Software
Houzz Logo Print
dontmather

Blister/bubble on succulent leaf

8 years ago

(I apologize ahead of time if this ends up on the wrong forum. Ever since the website was redone I have th hardest time finding /posting to garden advice)

i numerous pots of propagating succulents throughout my house. This pot in particular sits on my north facing window sill. I leave them be for the most part, stopping by to water and check in occasionally, as they've been growing well.

About a month ago, I noticed that the leaves looked not exactly withered but more so "pruney". I concluded that too much water was the issue (despite not watering them all that much).

when I checked on them today i noticed these strange bubble, blister like spots on the leaves. I've never seen anything like this in any of my succulents.

What's happening?!


Comments (6)

  • 8 years ago

    Succulents evolved in low-water areas. They survive this by hoarding water when it DOES rain and this is why they have plump leaves or stems or trunks. This lets them survive until it rains again. As long as they detect water they typically keep absorbing water until their cells burst.

    In a nutshell, your plant is drowning.

    dontmather thanked User
  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Your plant needs better growing conditions in order to live. Needs a real pot with a hole (smaller), potted higher in the pot, proper planting mix, much more light. Unless you are in the southern hemisphere, a north window does not provide enough light. When/if you repot, don’t put those rocks back on top. Take some time to read other threads here to learn how to take care of these succulents. Or ask here if you have further questions.

    dontmather thanked socks
  • 8 years ago

    While I do agree, I have these little guys in a glass container with no drainage hole which is a issue. However,, what you can't see below the pictures I posted is that there is about 3 inches of well draining soil with an additional 5 inches of stones for draining underneath. I can see through the entire glass from top to bottom, and I can see that the soil is dry as well as there is no water or condensation accumulating at the bottom of the jar among the rocks. Plus I know my watering habits and theses guys get honestly five-six drops of water every couple weeks in order to avoid over watering.

    I also found opinions pointing the other direction, saying that they are in need of water. It's difficult to pinpoint which of the two, over or under watering, is the issue.

    "While it is better to leave your succulent too dry than too wet, that does not mean you should never water it. Just like any other plant, your succulent needs water to be healthy. When the plant is in a sustained period of drought, it begins to draw upon the moisture stored in its leaves. The “water balloons” begin to deflate as the stored water is drawn down without being replaced. In time, the leaves will become wrinkled, and shriveled, as the once fully inflated storage cells lose water and begin to shrink. Leaves that were firm and plump start to collapse and shrive"


  • 8 years ago

    It is true that there is lots of conflicting info available. If one wans to grow plants successfully and for long time, they needs good growing conditions.

    Roots of succulents need some air exchange too, and that is limited in a pot that doesn't 'breathe' and doesn't have drainage holes. Air circulation is further limited by plant being so low inside of the container. That could also cause stale humidity, and succulents in general do not like humidity. These problems may be quite small and not readily visible, but they all add up.

    They do need water when they need it - not 5,6 drops, that is like 'teasing' - and should be watered thoroughly. In proper substrate and drainage, they should be watered well and then again when substrate is almost completely dry. Water stored inside of appropriate substrates will be slowly released, and excess drains out. They usually recover from underwatering better than overwatering. Underwatering could cause roots to dry up and die, but with proper care roots will regrow. Overwatering will cause different damage to roots and rest of the plant - rot. Plant that is rotting needs to have rotting parts cut off before it is too late. Last paragraph is a good summary. While your plant may not die immediately - it could last for quite a while, it is not getting proper growing conditions that would make it grow much better.

    I can't tell what plant it is. Because of etiolation, it is skinny, weak and color is probably 'off' too. Even young plants should look better if grown in proper conditions. Here are few young plantlets grown from leaves - very small, but of proper color and much more compact:

    You can grow plants in any container and any 'soil' you wish...but you asked for suggestions/helpful hints, and as you can see, they are all similar.

    Would you mind showing some of the other succulents you have?

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    The blister is probably edema--it happens when water absorption overtakes transpiration. At some point, that plant was in too much water that damaged its ability to absorb more water. Now that it is unable to take up water, it has started using up its reserves and shrink, thus making cellular breakdown more obvious.

    I recommend re-rooting the tips.

    I say "probably" because the plant is not in front of me. Check for pests too, but I'm less inclined to think it is pest-related. Although it wouldn't surprise me if pests have already taken advantage of the plant's overall weakness at the mo.

Sponsored
J.Holderby - Renovations
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars4 Reviews
Franklin County's Leading General Contractors - 2X Best of Houzz!