Hey! New to the group:) I got some succulents delivered today but after 4 days in a dark box they’re looking a bit worse for wear… First introducing my crassula… she came a bit sideways and the stem looks rotten; can I save her? Do I repot her now and cut off any dead roots or wait for her to adjust to the new environment? Or is it just too late? :(
Yes, start the reporting process now! It is not too late If the stem is truly rotten it will be squishy and disintegrate easily. In which case, cut off the rotted part, leaving a little bit of space from the nearest healthy node. Take the new healthy cutting to a dry place out of direct sun and let it callus for a few days, then replant
1 like If the stem isn’t rotten and it’s just browning in that one spot, would it be okay to repot or should I still cut it above the part that looks a bit rotted? And how do I know where to cut it? I’m new to succulents so I’m not exactly sure what you mean by node? Also, do I just leave it unplanted with the roots out? As I knows some other plants hate exposure to oxygen to their roots, thank you:)
0 likes Nodes r areas on a plant where new growth (leaves, roots, branches/offshoots) comes out. Basically, cut to where the nearest leaf is coming out from the bottom. Then, you’ll need to take off a few more leaves to give the stem space to by buried in the dirt. If u want you could set aside those healthy extra leaves on a tray somewhere dry & shaded for propagation Yes it is true that many plants don’t like too much oxygen to their roots. In the case of succulents though, they r adapted for arid desert environments where they are able to dry & heal injuries very quickly. Think of it like giving a cut time to scab. Yes, your skin needs moisture to hydrate and make new skin cells. But that doesn’t mean u should put ur bleeding hand into a bucket of lukewarm water 😅 Same thing w plants If u put the cut plant right back into dirt (however dry the dirt is), it increases the chance of diseases/rot fungus entering through the fresh, moist cut. What ur looking for after a few days is for the plant to have formed a dry whitish brown membrane over the surface of the cut. That’s when u know it’s safer to plant
1 like Ahh okay thank you for that info!! I didn’t realise succulents were so hardy when it comes to moisture.. I’ll definitely wait for them to callus if I cut them. What should I do if I don’t need to cut it, say if the stem is still healthy under the soil, would I just repot in that circumstance or should I cut it anyway just as precaution as it’s looking brown in that one spot?
0 likes No if the roots are healthy then no need to cut anything :) just keep an eye on that brown spot But it will still b good to repot it into a better draining potting mix once you get the chance
1 like I will definitely be repotting once I buy some perlite tomorrow, if the brown spot gets worse I’ll cut it but hopefully it won’t be too rotted.. would that brown spot turn back green if I successfully bring it back to health or is it forever discoloured now?
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