Mother Of Thousands Plant Care Guide

Mother of Thousands plant is a remarkable plant with some interesting physical features. They are characterized by their tiny plantlets that form on the edges of their leaves. It is a type of succulent that grows from a single stem.

Mother of thousand plants is also known as Alligator Plant and Mexican Hat Plant. They are ideal as houseplants.

We will enlighten you on everything you need to know about the Mother of Thousands plants so let’s explore some things about them.

Some Info About Mother of Thousands Plant

Mother of Thousands plants origin is from Madagascar. They are from the family Crassulaceae and they are closely associated with the Jade plant and Flaming Katy. Take note not to confuse the mother of thousands with the mother of millions (chandelier plant). This is because they are quite similar and they share similar characters.

One distinctive nature of the mother of thousands is the little plantlets that form along the edges of the plant. These tiny plantlets are capable of taking root by growing on any appropriate soil whenever or wherever they drop.

For some, mothers of thousands may be problematic and tedious especially when grown outdoors because they can be pretty invasive. Their little plantlet can drop on any appropriate soil, multiply, and take over your garden. Thus, we will advise you to plant them in a container if you wish to plant them outdoors where they are confined.

Even with the drawback of the tiny plantlets taking over any soil, there is a still lot of advantage from this. The good thing about this is you don’t have to bother too much about propagation. The little plantlet makes available plenty of plants for propagation.

How to Handle Mother of Thousands Plant

Light

They do so well with light but not too much direct sunlight because of their fragile leaves. Around the time of fall to early spring (cooler months), the sun is not so hot or harsh.

They can be placed in direct sun during this time so they can get adequate light. You can also give them early morning direct sunlight (in summer) when the sun is not so hot.

Soil to use

The best kind of soil to use for mother of thousand is a good draining, gritty soil such as sandy potting soil mix. An excellent choice is a potting mix made for cacti. Always avoid potting soil that contains loam, humus, or peat moss because they tend to absorb and retain moisture for pong. We only want well-draining soil for our mother of thousand plants.

Hoffman 15503 Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss, 10 Quarts

Check out How to Make the Best Premade Super Soil like Magic

Manner of Watering

Mother of plants should be watered when the soil is dried but not completely dried. Water your soil thoroughly and only when needed. You can water less during the cold winter periods.

You should also prevent the leaves from getting wet when watering. This is because their leaves are susceptible to rot when wet.

Potting

The terracotta pot which is ideal for most cacti plants is a good choice for the mother of thousand plants. The root of the mother of thousand plants is fragile and will need the circulation of air to help the soil dry and drain quicker. Thus, the terracotta pot will do the job. If you will like, put some stones or pebbles at the bottom of the pot to aid drainage.

The pot should be placed in a tray to help drain excess water. As soon as excess water is drained, empty the excess water. Do not allow the excess water to stay for too long. If the excess water lingers, it can cause root rot because the mother of thousand plants doesn’t do well in a soggy environment.

Pruning

Pruning might be necessary for your mother of thousand plants. When you notice your plan start to grow curlier outwards, you can pinch off the upper part of the plant. This will lead to the leaves of your plant growing downwards towards the stem. You can also prune or pinch off any dead or damaged leaves.

Is the Mother of Thousands Plant Toxic?

The straight-up answer is yes! Mother of thousand plants is toxic. All the parts of the plant are toxic including the tiny plantlets.  Therefore, be sure to position them out of reach of children, pets, and livestock.

Conclusion

Mother of thousand plants can be a good addition to your houseplant or garden plant. It’s an easy plant to grow and as it does not require difficult care.

With that said, we do hope you have learned one or two things about the mother of thousands plants.