I got this plant about a month ago from a museum, and very much want to keep it alive as it is an anniversary gift! I wasn’t told exactly what kind of plant it is, and was given very vague instructions on caring for it. I have been watering whenever the soil feels dry, which has been every other day. But now it is wrinkled. Its color hasn’t changed, and it’s actually grown a bit since I brought it home, but I am concerned for the wrinkles! Does anyone have tips?
Do you just dribble some water in every day, or fully soak it? I don’t know many plants that need water every other day - my ferns and whatnot are every three days at MOST
0 likes I don’t soak it in water, I just pour water over it until the soil is wet all around
0 likesHmm. Maybe lay off for a week or so and see if it improves. If it gets worse, I’d check for root rot.
1 like Thank you for the advice, I will do just that
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That looks like a succulent, so maybe lay off on the water a little bit
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It looks like an “ice plant” (delosperma). It is a succulent. It likes having the soil dried out completely and definitely shouldn’t be watered every other day. Try finding it through the plant ID on the app and it’ll give you tips on what type of soil, light, and watering habits it likes. For now, check the roots for root rot (limp, dark, mushy roots). The roots, if healthy, should look light in color and be firm in touch. If there isn’t root rot, place it in the brightest windowsill, and let it dry out for a while. If you’ve been watering it every other day, don’t water it until the leaves stop wrinkling.
0 likes If the roots are rotted, remove the roots from the soil, soak the roots in hydrogen peroxide for about 30 minutes, then rinse it off with water, dry the roots off, and cut as much of the rotted roots off as you can. That might sound scary, but they can grow their roots back, and leaving the rotted roots uncut will kill your plant. Pick up some succulent soil and a bag of perlite. If you’re new to buying any, I suggest Espoma Organic Cactus and succulent soil and Miracle Grow Perlite should work just fine. Mix the two bags together and repot the plant after cutting the roots in the new succulent soil. Then place it in a bright windowsill and wait a while before watering it again. At least a week. Hope this helps!
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Yep! I agree with everything above. I don’t have any needing water at the moment pr I would show you how to know when it needs water. Basically if you get it healthy, look for the bottom leaves to be wrinkly, then you’ll know to water.
1 likeThis is fantastic advice! One question - does it matter when you do the hydrogen peroxide step? I’d heard that it should be applied to any fresh cut sites to help the plant deal with the wounds. Is that true?
1 like That is true. It’s recommended for both sanitizing any pruning scissors used to cut the roots and to clean the roots of any bacteria or eggs/larvae that might’ve formed from root rot and other bacterial infections. From my experience, it’s important to soak the roots or run them under hydrogen peroxide first, THEN run them under water. This helps dilute the peroxide after it cleans the roots so it doesn’t kill all the bacteria on your plant (and by all I mean the good bacteria that naturally occurs in all plants and their soil. It’s also good in case you didn’t dilute the peroxide enough in the soaking process.)
1 likeOhh that makes sense! Thanks 😊
1 likeLooks like you’ve gotten some great advice here! I just thought I’d add - is there a drainage hole in that pot? Typically when I water my plants, I add just enough that it starts seeping out the hole. I’ll get rid of the excess water after a few minutes. For plants that like to completely dry out like this one, make sure it’s not just the top layer of soil that’s dry when you water it, too… it needs to be dry farther down! If you don’t want to stick your finger down in the soil, the drainage hole comes in handy because you can check for moisture at the bottom there! (More tricks on that, including toothpick method)
1 likeThis is an ice plant which is a succulent and they wrinkle typically when they need water but it could be if they are unhappy in some other way. They take water slightly more often than other succulents but still prefer to be mostly dry to totally dry before being watered. They like a lot of sun and can be a little temperamental. It is important they are in soil that has good drainage (succulent or catus soil). I would recommend checking for root rot, make sure you are getting adequate steady sunlight or a sunlamp, and water weekly to every two weeks. The wrinkling is most often from lack of watering.
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