Hen & Chicks Planting in Driftwood

Room to Spare

• Despite thriving in cracks and crevices, hen and chicks need enough room for the parent and her offsets if you want the best possible display. Thin, spindly branches will support a few freshly transplanted chicks, but the stolons, or modified stems that connect the "hen" to her "chicks" must eventually touch soil if you want the plant to spread. Find larger pieces of driftwood instead, with diameters greater than 2 inches, and several large and medium knotholes or hollows that you can fill with loose, sandy soil.

Soil Requirements

• Mound a mixture of one part peat moss, two parts loam and two parts coarse sand around the driftwood chunk and in any of the cracks, crevices or knotholes for best results, advises University of Oklahoma's botany greenhouse specialist, Cal Lemke.

Drainage

• Large stumps will support a colony of hen and chicks as long as the hollow is shallow or continues all the way through to the ground. Hen and chick root systems rot if they stay wet. Plant them up the sides and around the base of your large stump rather than in a deep hollow.

Sunlight Needs

• Sempervivum look their best when exposed to full sun, developing a variety of colors including browns, yellow, orange, pink and red mixed with various shades of green. While hen and chicks will grow in shade, it will stay green and will not spread along branches as well or cascade toward the ground. Move your driftwood to a sunnier part of the yard for a more vibrant display of colors.