Baby toes was previously classified as Mesembryanthemum rhopalophyllum and Fenestraria aurantiaca, and some nurseries may list the plants by these former names.
Now let’s discuss how to keep these cute plants happy!
How to Grow
Baby toes succulents can be grown as houseplants and are a good choice for low succulent planters, with their shallow root systems and tendency to creep.
They are also charming in succulent fairy gardens.
Gardeners in USDA Hardiness Zones 9b to 13b can grow baby toes outdoors year round in containers or as a ground cover as long as you have excellent drainage and can provide protection from abundant rainfall.
Light
Baby toes will display the best growth and produce flowers if provided with at least four and preferably six or more hours of direct sunlight or the equivalent from a grow light per day.
But if you’ve just brought yours home from the nursery, rather than situating it in blazing sun immediately, acclimate it gradually.
In summer, reduce direct sun exposure to early morning and later in the day, providing light shade during the heat of the day.
If you provide bright, indirect light, baby toes is less likely to flower than if it’s in direct sunlight.
Soil
Baby toes succulents need a growing medium that has a pH range of around 6.0 to 7.0, and is sandy or gravelly with plenty of mineral content, supplying excellent drainage.
They need a grittier mix than the typical commercial cactus and succulent soil, so you may need to make your own!
Aim for 20 to 25 percent organic matter and 75 to 80 percent mineral content.
You can make your own mix by using three parts houseplant potting medium, made up of ingredients such as coconut coir, compost, biochar, horticultural charcoal, or pine fines.
The other seven parts should be a mix of gritty mineral ingredients, such as sand, gravel, and pumice.
One of my favorite potting mix products is Rosy Soil’s Houseplant Mix, available for purchase in four- or eight-quart bags from the Rosy Soil store via Walmart.
Rosy Soil Houseplant Mix
Even though these plants grow with just their windows showing in their native range, don’t try this at home, as your conditions are likely more comfortable than those found in the wild, and burying the leaves too deep could lead to rotting.
In cultivation you’ll have more success covering just the root ball and leaving the foliage above ground.
Water
In general, you’ll need to allow the growing medium to dry out completely between waterings.
When the leaves feel very firm and are wrinkle-free, they are still well-hydrated, so they don’t necessarily need any water.
If the leaves are starting to look wrinkled, that means they are using up their stored water supplies, and are ready for a drink!
In spring and autumn water soon after the growing medium dries out. In winter and summer, allow the medium to dry and then wait for the leaves to just start to wrinkle as well.
If you overwater it can cause the leaves to split open, so take care to always check the soil first.
Temperature and Humidity
Baby toes prefer a temperature range of between 65 to 85°F, but they can tolerate lows of 25°F provided the roots are kept dry.
A humidity level of about 40 to 50 percent is ideal.
Fertilizing
Fertilize once a month during the growing season, using a gentle fertilizer formulated for cacti and succulents.
Dr. Earth Succulence
I like Dr. Earth’s Succulence Cactus and Succulent Food, available in a 16-ounce pump bottle from Arbico Organics.
You can learn more about fertilizing succulents here.
Repotting
As they are slow growing, you won’t need to repot your baby toes very often.
If the plant has outgrown its current container or is planted in the wrong type of growing medium, go ahead and repot immediately.
Ideally you’ll do this in spring and not while the plant is blooming.
These succulents don’t have deep tap roots, so you can choose a shallow pot that’s wide enough to allow the plant to spread horizontally.
Make sure the new pot is just one size larger than the current container, and that it has drainage holes.
Place a shallow layer of the potting medium in the bottom of the new pot.
Unpot the plant from its existing pot and remove as much of the existing potting soil from around the roots.
