Can you cut and transplant clippings of Autumn Joy Sedum?

Question

I have a very nice mixed pot with Autumn Joy Stonecrop (Sedum) and some unknown red beachy looking grass (possibly red fountain grass). It's all been doing really well on my "full sun" porch but we've had heavy rains 4 different days of this past week while I was out of town. It appeared to be in perfect condition until my dog brushed up against the Sedum and I realized, that a large stem of this usually sturdy plant knocked over... Could it have uprooted? No- the bottom of it is soaked and some of the leaves have turned to mush. I inspected the rest, which seems to be fine, but this strand, like most of it has at large clump of buds on top that should bloom over the next few weeks.

Like other sedums, am I able to clip off the bottom that's basically rotting, give it time to callus and transplant the stems elsewhere? I've done this with Sedum refexum and coral carpet, but they weren't upright sedums, so I am unsure... And everything I've read about transplanting the Autumn Joy talks about gently moving the entire root structure. Does this mean I have lost this entire bit, it is there still hope? If I cannot clip it, is there something I can do? Is it possible to submerge the bottom bit that's damaged with sand or something else to soak up the moisture?

If it will help, I will edit this post with pictures in the morning, when I have proper light.

Answer 1

Sometimes what I do is leave the plant to die down but I don't cut off the flowering stems- soon afterwards sometimes you will notice little buds down the stem- then what I do is cut off the entire stem and root it sideways in a tray of multicompost indoors- making sure the buds are touching the soils surface- every one should be a new plant- and if your lucky you might notice that the buds may have little roots already growing out ready to separate from the parent plant naturally, its a lazy way of doing it without leaf cuttings or splitting etc and using any fancy rooting powders...oh that plant has also had a name change to a bit of a mouthful "Hylotelephium telephium 'Herbstfreude'" (why they change them I don't know! lol)

Answer 2

As this stem is rotten at the base, I suggest you remove it completely - keep the pot dry, only watering when the surface feels dry to the touch, so that the other stem bases don't also rot. If there are drainage holes in the pot, that's fine, if not, there should be.

If you want to keep the same arrangement in the pot next year, likely by spring the Sedum will have spread more and be taking up too much root room, so will need turning out and splitting anyway, replanting one of the sections in the same pot, and using the other section elsewhere.