Hey so I planted some pups about 6 months ago and they started to get brown leaves with black spots on and wilt. So I've looked at the roots and lots of them had rotten roots, however after cutting these off I'm not sure if what I've left is also root rot could someone please help me, thanks! Also can I ask, I never over watered my plants but when I took them out the soil the soil was all bone dry except the last 1/3rd which was wet, why isn't this draining but the rest is?

Thanks!!

Hello nath1405, I am looking at your plant, to me it seems still okay. Which leaves were wilting before? If it is is the lower leaves, it is a natural phase. I am more worried if the rotting/wilting happens at the center/crown area.

What type of soil were you using for your plant? Can you describe the type of soil you used, container type, was it with or without drain holes? Clay container, glazed container, plastic container?

Also if you happen to put too much rocks below your soil, it will create a perched water table, so water will not drain well below.

tarev said:Hello nath1405, I am looking at your plant, to me it seems still okay. Which leaves were wilting before? If it is is the lower leaves, it is a natural phase. I am more worried if the rotting/wilting happens at the center/crown area.

What type of soil were you using for your plant? Can you describe the type of soil you used, container type, was it with or without drain holes? Clay container, glazed container, plastic container?

Also if you happen to put too much rocks below your soil, it will create a perched water table, so water will not drain well below.

Some of the bottom leaves as well as the middle ones, they were going a light brown colour the whole length and had small black dots but nothing near the crown/center.

I'm using succulent soil as shown below so should be okay right? The containers were plastic and had drain holes in them as shown below.

I had no extra rocks in other than those tiny ones already in the soil. Maybe if it was on a window sill it may not drain well?

Thanks for the replies

Nathan

If you can find more perlite or pumice, you can further mix it into your succulent compost to make it more well draining. Just delay watering if you still see media is wet. You can use bamboo skewers to check it, if it comes out wet, delay watering, or gauge the weight of your container, it will feel much lighter as the soil dries out. That plant effectively holds water in its leaves so it is really important it does not stay too water logged at soil level. It takes far longer for plastic containers to drain water away, compared to using clay pots. If it is being grown indoors it takes much longer for the media to dry out compared to being outdoors with more sun and air movement around. That is maybe why your soil is still wet. So adding pumice or perlite, will help make it well draining and allow more air below soil level.

What is the ambient temperature and humidity levels in your growing location? It prefers lots of light and warmth like temps in 18 to 21C range and higher. Give it a bit more light, expose it slowly to more light, so leaves will not burn.

Okay that sounds good, so do you have a specific brand you can recommend, want to get the best mix. That is all really good advice thank you so much for that. I will try them in clay pots instead.

The temperature is roughly 15 being England and it always being cold haha. I try give them the most sun that I can.

Nathan

Our cacti mix brand here is different I think. You may want to use some grow lights to augment the light and warmth for your plant or position it by your south window.

Ahh okay, so do you think I would be okay using the current cactus mix I showed you and add some perlite in to it?

Also would terracotta pots work as well as clay pots?

Yes, I think you can use your succulent mix there, just add as much perlite as you can to make it very gritty. Forgot to add, if you have access to poultry grit (insoluble crushed granite) that would be a very good top dressing, so the base of your plant is not sitting in wet media. It also helps to hold down perlite, since perlite at times float being quite light. Pumice is my other choice, and it is just slightly heavier than perlite, but also drains quite well.

Ah, isn't terracotta same as clay pots..as long as with drainage holes.

Okay I've ordered some terracotta pots and some perlite. I can get some poultry grit, so would I mix that in with everything else or put it in a particular place?

Yes you can also mix in the poultry grit, and then use to top dress your container. Just make sure it is poultry grit with no crushed oyster shells okay.

Actually I can't find it very cheap in the UK, shipping is expensive. I'll just have to go for the perlite for now! Thanks so much for your help!

Ah okay! Do update later how it goes. Are you going to augment with some grow lights to add warmth and light for it?