeds are very (!) fine.

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Crassula is an easy-to-care-for plant. It tolerates direct sunlight well and, regardless of the winter dormancy period, needs bright illumination year-round. With insufficient light, the plant's stems turn pale and stretch out, and the leaves become smaller. In the home, it feels great on south and southeast windows, and in summer also in open air. In the spring-summer period, the optimal temperature is 21-25 °C (70-77 °F), in winter 10-15 °C (50-59 °F); you should not lower the temperature below 8 °C (46 °F). In extreme heat, the plant can drop its leaves, and in cold conditions, the roots can rot.

From spring to autumn, the plant needs generous watering (1-2 times a week) after the upper layer of substrate dries out. From autumn to spring, watering is reduced to 1-2 times a month, and at temperatures below 12 °C (54 °F) it is stopped completely. Air humidity is not of particular importance for Crassula, except during the heating season, when the plant is best kept away from radiators. It needs regular room ventilation, as well as periodic wiping with a damp cloth or a hygienic shower. During the warm season, once a month, the plant is fed with liquid fertilizer for cacti and succulents.

Crassula is completely undemanding regarding soil and thrives in a substrate of equal parts sod soil, humus, and sand with the addition of charcoal pieces. Young plants are repotted annually into shallow containers, as the plant's root system is shallow. With age, the plant is repotted as needed every 2-3 years (when the roots become crowded) into a mixture of equal parts sod and leaf soil, humus, peat, and sand. To give fullness to the plant, the top can be pinched. It is rarely affected by pests.