Wish I could help....I just bought one for myself recently :-) I'm interested to see what others have to say.

First one looks like rot setting in, because of old leaves sitting on wet soil. The plants are now planted correctly, but not sure if the rot has advanced too far. Living rocks, like Pleiospilos, Lithops, Argies, get 1 pair of leaves per year and one should allow the plant to absorb the old leaves, by cutting back watering. I work on the principle to keep ventilation good at the base where roots and plant meet, as I noticed early on the rot happens there.

I know some people dust with cinnamon to help dry up the area. But no watering.

I have not had mine long enough to speak with confidence. They bloomed and now I am still watching my outer leaves get absorbed. They got rained on in the cold the last week. I just hauled them in. It is dropping to 32 tonight and 29-27 tomorrow.I hope they don't rot from this cold rain. Cold and drizzly.

I agree with Rian. If you let it dry out, hopefully the rot will stop and the new leaves will still be able to absorb the old.
The little one looks like it met a snail... for lunch. I could convey my contempt for the slimy jerks but I don't have all night.

The good news is, Pleiospilos are easy to pollinate when you have a few. I've got pods ripening as we speak.

'I could convey my contempt for the slimy jerks but I don't have all night'

More than could be conveyed in a ramekin, one supposes.

Erin,

Lots of luck - I'd chuck it, but I used to be as you - save it, and that and livin' on a prayer sometimes worked.

If the plants are healthy, then a little rain would not affect it unless the soil stays wet with no ventilation.

I look at many mesembs as "bags of water with nice patterns", and I had to keep reminding myself that they are extremely well adapted to extract moisture, so overwatering is like throwing them in a bath, in addition we live in a 75% + humidity area, so I mist or water top 1/4, and on rare occasions maybe enough for the water to come out at the bottom (growing periods). I also noticed early, when they have 2 or even 3 pairs of leaves they get smaller!

P. nelii sitting on 2 old bags of water - absorbing them
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P. bolusii doing the same
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The exception - P. compactus subsp. canus
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and another compactus
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I am no expert on Mesembs, but mine are all minimum 4 years old and the last one I lost was about 6 years ago, when I realized some of the mentioned mistakes I made. Not sure if it helps.

Jeff you crack me up! LOL I am going to save it gosh darn it! DO you think dusting it with cinnamon would help? I only bought them because the one I bough a few months ago is getting ready to bloom and I'd like to cross pollinate in the future. Oh well if I lose it! I still have the other one!

~Erin~

Rian,

Thanks for the pictures - those mesembs never held attraction for me, but you do them justice, for sure.

Erin,

It wouldn't hurt, but I think it's a waste of cinnamon. I had only one pot ever of P. n., and did virtually nothing to it other than a little water in spring and fall - naturally it did well. I suspect that if I fussed with it it would have met its demise much sooner.

Oh Jeff, the day will come! LOL! Pleasure!