Murder

I feel like I've mentally neglected my little gardening blog recently in the busyness surrounding our upcoming trip to... wait for it... Europe!  This incidentally coincides with me turning 30 and being very nearly done with residency, which would be the first time I will have ever not been in school or training since preschool.  It has been a long road.  I have not, however, neglected my garden.  So better the blog than the garden, I guess...

Anyhow, about a week ago, as I was happily garden outside, I heard a loud CRASH! and turned around to see that the rack that we have in our protruding kitchen window (or whatever you call it) had collapsed, squashing one of my beautiful succulents which I had raised from babyhood, and tearing several leaves off in an apparent attempted murder.

so sad

I was naturally very upset.  "Just throw it away," says my husband, "We can get another one."  He is clearly missing the point.  But once I got over the initial shock, the question remained:  do leaves of succulents grow back?

Now you may know, succulents propagate like crazy.  They are like hydra of the plant world (you may remember hydra from your elementary school science fair-- the kids who had parents who did their science fair projects for them all used hydra that they chopped in half in different configurations).  For instance, see exhibit A, namely the piece of jade that independently fell of my big jade plant and grew roots...

Exhibit A: little roots with no preceding intervention

And now, exhibit B: the same piece of jade, subsequently repotted.  It is growing happily.

Exhibit B: happy growth

See also, exhibit C.  The jumbo piece of jade which also fell off my big jade plant.  I put it in a little pot of water and it has been growing for at least 6 months.  Maybe 8 months, I can't remember.  There is a whole root system now, and I anticipate replanting it at some point.

Exhibit C: jumbo jade

Now, I have seen multiple websites on regrowing Echeveria from the individual leaves-- this is a good one with proof in the pictures-- but I cannot determine from my google searches what will happen to the part of my Echeveria which was skinned alive.  Perhaps it will grow a bunch of little baby side Echeveria?  Perhaps it will dry off that part and nothing will happen?  

Anyway, I am glad that I kept the little leaves.  Perhaps I will end up with lots of little Echeveria babies to plant or give away.  And maybe this is a good experiment.  I will update you with the results.

Here's to regeneration!  Here's to the last week and a half of my twenties!  AND a shout out to my brother who has just turned 25 today!