How to Plant Creeping Red Sedum
Plant creeping red sedum (Sedum spurium) and it will soon grow into a dense mat of succulent red foliage. In late summer, the foliage will be covered with star-shaped red blooms on stems that extend 2 inches above the 4-inch plants. Creeping red sedum does well in poor soil, making it a great ground cover for rock gardens and other difficult areas.
Purchase creeping sedum bedding plants at a greenhouse or nursery. Creeping sedum can also easily be started from stem cuttings. Simply cut a 3- to 4-inch tip, and plant it in damp potting mixture. Put the cutting in a cool place and indirect sunlight, and keep the soil slightly moist. The cuttings should root and be ready to plant outdoors in about three weeks.
- Plant creeping red sedum (Sedum spurium) and it will soon grow into a dense mat of succulent red foliage.
- Creeping red sedum does well in poor soil, making it a great ground cover for rock gardens and other difficult areas.
Select a planting site in full or partial sunlight. Although creeping red sedum will grow in any soil type, it must be well-drained, because like all succulents, creeping red sedum is prone to rot if its roots are too wet.
Prepare the soil ahead of time. Use a shovel or garden fork to cultivate the top 8 to 10 inches of the soil. Mix in a large shovelful of compost.
Dig a hole for each creeping red sedum, using a trowel. The hole should be the same height as the sedum's root ball, and twice as wide. Plant the creeping red sedum 4 to 6 inches apart
- Select a planting site in full or partial sunlight.
- Dig a hole for each creeping red sedum, using a trowel.
Place the creeping red sedum in the hole, and fill in the hole with reserved soil. Tamp the soil around the plant with your hands.
Water the creeping red sedum well immediately after planting. After that time, keep the soil slightly moist. Apply 1 inch of organic mulch such as shredded bark or chopped leaves to help control weeds and retain moisture.
Tip
Sedum can easily be started from stem cuttings. Simply cut a 3- to 4-inch tip, and plant it in a damp potting mixture. Put the cutting in a cool place, and keep the soil slightly moist. The cuttings should root in about three weeks.
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Tips
- Sedum can easily be started from stem cuttings. Simply cut a 3- to 4-inch tip, and plant it in a damp potting mixture. Put the cutting in a cool place, and keep the soil slightly moist. The cuttings should root in about three weeks.
Writer Bio
M.H. Dyer began her writing career as a staff writer at a community newspaper and is now a full-time commercial writer. She writes about a variety of topics, with a focus on sustainable, pesticide- and herbicide-free gardening. She is an Oregon State University Master Gardener and Master Naturalist and holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative nonfiction writing.
