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Cacti & Succulents

Question about my succulent

14 years ago

Hi, I lurk here sometimes, and I have a question about my (unknown) succulent. It is falling over, but it does not seem rotted. I don't overwater it, in fact, I was afraid I was under watering it, because some of the leaves were dried up. Now, I just think that they were old leaves. Anyway, is there something I can, or should do to fix this? It's all flopped over and it makes the pot tip over.

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I appreciate any help or suggestions I can get.

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Comments (5)

cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
14 years ago
Susan,

Smarter people than I am will correct me, but it looks like you have an intragenetic hybrid of Echeveria x Graptopetalum or Echeveria x Pachyphytum - all of these are New World Crassulaceae (NWC, as opposed to the OWC, Old World....., such as your common Crassula ovata, the jade plant) and interbreed promiscuously, to the delight of many.

You're growing it well, as evidenced by the flowers and healthy plant, and the problems you describe can be somewhat ascribed to the type of pot it's in - I'd look for a bulb pot of some type (one that's wider than it is tall) to pot this in, because this is the growth habit of many of these NWC - many of them in their habitats are cliff-dwellers, or nearly so, and want to grow in a spill-over fashion.
susan_on
Original Author
14 years ago
Well, thank you! You've given me a lot of help, and ideas for things to read up on :)
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Thanks for all these comments!! To answer your questions, the plastic pot actually has four drainage holes in the bottom, and it was planted with cactus/succulent soil - I know about how you're supposed to avoid root rot and I never plant any succulents in pots without drainage. Several of my plants are in clay pots and the majority are in plastic pots with drain holes. I'm slowly trying to get as many into clay as possible. That definitely makes sense that it's a lack of light creating the elongation. It actually used to be worse and I had picked off a bunch of unattractive long thin pads, and this was the growth that had replaced it. It's frustrating because I live in an apartment in Brooklyn and I have this in my sunniest window but during the winter it just clearly isn't getting enough light (only a few of my plants seem like they've gotten the light they needed this winter - others look half-dead or have the stretched-out pads). Don't know what I could do besides setting up a fluorescent light system, which I don't really have space for. I just used a compass to check, and it is in a window with a straightforward Southern exposure, but the light is coming down into a back alley and we are a floor lower than the top, so the light isn't direct enough. Polypompholyx, I tried scratching at the different white areas with a toothpick and nothing was really coming off so I think it's mealy bugs. I've had scale on some plants before but not mealy bugs so I will do the alcohol treatment. Sue thanks for the advice.
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paracelsus
14 years ago
It looks something like Pachyveria 'exotica' (Pachyphytum x Echeveria), but Graptoveria or something even more 'in-between' is always possible.

Pot-tipping is always a problem with such top-heavy succulents. The solution is to add ballast stones to the pot. The bigger and more off balance the plant, the heavier the stones. Of course, a prudent beheading once in awhile is always helpful to even things out. Root and pot the decapitated heads. I perform a series of public executions and resurrections this time of year. Try it, it's fun!

Leaf recycling of the oldest leaves is normal, especially in winter when it's 'out with the old, in with the new'. In summer, it can be a sign of underwatering, but as long as it is the oldest leaves dessicating, there is nothing to worry about. I agree with Jeffrey, you are growing it well.

Pachyveria 'Exotica':

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Brad
Denise
14 years ago
Looks like my x. Sedeveria 'Harry Butterfield'...
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Yours looks very healthy to me. I can't give mine quite enough sun in the winter months, so it loses its pink tinge and gets a little leggy in the winter.

Denise in Omaha
susan_on
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you. I keep it in my heated (but not hot) greenhouse in the winter. I think I may give it a haircut, once I figure out the best way to do that.

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