Dave-
Where in Pennsy are you? Stush is in western Pa and I grew up outside of Philadelphia, in Bucks County although I am now in New Jersey. My house is set up poorly for plants also (only one small good window, the bigger ones are north facing). I stuff a lot of plants in my office over winter. I grow all of them well in summer (mostly outside) and they suffer through winter. My beautiful little 'Silver Blue' did collapse (I have to get another one!) but I otherwise have not really seen that with the kirkiis or other Sans. I have a nice 'Coppertone' that has done well. I do find they suffer this time of year, and I get a lot of brown on the leaves and hahnis in particular seem to loose a lot of old leaves. However otherwise the older growth should last. I would think they may have gotten wet (if rotted) else dried out in which they would shrivel and dry.......with the plant trying to conserve/protect the younger growth while the plant shriveled away. Watering seems to be an art in winter....as we don't want them to sit wet but also indoor air and furnaces can dry them out quickly....esp. those in small/clay pots.

Same problem I had. You must keep them warm. I have kept mine at 60 to 65 with the house temp. No Good. Killer temps. I have mine protected in a old used 55 gal. fish tank. No drafts and they are just slightly warmer at 70 to 75. See the post what a litter heat will do. It will do wonders. If you kept your Sans at say, 90 degrees, water all you want in any peaty soil you have. But when bring in our houses during winter, must use fast draining soil so not to rot the crown and I keep mine on a more acid side of the ph scale using sulfur and only use super phosphate (a little in the soil). Remember Cold + Wet = Death. At 90 degrees, hahnii can grown in streams.

Hope it helps.

Stush

I live in NEPA and also has a sans. Only once did a leaf rot on me. On accident I got water into the center of the rosette and it caused the rot. What I do is water around them, try not to get water into the center. I water on the dry side too. I only water mine every 7-10 days now that it's winter a little more when its summer. It sits on my dining room table or in the corner of the room on a stand. I prefer clay pots, I have no luck with plastic. Ive also found that they like shorter pots instead of tall due to their shallow root system. To my surprise about 2-3 weeks ago mine put up 2 pups.

Thanks for all the comments. My rosettes don't out and out ROT - the growing point just seems to die. And my "silver blue" did its thing in August. I wasn't sure the growing point was dead until I saw a new leaf sticking up out of the soil. Same thing has just happened with my kirkii pulchra - 2 small rosettes in the pot, and a third growing - pretty sure the growing points of the first two are done.

Sans are monocarpic.

Tiffany, New post for Sans are monocarpic.