An increasingly popular plant that originated in the 70s, the Pachyveria ‘Powder Puff’ is a hybrid succulent of Echeveria and Pachyphytum. In appearance, the succulent has fleshy silver-blue leaves that have pointy edges. When the plant is exposed to the full sun, the leaves tend to take up a brighter blue/silver color, and their tips become pink.
The succulent resembles the star and is commonly referred to as the rosette. In the spring season, the rosettes take up vibrant hues of orange and pink that make them appear even more ravishing than ever!
The plant is flexible when it comes to environments – meaning it can grow successfully indoors as well as outdoors. The slow grower succulent has a diameter of about six inches maximum. If you think your succulent is smaller than six inches, don’t worry because not all Pachyveria ‘Powder Puff’s grow that big.
Growing this succulent is very easy – if you’re a beginner at gardening, you can start with growing the Pachyveria ‘Powder Puff’. To grow the best-looking succulent, we will recommend growing it outdoors. That’s because the plant blooms more beautifully when exposed to the bright sun for long hours, and the leaves take up a brighter color.
However, if you don’t have resources for an outdoor plantation, you can successfully grow the Pachyveria ‘Powder Puff’ indoors! By taking care of the few factors mentioned below, you will grow a beautiful Pachyveria ‘Powder Puff’ all by yourself!
Pachyveria ‘Powder Puff’ Care
Sunlight
The Pachyveria ‘Powder Puff’ craves good sunlight and looks the best when it gets enough of it. However, that does not mean you put your plant under the scorching sun to get it sunburned eventually! A better approach would be to expose it to the morning sun, which is potentially less harmful to the plant.
During winter, ensure the Pachyveria ‘Powder Puff’ gets enough sunlight. Since it is a non-frost hardy plant, it needs proper sunlight in winter.
Water
Water is an extremely essential compound for the Pachyveria ‘Powder Puff’. However, ensure that you only provide the plant with as much water as it needs. Don’t overwater it at any cost – it’s the most disastrous thing you can do for the plant.
The ‘soak and dry’ method is a tried and tested and efficient water for watering the Pachyveria ‘Powder Puff.’ In this method, you check for moisture in the soil – if it is present, you wait for the soil to dry up completely and then water it. Simply water it when the soil is completely dried up.
Soil
A well-drainage soil is a key factor when caring for the Pachyveria ‘Powder Puff’. Porous soil ensures that the water travels throughout the plant and exits from the pot’s drainage hole. Planting the Pachyveria ‘Powder Puff’ in the sand is not a good idea, as it tends to become compact after a few waterings and then lets the water sit in the soil instead of draining it.
It is a good idea to perform repotting after a few weeks to prevent soil from getting compact.
Fertilizer
The Pachyveria ‘Powder Puff’ can do pretty well without fertilizers. Trust us, fertilizers do more harm than good because of the strong toxic chemicals they contain. However, if you feel there aren’t enough nutrients in the soil and using fertilizer is imperative for the plant, you can use a 25% concentrated fertilizer. Diluting the fertilizer is necessary to ensure you reduce the concentration of the strong chemicals to minimize its potentially adverse effects.
Temperature and Humidity
The Pachyveria ‘Powder Puff’ is a non-frost hardy plant that does better in warm environments. In the winter, it is best to keep the plant indoors at night. Avoid growing it outdoors when the temperature goes below 0 degrees Celsius.
Humidity doesn’t affect the succulent.
Propagating the Pachyveria ‘Powder Puff’
The Pachyveria ‘Powder Puff’ is commonly propagated using leaf cuttings and seeds.
Propagation with seeds is an easy but very slow process. After planting seeds, you have to wait for months to let the plant reach maturity. However, propagating with leaves is comparatively fast. To carry it out, cut out a fleshy leaf from the plant – make sure you don’t leave any part of the leaf on the plant. Then wait a few days for the leaf to callous, and replant it in a good potting mix!
Pests and Plant Diseases
Pests Diseases
Mealy bugs and scale insects are common pest diseases among Pachyveria ‘Powder Puff’. Spray isopropyl solution on the plant to get rid of the aforementioned diseases.
Plant Diseases
Root rot, a plant disease that occurs mainly due to overwatering, is very popular among succulents. Adapt the soak and dry method to water the plant appropriately.
Conclusion
The Pachyveria ‘Powder Puff’ is a beautiful plant that can be used as adornment in your homes and gardens. Moreover, they are easy-going plants that require little effort and care to grow, so you can easily plant them yourselves and beautify your homes!
