I have different succulents and my few semps are teaching me slowly what they need and prefer:

My semp arachnoideum looked good in Spring, I have had this batch of Semps since last year: it may have been dry here but temps are still comfortably cool:
March 2014


And then temps eventually went up and higher..so bolting occurred fast:April and May 2014


As summer set in, as expected, the bolters faded away leaving an empty patch in some portions, and with no rain here it has been too dry and too hot. Semps suffering a lot from the heat even if they get shaded by the shadow of our house early in the day and some dappled shade in the afternoon. Still too hot for this particular semp. It has become patches of dry looking semps..worried I might lose them all, gave them some more shade and stepped up watering done early in the day:



Finally seeing some improvement after putting up the shade, the dried looking clusters are coming back, new growth peeking from the center of each rosette, so it seems as dry and crunchy they look, it can come back:



On the other hand..Sempervivum Kalinda, Semp Oddity and Semp rubellum Mahogany are enduring our heat wave spells nicely. They get similar heat conditions but I have watched how the seller where I got them generously water these ones. The sellers location is about 10 degrees cooler from us, so I figured maybe I should do same way and really be generous watering these ones as well. Glad I did that, these ones growing much better than my arachs.

Photo in early May 2014, with some early morning cooler temps before it goes warms, the rosettes of each semps seems wide open taking in all the warmth it loves.


Photo today, 14July 2014, this batch of semps are still doing good, because I have been more generous in watering it. Though it can also be seen how the plants are trying to fend off excess heat by having a tighter rosette cluster, or some leaves growing higher on one side as if creating its own heat barrier. Semp Kalinda enjoys the weather, busy making lots of babies.



Just sharing what I am learning...my location being more inland, dry as rock, temps hitting 100++ in summer. Semps enjoys the warmth, but not too much direct sun, give them shade, good draining media and stepped up watering and more shade when temps start to rise higher than 95F.

Yes, in our concerns to not over water, we still need to remember that dry, hot conditions do make it necessary to water. As a rule, I think the smaller semps need a bit more than the larger ones.

Tarev, I like your umbrella idea. What kind is that and how did you hold it up over the pot?

Bev, I believe they are called Shade Dots.
http://www.shadeforplants.com/

Tarev thank you for sharing this info for folks in warmer climates especially!!! Your plants almost always look great, glad to see your arachs are coming back!

Those shades are the Shade Dots as JC said. I found out about it thru another thread here in ATP. I just used an inverted net pot to make it stand and put some stones around it to hold, but I have been checking daily if it is still up, sometimes we get strong wind gusts here.

Thanks JC! Thanks Tarev! Off I go to check it out!

Great research tarev. The information will be helpful to others growing in similar conditions.
I know Bev has grown them in New Mexico, as did my daughter. She used the same methods you did with success.
Wonderful to know that they can be grown in hot, dry conditions.

The photos are wonderful.

tarev. good details and will be helpful. I had gardened in part shade in my old house and my semps did wonderful. When I moved to my new house and being excited to have full sun garden options I planted all my semps in full sun.

I had no idea why I lost all my semps until reading trial like your description that full sun is not the best condition. Your post will save a lot gardeners pain of losing their semps.

Just updating the photos of some my Semps; with some cool overnight temps this week and intermittently this August, just a great difference in how the Semps look, rosettes more open....really loves it to start cool and warming up, leaves so wide open for a change!



mommy plant still protecting its babies very well under the longer outer leaves.

Tarev, those are looking so healthy and beautiful. Love the photo of the hen with chicks tucked up underneath her leaves.
How long have you had these semps? And what are your winter time lows like? Just trying to get an idea of the true growing range of sempervivum.

It's all looking so GOOD, Tarev!

These Semp Kalinda, Rubellum and Oddity, I just got them last March 2014, so they have no winter growing here yet in my yard. These three are in that one rectangular container.

My Semp arachnoideum, one batch I got in March 2013, and another one in June 2013.
At the extreme, we get a few overnight lows of 21F, average at 39F and daytime high at 65 to 70F, during winter. But our past winter has been relatively dry, so am not too sure yet how they really do if it rains and get cold. We get the valley inversion here, so when it is cold, gets really cold, but no snow.

I find the arachs more sensitive to the heat, when I got them, they quickly bolted. The others are doing just fine, with Semp Kalinda being the most active in making babies.

oops..forgot to say thanks Bev and Lynn

So you do get some freezing temps. They will love that.

Yeah, that's why I almost killed my Crassula ovata 'gollum' got way too cold.

This is all great information for semp growers, oh and Crassula ovata 'Gollum' owners.

looking so pretty Tarev!

I think my semps are preparing to bolt..been just too hot..glad it has babies under those spread out leaves, in case it proceeds.

It's difficult to tell at this point. If it starts coning from the center it will bloom. Wow, that is some hot weather you are having Tarev.
They are all looking nice and healthy. You should have a better idea of what is going on in the next week or two.
Keep us updated.