Hey everyone!
I have this weird 3 inch by 4 foot section between my front stoop and driveway. It's maybe 4 inches deep and has driveway cement at the bottom. I can't remember exactly why I chose to plant sempervivum but I'm sure it was after doing hours of research!
I went to the local hardware store and bought 3 or 4 plants (I didn't not pay attention to the varieties) and almost 10 years later they're still growing out there. It is late October so all the plants look the same to me and I'm not sure if one plant overtook the bed or if I still have several varieties. However, I noticed this year that all my plants have migrated towards my house and instead of taking over the 4 foot section, they're hanging out in about 18". I'm guessing this has to do with having more protection from water.
Anyway, I decided a long time ago that semps were going to be my go to because, other than some chocolate chip ground cover, they're the only plant I've ever been able to keep alive!
A few weeks ago I decided to place a giant order of semps for the 4'x4' bed next to the little 4'x3" strip... this does not have a cement bottom. It was created when our house was built and is a little bed between the sidewalk to the front stoop and the stoop. I transplanted hostas there from the ugly mounds in the backyard when we moved on 10+ years ago but they had over taken the area and I've never liked hostas anyway and the last few years their stalks have become a neucence so about a month ago I dug them up and bought some semps online with unique shapes and colors and had removed that area of silty clay Indiana soil and replaced it with a 1:1 coconut coir and gravel.
Well, the hog saw his shadow this year lol
I live in a northern Indianapolis suburb (USDA 6a) and we typically don't actually get 6a temperatures but this year we have seen some freezes already, which doesn't typically happen until December so we may get into those 6b sub zero temps.
I ordered my semps assuming weather would be what it always is and they got here just a handful of days later but my then the 75-80° weather had changed to 30-40°. It did warm up to.the 70s again (on and off, it was high 30s-loe 50s today) but I've been worried that my plants wouldn't have time to root before it freezes for good so I got some plant lights and decided to grow 40 species of sempervivum indoors for the winter.
Is this completely foolish? Should I just throw them outside and hope for the best?
I had actually thought about doing that Monday but the 70°+ weather this week included 2 full days of rain so I changed my mind.
This section is not covered so will be fully exposed to all the ups and downs and wets of this year's weather.
What do you think I need to do to keep my dozens if semps alive and how is it possible to trick them into giving me a ton of babies over the next few months?
They are growing indoors with about 2:1 gravel:coconut coir and plant lights. As they are new plants, I transplanted them and then waited a few days for them to get comfortable and split 1 head off of a Heuffelii that had 3 crowns just to test to see of it would survive. About 1/3 of my new plants are this variety but all of the semps I have ever cares for have stolons so I'm nervous putting my plants to the knife.
Any indoor grow advice and ideas on how to trick them into reproducing this winter?

They will be going dormant. So, there isn't much that can be done to make them have chicks and pups, to my knowledge. It's likely that they still might split heads though! @valleylynn @webesemps can probably pop in and help.

Sometimes in my collection the varieties pup or put out babies in early spring -- like really early spring... more like late winter.

I moved this thread to the Sempervivum forum where you may get better specialist advice.

to the forums!

Thank you Baja.

Hi Maiden_China, and a big welcome.
You can continue doing what you are doing indoors. The problem is that the semps tend to become weak. I think you would have better luck putting them in your unheated garage over the winter. You can use the grow lights out there, or put them by a window if there are windows in your garage.
@goldfinch4 Chris used to do that. Let's see what she recommends.

Yikes, sorry for late response.
Maiden.
I thought the unheated garage with some light would be a good option too.
I've never fed my plants but early this year, I recently starting to lightly feed my plants in the Spring and that has helped with producing more offsets.

Hi there ! How did it go for you, Maiden ? I had a similar problem . I'd just planted several troughs with tons of semps from Lynn and Perennial Obsessions a couple of weeks ago . Plus ordered a zillion from other online places that are still in their nursery pots . I'm in zone 7, Tennessee. They're actually doing ok . I was sure the sudden freezes would hurt them . But most seem just fine ( I've not thoroughly checked all the ones in nursery pots yet . Just glanced them over ). I still have some left to pot as I've been busy fussing over my soil . I am trying to make my soil light in the four plastic troughs that fit into a vertical planter. The first set in my first vertical planter made me realize just how heavy my soil for the sempervivums is. I worry the stand will break over time . I'm in love with semps for a similar reason as you . I had one given to me for free 4 years ago . It was lackluster for a couple of years in the wrong soil and pot . And not enough sun . I rescued it 2 years ago and put it in full sun and good soil. It became a gorgeous red in winter while everything else looked ugly and grey . Now I'm hooked and want to buy more . But I know I need to wait for spring. Hope yours are ok . 🤗