My Peach Egg Care Diary: From a Weak Seedling to a Pink Queen
Last spring, I was fascinated by a set of photos of Graptopetalum amethystinum (peach eggs, commonly known as “pink fatties”) on Etsy – the plump pink rosettes displayed by the Korean seller made me click the purchase button without hesitation.
The package arrived a week later. I opened the package excitedly, expecting to see the mini version of the product picture…but I found a pitiful little plant that was skinny, leggy, green and wilted. The leaves are thin and long, completely different from the compact and gorgeous one on the Internet. Am I being cheated?
After some searching, I realized: This is indeed a peach egg – just seriously oversized. The seller’s greenhouse had perfect lighting, but the dark transportation environment turned my future pink beauty into a leggy cabbage.
My reaction: “Interesting, I’ll take this challenge.”
Following the advice of the succulent forum r/succulents, I repotted the plant with granular soil (Bonsai Jack granular soil + volcanic rock) and placed it under a fill light (my apartment in Seattle lacks sufficient natural light). I endured not watering for 10 days. The peach eggs are most susceptible to root rot during the potting stage.
Peach Egg
However, disaster still struck. The leaves at the bottom suddenly become transparent and soft.
I panicked and pulled it out to check. Fortunately, the root system was not rotten. Possibly transport damage? I removed the rotten leaves, dried them for a day and then replanted them. I thought to myself: “Little ancestor, you have to hold on.”
After two weeks, new capillary roots finally grow. I moved it to a south-facing windowsill (finally getting direct light!) and started implementing the “dry-water-water” rule and only watered when the leaves were slightly soft.
Miracles begin to happen:
The newly grown leaves become thicker and rounder
The pale green gradually turns to lavender pink
Although the elongated central stem is still there, the new leaves make it less noticeable
Key takeaways:
✔ Light is the soul: without sufficient sunlight (or fill light), peach eggs will only grow and turn green.
✔ Water control is king: watering more = rotten roots, watering less = slightly wrinkled but stunning color
Just when I thought I had the trick, summer hit me hard. One hot day, I forgot to open the sunshade… When I got home, I found burnt brown spots on the leaves.
As misfortunes never come singly, I found white cotton-like mealybugs in the gaps between leaves!
Enter combat status urgently! Use 75% medical alcohol and cotton swabs to clean them one by one, and spray neem oil for a week to completely eliminate them. (Lesson learned through blood and tears: Check for pests every week, these guys reproduce faster than gossip!)
After autumn, the temperature difference between day and night brings my peach eggs to their peak moment:
Grow into a plump and compact rosette with no trace of leggy growth.
Showing a dreamy pink-orange color, low temperature creates a beautiful state
Lateral buds have begun to explode and can be propagated by beheading them!
When the plant enthusiast came to visit her home, she exclaimed: “Wait…is this the ‘bean sprouts’ you had before?!”
I smiled proudly: “Yes, now it’s called ‘Pink Queen’.”
To sum up my ultimate guide to peach egg care
1. There should be sufficient lighting (fill light is necessary on rainy days)
2. Watering should be sparing, like desert rainfall occasionally but thoroughly.
3. Be patient. It takes time for an ugly duckling to turn into a swan.
Now, this peach egg that was once terrible to look at has become a plump and plump beauty, proving that no matter how bad the beginning is, as long as you put your heart into it, you can counterattack.
This story tells us: Growing more meat is a process of practicing patience…but the moment of transformation, everything is worth it. 🌱→💖
P.S. If your peach eggs are not in good condition at the beginning, don’t give up! Adjust the maintenance, be patient, and it will reward you for your hard work.