Titanopsis calcarea Care and Propagation Guide

The Titanopsis calcarea plant is originally from South Africa and grows in the limestone outcrop. Also called concrete leaf, this is a succulent that has basal rosettes that are about 3.9 inches wide and the leaves are 0.9 inches long.

These plants are easy to care for. Here’s what you need to know about Titanopsis calcarea care.

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Titanopsis calcarea Care Guide

The leaves have white incrustations, with the apex part being densely covered and the tip being white and truncated. The rest of the leaf is blue-green in color and the lowers are orange-yellow in color. They bloom in the late fall and winter months.

Here are the other care instructions.

Light

Titanopsis calcarea plants love full sun but even if they are in a little bit of shade, they grow well if it’s bright. So, if you live in a hot region, don’t overexpose them to full, direct sunlight.

These plants are also pretty good with cold and for a short period of time, if they are exposed to temperatures a little under 32 degrees F, they will survive. But not for long. If you’re going to leave them, make sure the soil is dry.

Watering

You don’t want the substrate soil to stay moist. So, water Titanopsis calcarea plants only when it is completely dry. When it is winter, you should stop watering the plant completely. It’s important to remember that Titanopsis calcarea doesn’t do well in soggy soil. So, when in doubt, under water the plant.

See if you can keep the leaves and rosettes dry. Morning is the best time to water Titanopsis calcarea since it will be hot later in the day. And if you see the leaves getting floppy, you know you overdid it.

Wrinkling is also a sign of overwatering and it turns the center of the leaves pale. Don’t water the plant till it recovers from this excess watering. And if it takes too long, check the roots for rot.

Soil

You need to get quick-draining soil that will dry out well and quickly. Since naturally, Titanopsis calcarea plants grow near limestone, you should get soil that is a bit alkaline in nature if you can.

Fertilizing

Spring is when Titanopsis calcarea plants get growing and that’s a good time to give them some weak fertilizer. You can go for a second round at the beginning of autumn when the weather starts to cool down. But not late into the season or after that.

Climate

Titanopsis calcarea plants are a bit sensitive to moisture, which is why we take precautions with the pots they are grown in. So, make sure their surroundings are not too humid because that will make the plant sick.

Pests and Diseases

Titanopsis calcarea plants are likely to experience cochineal attacks. And if you overwater them, there is the risk of root rot as well.

Pruning

You can prune Titanopsis calcarea plants to keep them in shape and if they are large for their surroundings, but otherwise, not really. If you do decide to prune them, you should get a clean knife and a pair of clean scissors.

Potting and Repotting

Titanopsis calcarea plants must be grown in clay pots that have porous walls. This is to make sure that the moisture is absorbed out of the soil so that it stays dry and uniformly so.

Since they grow slowly, you don’t have to worry about repotting for a few years. When you notice that the initial pot is filled with roots, you can change it. When it’s time, you should repot the plant in the spring season during its growing season.

Propagating Titanopsis calcarea

Titanopsis calcarea plants can be propagated using seeds. You can also pollinate the flowers of Titanopsis calcarea using a paintbrush, which makes it easy to harvest the seeds. It must be done in the spring and you should start by wetting the compound of the seed before you sow it.

Make sure you place the seed in a place that is bright but has shade. It should be kept there until it starts germinating. You will need to place all the new seedlings in a seedbed until you see the first two leaves. After that, you can transfer them into separate containers.

You can also propagate these plants with leaves. You will need to cut and keep them ready in the spring or in autumn. Make sure you have 5-6 leaves from a stout stem and chop them off with a clean knife.

Keep some sulfur powder handy to take care of the wound that forms after cutting the leaves. Once the wound heals, you can plant it and water it just enough so that the soil is wet.

Soon enough, you will see clusters form and once they each have their own roots, you can divide them.