Harvesting Trees[Sedum]

Hanging the plants takes up a lot of space, time, and effort, not to mention hanging line and clips. I simply place the cuttings in a paper grocery bag - flower side up, and they dry out nicely with no ill-effects. The full bags are then stored in my garage or basement until new "trees" are needed. 

I've dried these myself for the purpose of dried flower arrangments for the house rather than on the layout. I hung them like you have but didn't apply anything to them.  Since I have a new crop come up every year I never worried about them lasting very long. If you do find them usefull they divide very easily and can present you with a mulititude of plants in just a few years. By the way, in case you try to research them further, the correct spelling is Sedum.  Good luck!

I'm headed to Asheville (mountains of North Carolina) so maybe I'll find some sedum while I'm there. There doesn't seem to be any around my neighborhood.

Does it matter what time of year you "harvest" them?  Is it best to wait until autumn when the tops turn that burgundy color or do you get the same effect if you clip them during the summer?

 

- Mike

I've always waited until autumn because I desired the color. I can't say for sure that there would be drawbacks to harvesting them earlier but I suspect the higher moisture content before maturity might pose problems.

Darn,  I just cut all my sedum down last Sunday and ran them through the shredder and into the compost pile.  Should have waited a week!

 

Kevin

Where in the world are you guys finding these? I don't see any in my area?

 

Thanks

 

They are a cultivated plant, so you will not find them in the wild. The ones I have were purchased from a plant catalog decades ago but they are readily available at Home Depot, Lowes and garden centers, unless you live out of their growing range. 

I just stand them up in a pail to dry.  That way any crumbs that drop off are not on the floor.

.....

Dennis

I appreciate the comment and advice regarding sedum guys as well as German's correction of my "Cedum" spelling. My wife has been growing it for over 50 years and had floral ground markers with the correct spelling. Her "volunteer" Yard man was not very attentive.

I have several of them in my yard. I let them die on the plant, then cut them. My next batch are due in a week or so.

Just snapped these. Once the plnts are dry I just broke them into tree-like shapes and sizes. I had a 2 1\2 gallon bucket that I had dumped 3 different color bottles of ground cover in. I spray painted the trees with brown paint and as soon as I sprayed it I dipped it into the bucket and shook the bucket. Knocked the excess off and stuck it in a peice of styrofoam to dry. Literally takes 10 seconds a tree. I used different thicknesses and shapes to give different looks and fullness to them.