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allie_b90

SOS I think I'm slowly killing all of my succulents! Please help!

Hey Everyone! :)

I am new here and this is my first time posting on the forums so I hope I am doing this correctly.


I bought my first succulent on Feb. 4th. I only watered it once and kept it indoors (in the dining room). I have always heard that succulents were resilient and easy to keep alive and since my first one seemed to be doing well, on Feb. 15th, I bought 9 more succulents. I watered all 9 and left them alone in their pots (I never repotted any of the 10). About 2 days later, I checked up on the first succulent I bought and saw the bottom leaves were very juicy and yellow and hidden in the soil were two brown/black leaves that had fallen off and were growing some sort of white fuzziness (fungus?). So I removed her from the soil, decapitated it as instructed by various youtube videos, and I am letting the stem callous and grow roots. As for my other succulents, it turns out I had overwatered them too (the soil was drenched) *deep sigh*. I rushed to Home Depot to buy a large pot (to fit all of them), and cactus soil. I ended up having a repotting party in my bathroom at 11pm as I pleaded with them to hang on. About two days later, I bought three more succulents that were heavily hit by rain (this might have been a bad idea). I added them to the pot (kept in the bathroom) and they all seemed to be happy and thriving. One of my succulents had a flower bud that was slowly starting to open up. I was pretty excited about this until “something” happened. It suddenly started to die without ever blooming. That’s when I noticed the bottom of the succulent was…squishy. UGH. I don’t understand how it was okay from Feb 15th- 23rd but then suddenly started to die on the 24th. Last night, I ended up taking out all the succulents out of the pot and put them in a cardboard box. As I did this, I found a few yellow plump leaves (some that were new growth). I obviously do not have a green thumb nor am I very knowledgeable on succulents but is it possible that they retained so much water when I watered them that they were still drinking even after I changed the soil and repotted them? What should be my next step? What can I do to keep them alive? I have included a few pictures. I'd appreciate any input! Thank you in advance! :)

Comments (13)

  • Allie B Los Angeles, CA
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Here are a few more pictures of when things took a turn...

  • rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Water retaining soil is biggest problem for succulents. Any container should have drainage hole(s). Planting so many different plants in same bowl is usually problem as some have very different needs.

    Your plants are also very deep/low inside of the container. Not sure about the light they are getting.

  • mesembs
    7 years ago

    3rd to last picture... This is a Sempervivum, which you should be hardy in your area. they definitely do best outside. Hardy to 4b.

    The Pleiospilos (the one with the flower) looks like it is just absorbing the old leaves, but be careful with water for this one.

    Rina has some good advice.

  • Allie B Los Angeles, CA
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Rina, thank you for replying to me! :)

    Yes, it has a drainage hole and I bought a large syringe to water them with but I have yet to use it because I'm sure I overwatered them the first time. Do you think it would still be a problem to keep them all in one large pot even if I water them with a syringe?


    They are definitely not receiving enough light. I'm planning on moving them outside tomorrow. We have been receiving a lot of rain lately but it's supposed to be sunny starting tomorrow! :)

  • Allie B Los Angeles, CA
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    This is the syringe I bought but have yet to use. I saw a youtuber use this type of syringe to water her succulents so I just thought it would be okay. Is this wrong?

  • Allie B Los Angeles, CA
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Thank you for the reply, Palms :)

    Yes, I'm actually about to set up a table for them outside. As much as I'd want to be able to look at them indoors, I know they're better off outside.


    Thank you for IDing it for me, I honestly don't know the names of any of them lol. I apologize for the dumb question but, what do you mean it looks like it is just absorbing the old leaves? Do you think the plant still has a chance to survive? Is the flower dead?

  • socks
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Whoa, Allie!!! Slow down! Your enthusiasm is causing you to bite off too much at once!!! (Please take this in the light, friendly manner it's offered. I have visions of you doctoring your plants at 11 pm in the bathroom!!)

    What soil are you using? It should be a mix of commercial cactus/succulent mix combined 50/50 with perlite or pumice (sift or rinse out the dust, don't breathe it). If your soil has a lot of peat, it can hold too much water for succulents.

    Honestly, I liked them better individually potted. I'm not knowledgeable enough to tell you which belong together in the big pot. They are potted a little low, as Rina said. The side of the pot can shade the small ones and make them grow tall and skinny reaching for light. I'm concerned that the pot is too deep and will hold excess water in the bottom where there are no roots.

    I think for now you should take your plants outside to get sun. It would be wise to transition them into full sun gradually.

  • Allie B Los Angeles, CA
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Hahah your first paragraph made me laugh! My sister told me I'm over pampering and obsessing too much over my plants lol.


    I am using Miracle Gro's cactus potting mix. What would the perlite/pumice do to the soil?


    Thank you! Yes, I'll take yours and Rina's advice about using more soil so that they're not potted as low and I will be taking them outside.


    Thank you for the reply! :)

  • Allie B Los Angeles, CA
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    What does this reddish orange leaf mean? Overwatering? Lack of sunlight? It's starting to thin out and is a little crispy at the tip.

  • xerophyte NYC
    7 years ago

    From the pictures, doesn't look like anything is really wrong. Old leaves are supposed to droop and die, then new ones replace them. The Pleiospilos with the flower bud is blooming out of season so it's all mixed up, plus it needs full sun to get the blooms to open, plus it likely is in root shock from the repotting so no surprise it isn't performing at its best.

    You really should put each plant into its own pot, they don't all share the same growing needs so you can't really take care of them properly that way.

    Second thing is try to ID what you have and learn about their growth needs.

    Reading and learning is the key. Don't be discouraged by the inevitable early failures. Read more about appropriate soil mixes, pots, sun and temperatures.

    If you have the ability to grow these outdoors they will be much healthier than indoors. Succulents are not good houseplants. They are good at tolerating poor conditions but that doesn't necessarily make them for a windowsill.

    x

  • hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
    7 years ago

    If you are in LA, all those succulent plants are outdoor plants. A covered patio is an ideal spot, but the closer to the coast you are, the more sun they will like.

    The Sempervivum is going to be difficult because they are alpine plants, not desert plants, and don't like LA's long hot summer/fall weather. They do great in the PNW with cool summers.

    The reddish orange leaf is getting old and the plant is reabsorbing the moisture and nutrients in preparation for letting the leaf die and fall off.

  • mesembs
    7 years ago

    Okay, so the Pleiospilos is a type of mesemb, which are, by the way, very fascinating plants. It will grow leaves in pairs, but instead of the old leaves drying up and falling off, they are slowly absorbed into the plant body (they aren't completely absorbed, mostly the moisture is sucked out of them before they crisp off).

    Does that make sense??

    These are moderately forgiving plants, but if you keep watering, it will generate several stacks of leaf pairs, and at this point you should stop or at least slow way down your watering, so it can be allowed to absorb old leaves. The plant should only have around 2 leaf pairs at a time. So, looking at your plant, I see it has three leaf pairs (1 large and 2 small). I would not water until the bottom most leaf pair is completely absorbed, then you could give it a small drink.

    The flower, as Xerophytnyc said, is out of season and will shrivel and die. No big deal.

    I hope that made sense!

    ~palmsandsnow