My echeveria dick’s pink is growing UP instead of OUT and looking really bare. I know growing upward can be a sign of too little sunlight but when I put her in a more sunny spot I feel like her leaves start to get burnt/sun damage. Any suggestions? I feel like I suck at caring for echeverias & idk what it is 😭
I don’t specifically have one of these, but I do have several echeveria. Yes, stretching is because it needs more light. If you move it straight into full sun that may very well burn it. Try moving it somewhere with more sun but not full sun. And leave it there for a few days. Keep moving it into more sun every few days, and eventually you’ll have it in full sun and it should be able to handle it. However, I see you are in a hot area like me (I’m in Texas), so my echeveria haven’t fared well in the 90+ temperatures. So you might want to only move it once it gets below 90’s or the heat plus direct sun might be too much. Also, keep in mind, its looks changing aren’t necessarily sunburn. It could just be coloring up fully as they will also lose their full coloring when they aren’t getting enough light. It could also be thirsty and looking worse because of that since the more sun will make it require more water. I looked at your profile at this plant and I saw you had a lot of pictures. Can you screenshot and post one under my comment that looks like you are describing as sunburn? That might help us verify if it’s sunburn or not.😊 Currently all my echeveria are inside under a 6500K grow light because the heat is just too much for the hybrid and smaller ones I have.
1 like Whenever it’s in a sunnier spot I’ll get lots of crunchy, crispy leaves like this bottom one, but now reading your reply I’m guessing that’s probably from needing more water in sunnier spots. Do you think I should cut it and try letting it regrow if I wanna get it back down height wise?
Also, thank you so much for all of the info 😭 it’s been such a hot summer this year and all of my cacti and succulents are feeling it for sure 😩
1 like Yes, the bottom crunchy leaf is from needing more water. It’s just using its stored water like succulents do.😊 yes, if you want it shorter, you’ll have to cut it. My advice would be to wait until you have figured out the location that makes it happy so it doesn’t continue stretching after it’s cut. If you already know a spot it was getting enough light in the past (just moved it away because of the crunchy leaves) then you can go ahead and cut it. You would want to cut it where you have some stem and remove some leaves on the stem to expose places to root. You would also want to leave on an extra leaf or two below the rosette part you want to keep for it to use up for water while it’s growing new roots. After you cut it, allow the stem to dry out for a few days. I have a propagation tray that I lay cut plants on after callousing over and they get misted daily with the leaves I’m propagating. You could lay it on top of its pot and mist the stem daily to promote root growth. Roots like to search for water so they will grow faster if they sense moisture. I would move it inside or in the shade where it’s not so hot while it’s growing more roots so it’s not too stressed. Once it’s got some little roots going, you could put it back in its soil and water some to encourage root growth. Just make sure it’s drying out within a day or so to prevent root rot. Maybe leave the dirt dry for a day or two between waterings. Once you notice the leaves perk back up (they might get soft/wilty while growing roots) then it can probably go back in its normal spot outside to acclimate to the heat. Then start moving it to a sunnier spot like I mentioned in the first comment. If it looks wilty, move it back to its last location until it looks happy again. Then move it again in a few days. Does all that make sense?🧐🤪
1 like You’re welcome😊 I am glad I could help! ❤️ Yes, the heat has been intense for a lot of my plants!
1 like Yes! Thank you so much! Will definitely be trying this! 🥰
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