Echeveria AFFINIS

Echeveria AFFINIS - Black echeveria, Echeveria affinis.

Echeveria is a large genus in the stonecrop family (Crassulaceae), comprising about 150 species of succulent perennials distributed in semi-arid regions of Central America, Mexico, and northwestern South America - from Texas to Argentina. The center of species diversity is concentrated in Mexico. Most species inhabit rocky slopes, screes, dry gorges, and mountain plateaus with good drainage and intense sunlight.

Echeverias are evergreen rosette succulents without a true stem or with a short leafy stem. The leaves are fleshy, with a waxy or powdery coating (farina), ranging from rounded to lanceolate, often with a colored tip or margin. In many species, lateral offsets form over time, for which the plants received the common name 'hen and chicks'. The plants are polycarpic - they flower and bear fruit multiple times throughout their life.

The inflorescence is a single- or many-flowered cincinnus on an arched peduncle rising from the center or base of the rosette. The flowers are tubular, nodding, usually in shades of red, orange, or yellow, pollinated primarily by hummingbirds and insects. The fruits are small follicles, and the seeds are small and numerous.

Black echeveria received its first description back in 1958 by botanist E. Walther. The shrub stem is low-growing, belonging to a dwarf species, not exceeding 5 cm (2.0 in). The rosette height reaches on average 8-12 cm (3.1-4.7 in). The leaf width is up to 2.5 cm (1.0 in), and the length is 7 cm (2.8 in). The shade is deep green, reaching black. The upper side has no curves; it is practically flat.

Echeveria seeds are small, brownish-yellow, dust-like, enclosed in small follicles. In view of the dust-like size of the seeds, washing and soaking are impractical - before sowing, the substrate itself is disinfected: it is drenched with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and dried. Additionally, after sowing, the substrate can be sprayed with a solution of a growth stimulant (SUPERthrive, HB-101, Aminozol, Epin, or Zircon). Scarification and stratification are not required. Seeds of cultivar plants do not reproduce the mother form exactly - the seed method is used primarily in hybridization.

Sowing is carried out in a soilless loose substrate for succulents (peat-based soil is diluted by 50% with coarse river or quartz sand) or a mixture of perlite with fine sand. The seeds are dust-like, so they are mixed with a pinch of fine sand for even distribution and spread over the surface without burying - seeds need light to germinate. The substrate is moistened from below through the tray or carefully from a spray bottle. Sowings are covered with film or placed in a greenhouse and kept at a temperature of 18-20 °C (64-68 °F) in bright diffused light. Temperatures above 21 °C (70 °F) reduce germination. The substrate is kept constantly moist; waterlogging is unacceptable. Daily ventilation is mandatory - seedlings are prone to fungal diseases.

Sprouts appear in 14-21 days, the minimum period is about 10 days under optimal conditions, and the maximum possible is up to 3 months. After germination, the cover is removed gradually over 1-2 weeks. The substrate is kept slightly moist - seedlings require more moisture than adult plants. Pricking out is carried out after the formation of 3-4 true leaves, at 6-8 weeks after germination, into individual small pots with cactus substrate while preserving the root ball.

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Echeveria is grown in maximally bright light - full sun or very bright diffused light. Optimal placement is a south or southeast window; east and west are acceptable. With a lack of light, the rosette stretches, leaves become sparse, and farina pales. In hot summer midday behind glass, sunburn is possible - shade if necessary during hours of the most intense sun. Water is not poured into the center of the rosette - moisture stagnation causes heart rot.

The optimal temperature during active growth is 18-27 °C (64-81 °F). In winter, a slight decrease to 10-15 °C (50-59 °F) is permissible, which promotes the formation of a compact rosette and stimulates flowering - a period of cool keeping with temperature drops between day and night is necessary for setting buds. Adult plants tolerate short-term drops down to -2 to -3 °C (27-28 °F), but prolonged frost is fatal. It does not tolerate freezing.

Watering by the "soak and dry" method: the substrate dries out completely between waterings - the upper 2-3 cm (0.8-1.2 in) must be completely dry. Water should be soft, settled, at room temperature. After watering, excess water is drained from the tray - moisture stagnation at the roots leads to rot. Species with pubescent leaves are watered through the tray so that water does not fall on the leaf surface. In winter, watering is reduced to 1-2 times a month, only to prevent wrinkling of leaves. Air humidity does not play a significant role - the plant is adapted to dry air. Leaves are not wetted by misting - this spoils the farina and provokes spots.

A very loose, well-drained substrate is used: commercial cactus soil with the addition of perlite or coarse sand (50-70% mineral components). The pot must have drainage holes, be low, and slightly larger than the rosette diameter - echeverias prefer slightly cramped containers. The drainage layer at the bottom makes up at least 1/3 of the pot volume. Repotting is carried out once every 1-2 years in spring; during repotting, lower dead leaves are removed. Feeding is applied once a month during active growth (spring-summer) with half-strength fertilizer for cacti and succulents with low nitrogen content. In autumn and winter, they are not fed. Planned pruning is not required; faded flower stalks are removed at the base.

Vegetative propagation: leaf cuttings are removed with a clean twisting motion without tearing at the base, dried for 2-3 days until callus forms, and placed on the surface of moist substrate without burying. Offsets are separated from the mother plant with a sharp sterile knife, dried for 1-2 days, and planted in individual pots.