Echeveria ‘Pollux’ Care and Propagation (A Complete Guide)

Growing Echeveria succulents is easy! These plants are versatile, durable, and beautiful.

They can be used in flower arrangements, containers, cactus gardens, houseplants, and more.

As per most succulent plants, Echeveria ‘Pollux’ is not hard to care for! This plant is easy to propagate, making it perfect for new succulent owners!

Here’s what you need to know about taking care of and propagating Echeveria ‘Pollux’ succulent plants.

Overview

Echeveria ‘Pollux’ is a succulent flowering plant in the Crassulaceae family native to Mexico and Central America.

The evergreen succulent has rosettes that grow up to 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter with broad silvery-grey leaves that acquire a faint lilac tint when exposed to direct sun.

The leaves are coated in a natural wax tint that gives them a delicate pastel hue.

Echeveria ‘Pollux’ has bell-shaped pink and orange flowers that bloom on a short stem in the summer.

How To Care for Echeveria ‘Pollux’

Echeveria ‘Pollux’ care is easy, and these plants can be very rewarding for the hobbyist.

Because of its ease in care, it makes an excellent plant for beginning succulent gardeners.

Here, you’ll find crucial details on how to care for Echeveria plants.

Sun Exposure & Light Requirements

Echeveria ‘Pollux’ plants require full sun to partial shade.

This Echeveria species is a succulent plant, and as such, it requires at least 4 hours of direct sunlight each day.

Echeveria succulents are prone to sunburn if exposed to too much direct sunlight, so make sure that they do not spend more than half the day in the full summer sun.

You can help prevent this from happening by placing them in an area with some shade during the hottest hours of the day.

Like most succulents, Echeveria ‘Pollux’ also prefers filtered bright sunlight or partial shade, meaning it needs at least 2-3 hours of direct sunlight each day, but not all day long.

If you are growing them inside, you can place them in a west-facing or east-facing window. This will allow them to receive the perfect light they need.

If you are growing them outdoors, try to place the plants where they will receive some shade during the peak hours of the day.

Watering Requirements

Echeveria succulents require watering about once per week.

Although they do not require much water, they need to be watered more frequently than other succulents because their leaves tend to droop after some time without any water.

Echeveria ‘Pollux’ does not like staying too wet or dry. Too much water will cause the leaves to rot or develop root rot, and too little water will make the leaves shrivel.

The top couple of inches of soil should always be dry before watering again.

In addition, Echeveria ‘Pollux’ should be watered from the bottom so their leaves do not get waterlogged.

Water must be able to drain from the container quickly.

Soil Requirements

Echeveria ‘Pollux’ plants require porous soil that drains quickly. If the potting medium is soggy, it can cause root rot in this plant.

A cactus soil mix is an ideal option for this type of succulent.

If you are unable to find a cactus soil mix, you can make your own.

You will need to combine two parts of potting soil, one part perlite and one part coarse sand or gravel.

Temperature and Humidity

The ideal temperature for this plant is between 68° to 80° Fahrenheit (20 to 27°C) during the day and nights between 50° to 70° Fahrenheit (10 to 21°C).

Temperature extremes, especially below 50°F (10°C) for extended periods, can cause leaf or stem damage.

The average humidity for most of the year should be around 40%.

There should not be a significant difference between day and night humidity.

The exception to this rule are prolonged periods (>1 week) of extremely low humidity that could cause the loss of lower leaves.

Fertilizing

Echeveria ‘Pollux’ succulent plants are not particularly demanding with regard to fertilizing.

You can feed them with a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted to half-strength once or twice monthly during spring and summer’s active growing season. In the fall and winter, you don’t need to feed your plants at all.

Echeveria ‘Pollux’ succulent plants only require low amounts of fertilizer because the thickened leaves retain water and nutrients quite well.

Echeverias are sensitive to over-fertilization. If you notice the leaves getting a pale color, it means that the plant is experiencing toxicity from too much fertilizer.

In this case, reduce the amount of feed and make sure that you give your plants a larger amount of space to grow for them to carry out photosynthesis properly.

Potting and Repotting

Echeveria ‘Pollux’ is extremely easy to take care of, especially when it comes to how often you should pot the plant.

First of all, if you start with your Echeveria ‘Pollux’ succulents, you will not need to repot them for approximately one year.

They should be repotted every 1-2 years after that. However, if the plant has outgrown its current pot, you should repot it regardless of where it stands in the 1-2 year cycle.

Repotting helps the Echeveria plant to grow more healthy roots which can help with many other succulent care needs.

Echeveria ‘Pollux’ is a relatively slow-growing succulent, meaning that it will survive in a smaller sized pot for a more extended period before it needs to be repotted into a bigger one.

