Crassula campfire Care and Propagation

If you are a person who is dedicated to making arrangements with succulents or you are thinking of getting into this hobby, consider this Crassula campfire as one of your best allies, because its beautiful color will give a wonderful contrast to your arrangements. Crassula campfire, also known as Crassula erosula and Crassula capitella campfire, can vary their color depending on the exposure to the sun. Learn here all about Crassula campfire care and propagation. In this article, we will review tips about Crassula campfire propagation.

Characteristics of the Crassula campfire

Characteristics of the Crassula campfire. This beautiful succulent is native to southern Africa and belongs to the Crassulaceae family.

Crassula campfire is also known as Crassula erosula and Crassula capitella campfire. The shape of the leaves of this succulent is very curious, as they are helix-shaped, concave, and end in a point.

These leaves are born around the stem in batches of 4 leaves forming a small cross or “x”, its color is bright green or deep red, sometimes it can have golden tones.

The Crassula campfire is a succulent that does not grow much, it reaches a maximum height of 7-8 inches (20 cm), what you have to take into account is that it tends to expand and sag, so it can perfectly fill a long pot or a large planter.

When we learn to take care of it, beautifies our home, here we explain the care you should take with it to keep it healthy.

Now let us continue to explain to you all about the Crassula campfire care and propagation.

Crassula campfire Care – Lighting

Crassula campfire Care – Lighting. Note that, if you have space where you did not know what to plant because the sun hits it all day, this crassula is an excellent choice.

Our Crassula campfire supports very well the direct sun exposure all day long and that is how it takes that intense red tone that characterizes it.

Something very attractive about this Crassula campfire is that its leaves can vary in color depending on the exposure to the sun that is given to this plant.

If the plant is being grown in the shade, its leaves will turn greenish-yellow. By gradually moving it into the sun, the leaf tips will turn reddish with the days of exposure.

However, it should be noted that sudden exposure to the sun is not desirable when the plant has been cared for and adapted to shade. If you are looking to expose it to the sun to have the leaves change to reddish, adapt the plant to gradual sun exposure, looking for the correct adaptation of the plant.

Unlike other Crassula species as Crassula tetragona, the Crassula campfire will not grow tall. It can be grown and will thrive either in pots or in suitable soil in the garden.

If you prefer that your Crassula campfire does not look so red and you want it to keep more green tones, you can place it in semi-shade.

I highly recommend that, whatever your color preference is with this plant, you try to provide it with a few hours of direct sunlight, because it tends to etiolate easily if it is in the shade all day long.

If in the place where you live the rays of the sun very intense it can get to suffer burns, if this happens just relocate it to an area where it receives the rays of the sun in the schedules of less intensity.

Crassula campfire Care – Watering

Our Crassula campfire is a succulent that needs standard watering, similar to any other succulent plant. You can water your succulent plant every time the substrate is completely dry.

I water my Crassula campfire once a week deeply and I have done quite well with them.

If you see your Crassula starting to have a softer, wrinkled texture it is an indicator that it is lacking water and you need to adjust your watering schedule.

You can learn more about the proper watering of your succulents in our article How to Take Care of Succulents.

Remember to decrease watering during the fall and winter. Just providing water once a month will be enough.

Temperature for Crassula campfire Care

The Crassula campfire is a seedling that will reach optimal development in warm environments with temperatures above 68°F (20°C).

Be careful in winter as the Crassula campfire does not tolerate frost. Although, it can resist temperatures down to 32°F (0°C).

If located outdoors, in the rainy season try to protect your Crassula campfire from hailstorms, as they can kill it or damage it a lot.

Crassula campfire Care: Best Substrate

Crassula campfire will thrive and develop very well unless having rotting problems. To avoid any rot in the C. campfire roots, we must provide a substrate that drains marvelously.

For this succulent, I recommend a mixture made up of 60% small construction sand and 40% garden soil or black soil (Order it here).

Remember that you can use the combination that best suits your climate, just make sure that the substrate drains very well and it will work without problems (Order it here).

How to Fertilize a Crassula campfire

For the Crassula campfire, it is recommended that you fertilize it from spring to summer. Succulent plants take full advantage of the nutrients during those seasons.

I recommend organic fertilization that could be homemade with banana peel tea, worm humus, or worm leachate. However, organic commercial options are as good as homemade ones.

Crassula campfire Care and Propagation

So far I have explained the details so that you have the necessary information about Crassula campfire care. Now let’s continue to explain to you all about Crassula campfire care and propagation. In the following paragraphs, I am going to explain the methods for propagation of this succulent. One of the biggest advantages of the Crassula campfire is its ease of propagation, this can be done by stem cuttings, division of the plant, or by leaf.

Propagation of Crassula campfire by Stem Cuttings

Crassula campfire Propagation by Stem Cuttings

The easiest way to propagate Crassula campfire is by Stem Cuttings. To perform this type of propagation, have at hand a good pair of pruning shears or a sharp knife previously disinfected with alcohol.

We take the branch that we want to cut and cut it, we can remove some leaves from the bottom to have a little freer stem for planting.

Let the cuttings dry in a semi-shaded and well-ventilated place.

Once the cutting has healed, we can plant it immediately in the substrate we have prepared.

You can start watering it after 5 days, your cutting will not take long to develop its roots and become a new plant.

Propagation of Crassula campfire by Leaf

Crassula campfire Propagation. Let’s continue to explain to you all about Crassula campfire care and propagation.

Be sure to choose healthy leaves from your Crassula campfire and separate them from your seedling making sure that the leaf is completely detached without leaving a piece attached to the stem.

Place your leaves in a tray with a moistened substrate in a semi-shaded place with good ventilation.

Crassula campfire Propagation. After a few days, they will start to develop rosette and roots until they become a new campfire.

You can start spraying your leaves until you see that they have already developed roots, before that it is not necessary because the new seedling will take the water from the mother leaf.

Propagation of Crassula campfire by Division

Crassula campfire Propagation by Division

Crassula campfire Propagation by Division. This propagation is also very easy to do, and more so if your plant is already mature since you will have more of it to divide.

To make it easier, take your plant out of the pot that contains it and check all the little arms that come out, identify those that already have roots, and carefully separate them little by little.

This with the purpose of not hurting the roots too much and that each little arm remains with enough quantity of them.

If they are stuck together by the trunk you may have to separate them by cutting them.

Once separated you can plant them in their pots, just wait about 5 more days to start watering them.

Flowering

The Crassula campfire blooms in summer. Its flowers are small white flowers that are born around its flower stalks in small clusters.

Although it is not one of the showiest blooms this succulent looks beautiful because of the contrast offered between its red tone and its white flowers.

Common Problems with Crassula campfire

This type of Crassula is often attacked by pests such as cottony mealybug and fungi due to excess moisture in the substrate.

To prevent this type of plague, the best thing is to place our Crassula in a place where they also enjoy good ventilation. A well-ventilated location and a good substrate will guarantee a healthy seedling.

Hope you find opportune this article about Campfire Crassula Care and Crassula Campfire Propagation (by different methods)