Thank you!

Will do that I would be extremly happy if I could get some to root. Do I just set them on soil and leave it or water/spray them occasionally?

And the 4 plants that I have potted together is ok? Its a 4 inch plastic pot. Hopefully thats not too crammed I believe succulents are slow growers or should I pot only two togheter for growth room? Will it continue to grow bigger? Will the sections that broke off grow back? I am very curious and have no clue what to expect.

Thanks,

Rani

Hi Rani,

We meet again ;>)

"Just lay the pieces on the soil mix and leave them alone." Exactly as Russ said.

Remember, the 'leave them alone part' pls. means no spray, no water. No roots means no water or else they'll rot.

W/out roots they can't take up water. Pls remember that fat fleshy of succulents leaves hold water in reserve & don't need to be watered until you see new growth.

Similar to the advice about the Sans. you recently received. Too much TLC will not help or speed up the process & can harm they as they root. The best care is for them is actually neglect.

Someone wrote elsewhere about rooting succulents from leaves: set them somewhere to root, forget about them for a while, then check back in about 3 weeks.

I'd skip the plant food for a while & add more perlite to the mix you'll be using to start those leaves.

Thanks you Lena! I have left everything alone. Honestly the thanksgiving cactus n euph fran has absolutly no change/growth whatsoever but its better then poor results I guess.

The pothos is starting to florish, very slowly, but the pot is visibly fuller now. Its abt 1 new leaf growth per stem/cutting every 2-3 weeks. I have 6 rooted stems/cuttings in that pot but only half are growing I guess the other 3 are still in the developing process.

The sans actual has thin hair like growth sprouting so it also seems do be doing well, i guess the pic I sent a month back of the withered leaf was just adjustment issues. Will PM you later.

Thanks,

Rani

Your succulents is in very wet soil, needs to be watered much less often. The potting medium should be more gritty for good drainage.

I agree as the soil was extremely saturated with no drainage holes. (Could that be the reason it is very delicate to the touch?) as i said it was a gift that i am trying to make work.

I did move them to a plastic draining pot but could not get the original soil to come off. It was very well packed and saturated i am hoping it will dry out as the soil below is 50% cactus soil 50%perlite. Is four plants too much for a 4 inch pot? Is it too crammed?

Thanks,

Rani

Rani

It may take very long time for the soil to dry, and your plant looks already quite damaged from overwatering and possibly won't last that long.

When soil is ...'very well packed and saturated'... you know there is a big problem. You need to get it off, helping yourself with a skewer or toothpick and/or washing it off. Swishing the root ball gently in a bowl of tepid water should help. Or you can hose it off - but plant seems to be quite fragile for that now. Doesn't matter how good the soil below is, get it all good.

IMO, potting all together is too crowded. At this point, pot them separately. Some could be more damaged, possibly rotting, and you don't want them infect other plants.

Rina,

Taking your advice I did seperate them into thier own pots. Transporting them was easier today no additional petals/leaves fell and it was easier to handle. I did swich and wash the rootball around in water and got the majority of soil off until the point the roots where visible then replanted in cactus soil amended with perlite. The roots didnt seem to be to the point of rotting or damaged in any way. As far as i know, it was potted n saturated in a non draining decorated holder for the wedding on friday and i plantted them in the draining pot monday night. So hopefully not long enough to cause permanent damage to the plant but i am no expert.

Sorry i am out of space on my phone otherwise i would have included a picture. But some of the plants have been reduced to the point it has the center layer and one more after. Will the plant regrow the parts the fell off/grow bigger from this point? Not sure what to expect and how often should they be watered?

thanks,

Rani

I would not water for a while if they were saturated. After about a week, help yourself with a bamboo skewer (or chopstick, but thinner is better); insert deep into pot avoiding the roots. When pulled out, feel it on back of your hand or your cheek - if it feels cold/damp, and/or small particles are sticking to it, soil is still wet and do not water. At the same time, feel the weight of pot just after potting it, and also when you do the test, every time. Eventually you should be able to tell that it is dry - pot will be lighter.

Few days would have not caused the damage, I think it may have been overwatered for a while.

How much perlite did you add?

Fallen leaves will not regrow, but if plants are healthy, new leaves will continue growing. You may end up with a bare stalk, but that is not a problem. Eventually, the plant could be be-headed if the stalk is too long. But first, get them healthy.

That is extremely helpful info!

50%perlite 50%cactus soil. is that ok. And, in your opinion, do u think anything will grow from the broken pieces. Any of them look hopeful to turn into a new plant?

also i have read cactus grow best outdoors, is this suitable to be an indoor plant and whats the perfect temp and sun requirements?

thanks!

Hi Rani,

Sorry, but there aren't really PERFECT temp & sun requirements, it's different for everybody, given different settings.

