Hens & Chicks

[bkuzak]

Help!!! I got some hens & chicks online...why I did this in September is a mystery...well, not really because I'm a novice gardener and kind of didn't know what I was doing But they were so cute and I had grand visions of what they would look like in my retaining wall that I just completely ignored the seasons.

So...here I am with these cute little guys in Southern Illinois with no idea what to do with them. I think it's too late to put them in the ground since I've read that they should be planted in the spring. I live in a north/south facing house that gets very little natural sunlight...but I think I might (stress MIGHT) be able to keep them alive til spring if I put them in a container. Will this work?

Any guidance you gardening experts can provide would be so greatly appreciated!

Thanks!!!
Bridget

[Kisal]

I keep mine in a container and they're doing fine. Use a potting mix designed for succulents and cacti, and you shouldn't have any problems. The light you have is okay for them, too, as long as you remember not to water them too much. Mine have spent over a year in deep shade and not suffered a bit.

I grew up in southern Illinois, and my grandmother had hen & chicks in a container year round. She kept them in a shaded area during the summer and brought them in during the winter. Since they were used to lower light in the summer, they did just fine in the lower indoor light during the winter.

[bkuzak]

Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for the help!!! I will put them in a container this weekend. I just didn't want them to die before I could do something with them...they're so stinking cute!!!