Echeveria colorata

Echeveria colorata belongs to the Crassulaceae family; they are native to Jalisco, Mexico.

The Echeveria colorata is a glabrous plant; it is covered with small hairs. 

Its leaves are smooth without trichomes, also somewhat tussock.

Its stem can measure from 5 cm to 9 cm long, and the rosette measures approximately 13cm to 30 cm in diameter.

It has oval leaves, cuspidata, is 5 cm to 16 cm long and 3 cm wide, bluish, glaucous, carmine-tinged at the edges and tip.

Its floral stem measures approximately 5 cm to 9 cm in height. 

Its flowers are yellow and orange in the form of a bell.

The fruits are poly-follicles that open by themselves when ripe and contain more than 50 seeds each. 

This plant is easy to propagate by separating shoots or cuttings from leaves in early summer.

You may like: Echeveria “Violet Queen”

Echeveria colorata care:

The Echeveria colorata is an easy plant to care for; you will be surprised at how easy it is.

Watering

For Echeveria colorata, watering should be abundant every 10 to 15 days in the summer, and in winter, it is better to do it once a month.

Be careful with over watering to avoid root rot, as succulents are plants that are susceptible to moisture, which can cause root rot.

Before I forget, you should not water the leaves directly, but only water the substrate. This is very important.

If you water the leaves directly, this can cause the leaves to wrinkle and fall off from excess water.

One recommendation is that you should wait until the substrate is completely dry before watering the plant again, especially in winter.

Location

Echeveria colorata is a plant that should be outdoors, if possible, in an area where it is in direct sunlight for at least 6h a day.

Now, you can have it in a semi-shade as long as you are in a lighted area. 

Regardless of where you put it, you should be careful with the amount of direct sun to prevent the leaves from burning.

Indoors, it does not grow well unless you have it in an area where a good amount of sunshine enters the day.

Substratum

It can be both in a pot or the garden, knowing the soil will be different depending on where it is planted.

Pot: in this case, you can make a substrate with a universal substrate mixed with perlite in equal parts.

Garden: the substrate must have excellent drainage. If the soil you have is very compact, don’t worry, just add perlite or pumice.

Since it is a relatively small plant, you can make a hole large enough to fit a square block, of which there are holes inside, insert it into that hole, and fill the hole with universal growing substrate mixed with perlite in equal parts.

Propagation 

Echeveria colorata reproduces easily through its leaves; however, it can take much longer than other succulents by this method.

The first thing you should do is choose a firm and healthy leaf.

Tear off the plant leaf by twisting it from the base of the stem. Ensure that the leaf is ripped clean and that no part of the leaf is attached to the stem.

This will improve the chances of propagating the succulent.

Wait a few days to air dry, allowing the wound to heal before placing it on a wet substrate with good drainage. 

Water it again when the soil has dried completely.

When you see the roots appear, a small rosette has formed, and the mother leaf has withered, transplanting it to its final pot.

Echeveria colorata is perfect for including in wedding bouquets, floral wreaths or garlands. I hope you enjoy it

You can also propagate this plant through seeds.

Once you have collected the seeds of the plant, you have to follow the following steps:

The first thing we have to do is fill the seedbed with the substrate we have chosen.

Afterward, we spray well so that it is moistened (but not puddled).

Then we spread the seeds across the surface, trying to keep them a little apart from each other.

Next, we cover them with a thin layer of substrate and spray again.

Finally, we introduce the label and place the seedbed in a very bright place but without direct sunlight.

Plagues and diseases

It is a plant susceptible to stem rot caused by fungi due to excessive humidity.

The way to eliminate the fungi is using commercial fungicides; you just have to make sure that it suits your succulents well.

You can also use homemade fungicides such as:

Chamomile tea

This infusion has very interesting elements, such as calcium, potassium, and sulfur.

The most interesting ingredient as a fungicide turns out to be sulfur, since it is a component that will help us control fungi or, rather, it will prevent them from coming out.

This method turns out to be more of a preventive method than a fungal eradicator. 

So it is recommended to use it when the fungus has not spread so much through the plant.

To apply this natural fungicide, you have to spray. The application time will be once or twice a week.

If you have not noticed any difference after a couple of weeks, it is advisable to change your method.

Sodium bicarbonate

This component is very alkaline, so it increases the plant surface’s pH, and the fungus cannot be installed in it.

Thus, a tablespoon of baking soda will be added, along with a liter of water; also, a splash of soap and another of oil will be added so that the bicarbonate adheres better to the plant.

Try to apply approximately once a week after the sun has set.

The Echeveria colorata are also susceptible to the cottony mealybug.

These are tiny parasites covered in a white, fluffy fluff that attack leaf covers and young plant stem in a pest-like manner.

The best results to eradicate it are obtained by simultaneously using natural and chemical methods as long as the environmental conditions are adequate.

It is necessary to remove them one by one, with cotton soaked in alcohol, and remove them one by one to ensure complete cleaning.

The leaves must then be wiped with a clean, damp cloth. 

Then spray with a special product to eliminate this type of pests.

An ecological way to eliminate this pest is to use a soap and alcohol solution with a sponge.

Add a liter of lightly warm water, a splash of dishwasher, and a tablespoon of alcohol. 

With a brush, apply it to the insects or spray the entire plant without forgetting the undersides of the leaves.

Delicate leaves will rinse with slightly warm water after 15 minutes, so they don’t burn.

Another pest that can attack your Echeveria is aphids, grown in low light and ventilated conditions.

Your plant’s symptoms when attacked by this type of pest are twisted shoots, growth stops, rolled leaves, and blackened necrotic areas.

The attack or bite of the aphids stops the growth and development of the plant.

They are easily eliminated with commercial insecticides suitable for this purpose.

Temperature

You have to make sure not to subject the plant to a minimum temperature of 5 ºC/41°F, Echeveria colorata is a plant that does not withstand frost.

It is recommended that if you have the plant planted directly in the garden, protect it from frost. 

If it is on the pot, just take it indoors as soon as the frost happens or before it happens. Try not to place it close to the heater.

Fertilizer

You can fertilize during spring and summer, just follow the instructions in the product package. I recommend using cacti and succulent fertilizer.