On the other hand, if you have an Echeveria that is growing extremely fast and might need to be repotted soon, then you should look for a pot with at least 2-3 inches of extra space on all sides so that you can put in more soil to accommodate the fast-growing roots.

The best type of pot to use when repotting Echeveria ‘Pollux’ is a terracotta pot with drainage holes because it is porous, which allows for good drainage.

Pruning

Echeveria ‘Pollux’ is a slow-growing plant that does not need any pruning.

However, removing any dead or dying leaves or parts of the plant is recommended. This helps to prevent infections by harmful fungi or bacteria.

You can use a cutting tool, but ensure that you sterilize it with alcohol before doing so.

A simple way to remove dead/dying leaves is to gently twist them away at the base.

Pests and Diseases

This succulent plant is relatively easy to care for but can be vulnerable to certain pests and diseases.

Pests

Some common pests of the Echeveria ‘Pollux’ include:

Scale

Small, unattractive insects appear as hard brown or black bumps on your succulent leaves and stems.

They can be hard to see because they are so small, but you’ll know there’s a scale infestation if your succulents start losing their luster and looking dry.

Mealybugs

Mealybugs are small, white insects that look a bit like tiny cotton balls.

They tend to settle in the cracks and crevices of your plants, so they’re usually found along the stems or the base of succulent leaves.

Aphids

Aphids are small, soft-bodied insects that come in a range of colors. They may be green, brown, black, orange, or pink.

The signs of an aphid infestation include leaves going limp and falling off your Echeveria succulents and a white cotton-like substance along the stems and under the leaves.

Diseases

Some common diseases of the Echeveria ‘Pollux’ include:

Root Rot

Root rot is a disease that most often affects Echeveria plants because they have shallow roots.

The signs of root rot include wilting and drooping leaves, slowed growth, yellowing leaves, dead roots, and cankers along the base of succulent stems.

Fungal Leaf Spots

Fungal leaf spots are small, brownish-black fungal infections that appear as small dark dots or irregular clumps on your succulent leaves.

The spores will spread onto the stems and roots of your plants if you don’t treat them right away.

How to Care for Echeveria ‘Pollux’ in Winter

Echeveria ‘Pollux’ plants don’t like cold weather and will show the first signs of winter damage even when it’s cool if exposed to sudden temperature changes.

In the winter season, it is advisable to relocate your succulents indoors to a well-lit and cool environment, such as an unheated garage, porch, or spare room.

The temperature must stay above 50 degrees F (10 degrees C), and your plant should not experience freezing temperatures.

Water the Echeveria ‘Pollux’ only enough to keep it from losing leaves and roots during this time.

As the weather begins to warm up in spring, take your succulents out to move them back into direct sunlight.

If you are growing Echeveria ‘Pollux’ plants in outdoor containers, you should also move them back inside during the winter.

The only exception is if you live in an area with mild winters and your container is placed where it will be protected from cold winds and freezing temperatures (like on a covered porch or patio).

You can water your plants less often if the weather is cool but only enough to keep them from wilting.

You should resume normal watering practices in spring or when new growth appears.

How To Propagate Echeveria ‘Pollux’

Echeveria ‘Pollux’ can be easily propagated by leaf cuttings or offsets.

Leaf Cuttings

Echeveria ‘Pollux’ can be propagated by leaf cuttings. Here is how you do it:

1. Take a leaf and cut it off with a pair of sharp, sterilized pruning scissors. Cut off the leaf at its base (as close to the stem as possible). You can also take several leaves together if you want to produce more plants.
2. Let the leaves callous (dry out) for one or two days.
3. Place the leaves on top of some moist (but not soggy) cactus soil, but make sure that at least half of each leaf is buried in the soil.
4. Keep the soil moist but not soggy and in an indirect bright light position.
5. Wait about 4 to 6 weeks until you see roots growing out of the bottom; then, pot up your new plant.
6. Do not water for about a week after repotting (if you can resist it!), and keep in indirect light only (no full sun) until the plant is established and starts putting on new growth.

Offsets

Echeveria Pollux plants can be propagated by offsets too. Here is how you do it:

1. Wait until the offsets (pups) are about 2-3″ tall and look like they can be removed without damage, then detach them from the mother plant.
2. Place them in a well-drained succulent mix (see video above) and water lightly.
3. Wait until the offsets are well established, then plant them up; this can be done at about 6-8 weeks of age.
4. You can wait longer if you like and grow them for a few months to get bigger plants, but they will transplant just fine at the age mentioned above.
5. Protect them from too much sun, and do not feed heavily after planting!

Final Thoughts

Growing succulents indoors is a great way to bring the beauty of nature inside while also caring for them.

Succulents are easy to care for and can be grown by anyone, regardless of experience or knowledge.

Echeveria ‘Pollux’ is a great plant to grow for anyone starting since it is hardy, easy to care for, and looks beautiful in indoor and outdoor settings.