Repotting guide

When & how to repot Sempervivum 'Reinhard' (Sempervivum 'Reinhard')

Also called Reinhard hens and chicks.

More about sempervivum 'reinhard'

About Sempervivum 'Reinhard'

Sempervivum 'Reinhard' · also called Reinhard hens and chicks · houseplant

Sempervivum 'Reinhard' is a popular hybrid houseleek with neat, symmetrical green rosettes crisply edged in dark chocolate-maroon at each leaf tip. The contrast deepens in strong sun and cool weather. It is cold-hardy, drought-tolerant, and freely offsetting, forming tidy colonies in gritty soil. Easy and forgiving, it fails only from overwatering or poor drainage.

Mature size: Rosettes 6-10 cm across; colonies spread 25-30 cm wide. Flower stalks reach 15-25 cm.

Watch for — Overwatering and rot: Soggy soil rots the crown and roots, the leading cause of death. Plant in gritty mix, water only when fully dry, and keep nearly dry through winter.

How to tell sempervivum 'reinhard' needs repotting

Repotting on a calendar is less reliable than reading the plant. For sempervivum 'reinhard', watch for these signs:

Roots growing out of the drainage holes, or the rootball lifting the plant proud of the rim.
Soil that has shrunk away from the pot sides and no longer holds water.
The pot is unstable because the plant has grown top-heavy.
Old, compacted, broken-down mix that stays wet too long — for a succulent that is a rot risk, so refresh it even if the pot size is fine.

For the underlying biology of a pot-bound root system and why it stalls a plant, see our guide to spotting and fixing a root-bound plant.

How often to repot sempervivum 'reinhard'

Every 2–3 years, into bone-dry mix. Sempervivum 'Reinhard''s growth habit — evergreen, mat-forming succulent. tidy rosettes spread by stoloniferous offsets around a central plant, building dense, even colonies. each rosette is monocarpic, flowering once before dying and being replaced by surrounding chicks. — sets the pace. Sempervivum 'Reinhard' is a popular hybrid houseleek with neat, symmetrical green rosettes crisply edged in dark chocolate-maroon at each leaf tip. The contrast deepens in strong sun and cool weather. It is cold-hardy, drought-tolerant, and freely offsetting, forming tidy colonies in gritty soil. Easy and forgiving, it fails only from overwatering or poor drainage.

What size pot to step sempervivum 'reinhard' up to

Use a pot only one size up — or even the same pot with fresh gritty mix if the roots have room. Sempervivum 'Reinhard' stores water and rots in a large pot of slow-drying soil. A tight terracotta pot that dries fast is far safer than a generous plastic one. Never up-pot a succulent by several sizes.

Not sure of the exact diameter? Our pot size calculator takes the current pot and root spread and tells you the right next size — it deliberately recommends a single step up, never a big jump.

The best time of year to repot sempervivum 'reinhard'

Spring or summer, while sempervivum 'reinhard' is in active growth and warm, is best — roots recover fastest then, and the plant is not sitting in cool damp soil. Avoid repotting a succulent in winter dormancy.

Step-by-step: repotting sempervivum 'reinhard'

Repot dry. Do not water sempervivum 'reinhard' for several days first. Working with dry roots and dry mix dramatically lowers the rot risk for a succulent.
Pick a snug, fast-draining pot. Choose terracotta one size up at most, with a drainage hole. Have gritty gritty, fast-draining succulent mix ready.
Tip it out and clean the roots. Slide the plant out, crumble off the old soil, and trim any black, mushy or dead roots with clean snips.
Pot into dry mix. Set sempervivum 'reinhard' at its original depth in dry gritty mix, firming gently. Do not bury the stem deeper than it was.
Wait a week before watering. Leave it completely dry and out of harsh sun for about 7 days so any damaged roots callus. Only then water lightly.

Aftercare

Keep sempervivum 'reinhard' completely dry and out of fierce sun for about a week so any nicked roots callus before they meet moisture; watering a freshly repotted succulent is the classic way to rot it. Then resume the normal lean, dry rhythm. Do not fertilise for about 3 weeks — fresh mix already carries nutrients and feeding freshly disturbed roots scorches them.

The right soil mix for sempervivum 'reinhard'

Sempervivum 'Reinhard' wants gritty, fast-draining succulent mix. Plant in cactus/succulent compost cut roughly 1:1 with grit, pumice, or perlite. A neutral, lean, instantly draining substrate suits it; avoid moisture-retentive peat-heavy composts that hold water around the crown. Always use fresh mix when you repot — reusing old, broken-down soil reintroduces the compaction and poor drainage you are repotting to fix.

Repotting sempervivum 'reinhard' — frequently asked questions

How often should you repot sempervivum 'reinhard'?

Every 2–3 years, into bone-dry mix for sempervivum 'reinhard'. Repot sempervivum 'reinhard' every 2–3 years into a snug pot of gritty, fast-draining succulent mix, ideally in spring or summer. Let it sit in dry soil and do not water for about a week afterwards so any nicked roots can callus. Over-potting and watering straight away is what rots succulents.

What size pot does sempervivum 'reinhard' need?

When is the best time of year to repot sempervivum 'reinhard'?

Should you water sempervivum 'reinhard' after repotting?

No — not straight away. Repot sempervivum 'reinhard' into dry mix and wait about a week before the first watering so any damaged roots callus over. Watering a freshly repotted succulent is the single most common way to rot one.

Should you fertilise sempervivum 'reinhard' after repotting?

Not immediately. Wait about 3 weeks after repotting sempervivum 'reinhard'. Fresh mix already contains nutrients, and feeding freshly cut or disturbed roots burns them. Resume your normal feeding routine once you see new growth.