How to Take Care of Topsy Debbie Succulent

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The Topsy Debbi is one unique succulent plant for beginner gardeners. The Echeveria runyonii ‘Topsy Turvy and x Graptoveria ‘Debbi’ hybrid is a stunner. It grows thick leaves in a spoon shape with stemless rosettes and has dusty lilac spoons.

Depending on the growing conditions, the color changes become more intense, especially with cool weather. The succulent plant flowers in spring, still they can bloom again. It gifts you with small flowers rising above the rosettes on stalks.

Topsy Debbi Plant Care

tosy debbie succulent

The growing requirements for Topsy Debbi are similar to the Echeveria and Graptoveria succulent plants. With the parent plants originating from Central and South America, it needs a lot of sunlight with moderate watering.

Yet, the Graptoveria Topsy Debbi is a low-maintenance plant that looks great indoors in a pot or outdoors in a rock garden.

Soil Mix Suitable for Succulent Plants

The Graptoveria Topsy Debbi needs loose yet ventilated soil for healthy growth, as with most succulents. So, to grow Topsy Debbi into a healthy plant, it helps to repot them when you receive them from the local nursery.

The best is to provide your Graptoveria Lilac Spoons with well-draining soil to remove excess water through the drainage holes. Hence, you can provide your succulent with a top deco layer, a middle planting layer, and a lower hydroponic layer.

For the top deco soil that is mostly decoration, you can use akadama soil, white pebbles, or kanuma soil. While for the middle layer, you can use succulent planting soil or mix one yourself. A typical common soil mix is a ratio of 4:2:2:2 using peat moss: perlite: volcanic rock: and vermiculite.

Lastly, for the hydrophobic lower layer at the bottom, you can use volcanic stone or any other culture media like charcoal.

If planted in the garden, provide some drainage layers using culture media for water drainage. The same applies to your pot to have good drainage holes as well.

Direct Sunlight for Topsy Debbi Succulent

Compared to most succulents, the Graptoveria Topsy Debbi thrives in full sun. Hence, it needs at least six hours of direct sunlight. The reason is that it becomes leggy instead of growing a tight rosette with too little light.

Graptoveria succulent under full sun

Still, your succulent plants appreciate summer’s shade from the afternoon sun. Thus, when growing indoors, place her at a window to receive enough sunlight in the morning with partial sun in the afternoon.

If natural light is a concern, it helps to use a grow light for your plant to look its best.

Watering Requirement for Graptoveris Lilac Spoons

Your x Graptoveria succulent needs watering sparingly to keep them healthy. We recommend the soak-and-dry method when wetting your lilac spoons. Give them a good watering and ensure that the soil dries between quenching their thirst.

If you notice your plant leaves looking less plump and shriveled, it is a sign that your x Graptoveria Topsy Debbi is thirsty. Also, reduce the watering in winter by keeping the leaves only plump.

Temperature & Humidity Needs

Providing well-draining soil to partial sun temperature is important, and humidity needs are also essential. Unfortunately, the Graptoveria Lilac Spoons is not a winter hardy plant thriving in low temperatures, so it cannot tolerate frost.

Yet, it can thrive in hot temperatures outdoors in some growing zones. When cooler months arrive, bringing your x Graptoveria Lilac Spoons indoors to overwinter is best. If you grow your Graptoveria Topsy Debbi inside, it is best to keep her away from blowing air conditioners and drafts.

succulent temperature indoors

Your succulent plant prefers a low to medium humidity level. When too much moisture is in the air, the soil will retain water, leading to root rot.

Fertilizing of Topsy Debbi Succulent

When it comes to Graptoveria care and feeding, it does not vary greatly from other succulents. Your lilac spoons do not need much feeding and can comfortably survive in lean soil. But your Graptoveria Topsy Debbi can do with some annual feeding using a succulent fertilizer in the spring growing season.

Potting and Repotting Graptoveria Lilac Spoons

When you grow your Graptoveria Topsy Debbi in a container, it helps to choose the right pot with enough drainage holes. A recommended pot is an unglazed one allowing excess moisture to escape.

When choosing a pot from garden centers, choose one slightly bigger than the plant’s root ball. The fantastic thing is that the Graptoveria Lilac Spoons remain relatively small and do not needs repotting often.

The best time to repot your plant is in spring to early summer, and best to avoid repotting in winter as your plant is dormant.

Propagation Using Stem Cuttings

The fabulous thing is that you can quickly propagate your Graptoveria Lilac Spoons through seeds, stem cuttings, and offsets. You can purchase the seeds from a reputable nursery and plant the seeds in a tray.

succulent propagation

The best is to use unfertilized cactus potting soil and poke holes in it with your finger. Then place the seed in the hole and cover it with the potting soil. Then water the soil and leave the tray standing in enough light to germinate and grow roots.

A standard propagation method is leaf cuttings, as you can easily twist them off from the mother plant. Then leave the leaves to be callous before you lay them on top of some cacti soil. Alternatively, you can also take a stem cutting with some leaves attached to the top.

As with the leaf, you need to let it be callous for a few days before planting it in well-draining soil. Lastly, the x Graptoveria produces an offset that you can remove for propagation and also helps give your plant a great overall look.

With a sterile knife, you can remove the offsets from the parent plant with the roots attached to place them in fresh soil.

Topsy Debbi Succulent Varieties

As with the Topsy Debbi, that is such a magnificent succulent species you can find others to add to your plant collection.

Graptoveria ‘Debbi’

Graptoveria 'Debbi'

The succulent is a hybrid between an unknown Echeveria and Graptoveria amethystinum. It is a stunning plant with soft pink rosettes and a thick farina coating to give it a powdery pastel color. The gray-purple leaves tend to blush pink when under stress or exposed to too much sun.

Graptoveria ‘Fred Ives’

Another stunning succulent plant for beginners is the Fred Ives, also sold as the Echeveria Fred Ives. These succulents can change to different colors under stress. Hence, it can display pink. green, blues, orange, to purple shades.

Topsy Debbi Succulent Diseases and Pests

The Topsy Debbi might be a hardy plant, but it also gets its fair share of problems. Common pests are aphids and mealybugs that you can spot when inspecting your succulents closely. Another concern is root rot caused by overwatering resulting from dense soil and not having good drainage.

Frequently Asked Questions

In general succulent plants, leaves can wither and turn yellow from age. But when new leaves start fading or turning yellow, it can be from sunburn or a lack of minerals.

When you notice wrinkled leaves, it can be a water shortage and needs watering.

The lack of light can cause succulents to grow a tall stem with few leaves. The best is to move your plant to an area where it can receive bright indirect light.

The Topsy Debbi is sometimes a rare plant to find at local nurseries. But you are in luck as Plantly can provide you with this gorgeous plant or help your find one.

Whether you want to buy, sell or simply reach out to other plant enthusiasts, Plantly is the right place to be!

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