They're plants, not machines so they just don't operate w/ that level of exactitude (not sure that's a word).

Like your other succulents, you'll have to experiment after doing the reading up I'm sure you can do since you've got some luxury of time on your side.

Echs want strong sun & tend to get leggy indoors unless one has EXCEPTIONAL sunlight.

You've seen some of what I can grow in my setting & w/my great western light, I gave up on Echs here, they get too leggy & I can't give them enough light.

I say that so you don't get your heart set on these doing great, maybe just OK.

The broken bits of leaves aren't worth wasting your time on; won't amount to anything, am certain.

Side note since I haven't seen a PM from you:

I hope you remember to water the Thx giving cactus & the E. francoisii every 5-7 days or so, especially in the recent heat. I would have thought they'd so something in 3, 4 wks.

NO IDEA what hair strand thing you're talking abt w/the Sans., not normal, let's see a pic pls.

Hi: to answer your question about sun and temp for these, they like a lot of light, but I've grown mine in a western window and another in an eastern window. The Arizona sun actually was too hot for them in the southern window, so perhaps yours will do well in a south or southwest window as well ( you aren't in the desert!).

While it is true there is no "perfect" temp or light, you can be pretty sure that they will enjoy as much light as you can give them.

It isn't a matter of trying it out in different places. It's a succulent. It likes light. For instance, a northern window would probably not be a good idea. So I do think we can get a bit more "exact" when it comes to helping you place your plant.

Also, I see at least three viable leaves in your pile. If you want to try to root them, do. It will be, at the very least, a good opportunity to try to propogate them. I wouldn't just toss them all away. You can google what a viable leaf should look like, and you will easily be able to see that you do have a few in your pile.

the one I have in the east window grew from a leaf and it's quite big now. And I knew very little then about propagating succulents. So, give it a go if you want.

one thing I noticed about people on this site is that they tend to hold out hope for damaged plants. And that is, I think, a good thing. Yours is not damaged. It's just overwatered, and you are taking the proper steps to correct that. You have every right to get your hopes up about the plant, and don't let anyone discourage you.

Many ppl use mix as you mentioned and report it works fine - I don't, so can't comment.

For succulents, the direct light is the best. Indoors, the light levels are mostly low and help with supplemental lighting is needed. Exactly as Karen pointed out - many will get etiolated indoors. I do have many lights since I have to keep them indoors for about 1/2 a year - depends on temps.

I agree with what was said about the leaves by others (I would just discard all broken ones, rest of them may or may not grow). Set them just on top of mix and let them be - you may get a plant or few. But don't be disappointed if not, some plants are more finicky then others, and even perfectly healthy leaves may not grow a plantlet (sometimes they grow just roots).

I have to disagree somewhat with Lauren about damage - overwatered plant, IMO, is damaged. I think that is usually the #1 problem with succulents. If caught early enough, it may be saved - that I agree with.

Yes, Rina, I see what you mean. I was thinking of some other plants I've seen in the forum that I really thought were goners, but others thought were totally viable.

But she did say that the roots were not rotted, so I figured that this one isn't too bad. I just didn't want her to feel it was beyond hope....

It's not at ALL beyond hope. Pls. re-read my comments, the only discouraging I did was about the broken leaves, not the plants all together.

But a dose of realism, & Rani & I know each other a bit & I've shared other plants w/ her, so she already knows I'm coming from a good place.

Lauren, np. It is, after all, JMO :) And just because plant is damaged (be it overwatering or broken or anything else), there is often chance of saving it. Agree with Karen - broken leaves are not going to work.

Thank you all for the comments and advice. Will continue to monitor it, I tend to stay hopeful so not going to toss all the parts just yet. Some of the broken pieces have shriveled away and as they shrivel I have been tossing them when they reach them point of no return. I knw it probably unlike but I like to cling to that small chance. Would a plant spotlight help?

Karen will send you pics but the thanksgiving cactus n euph fran they still look good n healthy but not growing/no change at all. Maybe still adjusting? Will add pic on that post.

Thanks,

Rani

No to spotlight -- lost cause as several of us have already said.

You didn't say if you're watering the others w/ the frequency I asked - not sparingly as w/ most other C&S. I don't need their pic, esp if there are no changes.

I DID ask to see the Sans. w/ the hair-like thing as that's not what Sans. do, nor does it sound normal. Perhaps some other seed of something fell in the pot.

I am watering both abt every 5 days until water run through from the bottom. The pothos once a week and sans 1 every 2 weeks. The green grass like specs seem to be browning away plus they are around the rim not the center so i guess it was probably something else but otherwise it is looking good. Will try to clear my phone storage so i can take more pics.

thanks,

rani

Will check back later Rani, Thx.