What is the best way to care for this plant?

I am no expert but I have a few of these and believe it to be a succulent, I think its called a 'house leek' but there are many different ones and I don't know which this is.

I'm pretty sure they like to be in the sun, in well drained soil, mine are potted in a mixture of compost and gravel. Initially they were inside but have done much better outside during the summer. I've now put them under cover outside as they don't like the frost.

Mine have never flowered but I think thats been due to lack of sun so am keeping fingers crossed they will this summer.

Am sure someone on here will have much more info for you.

It's an Echeveria, and whilst liking well drained soil I think they like to be moist too, but not wet. I have some which over-wintered outside last year, but it's safest to give them at least shelter from too much winter rain. Certainly they like outdoors in summer, and may produce pink-ish small flowers on a spike. Pull off dead leaves below the rosette. It will produce lots of offsets.

Hi Gray, I was checking out your website and your succulents are beautiful! I'm curious how they do outside in winter, and what kind of weather you have. I've been hesitant to plant anything outside that I know won't last the winter. Im new to gardening in general.

Hi Reem, thanks for the help! When I bought it at the plant store, it had not tag, but I loved it and took a chance, and really did quite well, though I knew it looked crowded in the pot. When I repotted it i noticed that it's growing babies! (offsets!) They are actually getting a little more hardy, darker green and less translucent then when they started, so I have hope. I think I might've overwatered it. This one flowered all summer, but since bringing indoors it hasn't flowered yet. I have another succulent that's doing beautiful, very similar, but not sure what it is. Growing like crazy though.
Thanks very much~

Succulents store water in their fleshy leaves against times of drought in their native habitat. Too much watering will lead to them rotting off

Yes, I think that's what was happening, Andrew. They became very bright and almost clear,then began to fall off. I started to water less, and like I said, I repotted it, and now it seems much better. thanks!

I know nothing useful, but am enjoying yr photo!

LOL...weeding, I tend to use that answer alot. I know nothing useful...I'm glad you're enjoying the photo, but unfortunately the poor thing doesn't look as good as it looked then! At least I didn't kill it yet -- that's progress! Thanks for responding!

Hi Poetgardener - weather here in central UK is not too extreme - we get about 800mm rain per year, fairly evenly spread over the months. Summer temperature ares up to mid 20s C, occasionally upto 28-30 for a few glorious days. Winter can go down to -5 or so at night, but not often; usually only just below 0. Maybe 2 - 8 C in the day. Some days are just below 0 C, but that's rare. I don't leave all the succulents and cacti out all year, and try to shelter those from the worst rain - especially if it's also cold then. Just a doorstep under a slight overhang seems to be enough.

Hello Poetgardner,

The beautiful little succulent is called Echeveria secunda.
So very easy to over-water. General rule is to water the plant thoroughly and than allow it to go through a completed drydown. Can utilize a small thin dowel to use as a probe to check the moisture level of the plant.

Take care,
ljs

Thanks Lis,
I'm just beginning to get a feel for how much it should be watered. I'm still not crazy at the color of the leaves, as I can see they are still a little too waterlogged looking to me, butit's growing some babies on it's underside, so I think that's a good sing.
thanks for the help!

Hi I was caught by youre pic.
I have several Echeveria. They live outside during the summer months flowering profusely. Then in the winter they live either in the green house that is un heated or in doors in a cool room.

There leaves tend to lay flatter during this period. I also only give a drop of water when really dry, once every few weeks.

Then in the spring put them back in the garden.

As the lower leaves fade and dry they can be pulled off. You will also get loads of babies growing from the stem under the mother plant. If these are pulled off they can be potted on in a gritty free draining soil.

Hope this helps. I have some on my pics.

Thanks Trees&things...:-)....well, I am absolutely watering it too much! I wait for it to be dry, but I feel like It's more like once a week....it's actually growing tall, with the babies coming out the underneath, just like you said. When you say "pulled off", what do you mean by that?

Let them get to a decent size, a couple of inches, then just snap them off at the stem and place in some grity soil of there own. Do this in the spring/summer and before you know it like me you will have loads of them.