dcelzinga--The explanation about the gash on the plant makes perfect sense! I figured I must have over-watered it because of the mold, but I could not understand how the gash came about. I have become smitten with these little guys and from what I've read online, many people have had trouble at first learning their ways. thank you for the link! I'm sure it will help me to understand these plants more and read their needs better. xerophyte_nyc---I appreciate your concern about my artificial environment for the little guy. I know they are made to endure desert climate and not the cool breeze of a humming a/c. After reading up from the little I could find about these guys, I read about the overwatering problem and the need to keep it protected from rain as well as making sure the leaves don't burn from sun exposure and its sensitivity to major changes in light (and possibly temperature, I can't recall that part). That being considered I made my decision (perhaps foolishly) to make the plant indoor because of several factors: 1. I live in a row house with only a balcony. It faces west with intense sun exposure from roughly 12-1pm to maybe 6-7? I cannot provide any protection from the rain and the plant would be severely vulnerable to overwatering. 2. I live in Chicago. I'm assuming you're in nyc so maybe our conditions are similar and I am being overprotective about the plant. Here is an example of Chicago's drastic weather shifts. Friday it was 85. Sunday in the 70s. Monday to Wednesday in the low 100s. Tonight it is going to storm. Tomorrow it will be in the 60s and stay like that for the next few days. And then in july and august the humidity becomes unbearable! 3. I work 10 hour days. I don't have the opportunity to slowly introduce it to natural sunlight as recommended (leaving it out for only a few hours outside, slowly increasing its exposure over the week). 4. It's really cute and I wanted to look at it as I wash dishes. :P No seriously, 1-3 are the main reasons. I'm very open to working around these barriers. I imagine there are many people who may be struggling with these same environmental factors and I would love to hear how they have overcome them. :) Of course, I am also very open to the idea that perhaps I am completely wrong and none of the concerns I have about keeping it outdoors really aren't factors at all!! In which case I would be happy to know that too. Thank you for the feedback and concern! Succulents may becoming my new hobby and I tend to want to learn what I can about the things that interest me. :) Jayla

I'd bet your potting mix has a fair amount of peat in it. When the peat dries out, the roots die. Then, when you water again, the plant rots because it is sitting in wet soil. If you eliminate the peat, the roots will not die and you can water safely because there will be roots to absorb the water. In the ground, the roots are alive and well. That's why it is healthy despite less water. Also, in a pot the roots heat up quickly and can cook. That doesn't happen in the ground. Try to find a spot where the pots are shaded. You can try lining up the pots right next to each other to block out sun, and place a brick along the south side to shade the exposed surfaces. Mesembs like cool soil conditions. In nature, they grow in cracks and under quartz where the soil is cooler than the air. Try using fine gravel, Turface, pumice and/ or perlite in high concentrations, mixed with a little garden soil or topsoil. Avoid peat and those pre-packaged cactus mixes in a bag.

Hello Rikki O. I believe I have sad new for you. From the picture it looks dead, if it's mushy and feels like sort of seep will come out if you press a bit more, then it's absolutely dead. That soil you used is not the best choice for a pleiospilos either. Soil for any kind of split rock should contain very little organic material. Pumice would be the best choice. It's hard to come by in my county so I use a mix of coarse sand, fine fish tank gravel, little bit of any cactus soil and some specific cat litter (the one that does not clump and is made of baked clay). In such soil water drains quickly, does not stay wet as a sponge and roots have enough aeration. If your plant really died, don't be discouraged, Pleiospilod nelii is a wonderful and interesting plan. And really it's not that hard to take care of, just a bit of practice and you'll figure out what it likes best. This is mine some years back :)

It liiiiives!! Cutting off the rot worked wonderfully. But I think the "surgery" worked in my favor because I spotted the rot almost immediately. Its doing just fine now, it's even sprouting new leaves! I took pictues of the rot and the "surgery" if anyone is interested. Eventually, new leaves will replace the old and it will look like nothing ever happened.