Find the answers to frequently asked questions about ordering from Youngs Garden Shop.
Ordering
How much does shipping cost?
Shipping varies by the weight of the items ordered. To get the exact shipping amount for your order, add the items you want to your cart, on the checkout page your shipping will be calculated once the shipping address is entered.
Do you have a minimum order size?
We do not have a minimum... but really, where's the fun in getting just one plant?
How big are the plants you ship?
We try to be very generous in the plants we send to our customers. We want you to enjoy growing hens and chickens as much as we do... that includes having a good experience when ordering. We will send multiple plants of each variety. The actual size of the plants depends on the varieties.
What forms of payment do you accept?
You can place your order online using a credit card, a debit card or a PayPal account. If you feel uncomfortable using a card to pay, you can also pay via mail. Send checks or money orders to the following address and be sure to include your shipping address and the items you are ordering. To get the payment total amount, please begin the ordering process online until you receive the shipping amount.
Youngs Garden Shop
4702 NE Stephens St
Roseburg, OR 97470
Why doesn't the plant I ordered look exactly like the picture?
One of the best things about sempervivum plants is that they are constantly changing. Some varieties go through fairly drastic color variations throughout the year. Sun, soil, water, temperature etc. all play a part in altering the appearance of a variety.
Growing
Do I need to bring my hens and chicks inside for the winter?
Sempervivum are very tough alpine plants. They can survive winter temperatures all over the US. Most people will tell you that they are fine down to hardiness zone 4 (-20 to -30 F) and some say they are fine in zone 3. What will kill sempervivums quickest is being cold and wet. If you are stil worried about your hens and chicks in the winter you can experiment with moving them close to the house, into a greenhouse, or covering them with plastic.
Can I grow sempervivums indoors?
Yes, sempervivum plants can grow inside. They don't love to be inside and their colors aren't going to be as brilliant, but they will grow. Just make sure that they receive lots of sunlight.
When can I transplant baby chick plants?
You can transplant sempervivum babies spring, summer and fall. Allow the baby plant's roots to develop befor breaking it off of the original rosette. However, baby semps root easily even if they break off the mother plant early.
How do you divide Sempervivum plants?
Once a baby semp plant has developed some roots, break them off from the mother hen plant and transplant. Plant them shallow; water them well right after planting.
How many babies does a plant produce in a year?
The number of offsets produced by a plant really depends on the variety. Some cultivars will only produce a few chick plants. Others will produce dozens.
How do you grow Sempervivum plants?
Please see our page about planting and growing sempervivum.
How do you divide Jovibarba plants?
Jovibarba heuffelii like to be divided around the beginning of fall. To divide them, pull the plant out of the ground and clean off the roots. Then take a sharp knife and insert it between the chick and the hen plant right at the base of the plants. When you cut the two apart try to leave some roots on both plants. However, if this is not possible they should still grow. Cut as few or as many of the baby Jovis off as you want. Leaving several plants attached will not hurt them. The plant will simply grow up in a mound. Once you have divided your plant, set the pieces out to dry. This will help prevent rotting. After a few days the pieces will be ready to transplant into their new homes.
How much should I water my hen and chick plants?
As succulent plants, sempervivum store water in their thick leaves and are drought tolerant. After transplanting you should water thouroughly, then allow to dry out before watering again. This typically equates to watering them 2-3 times a week in the summer and hardly at all in the winter. Hens and chicks are more forgiving of under-watering than over-watering.
What do I do when the hen plant blooms?
Sempervivum are monocarpic plants. This means that the plant dies after it flowers. Once they flower they can be removed since they will die shortly after. Sempervivum typically flower after 2-3 years. In this time they will produce many offsets to take their place.
Is it better to grow sempervivum from offsets or seeds?
If you want bright colors and plants that are true to a particular variety then you should grow from offsets. Offsets preserves the characteristics of each cultivar. Seeds taken from the sempervivum flowers, on the other hand, produce plants that are untrue to type. Plants grown from the seeds usually turn out a bland green color.