ah, ok! i'll have to let someone else chime in on the watering, then-- i'm not super familiar with succulent care in your climate, but from what you said, it might be perfectly fine! I'm pretty sure, however, that the plant is definitely in need of more light, and that's causing the flatness--the watering is a side issue (or non-issue, lol). um i mean, i know that plants like lithops can split if overwatered, but i've never personally seen that with a plant like yours? and from your description it doesn't sound like you're even overwatering too egregiously? but i'm not sure about that, so hopefully someone else can speak with more certainty.

Lizzy, I agree with Rina. Every home improvement store I'vebeen to uses that same watering method. Plants are alternately over- and under-watered. The result is root death, and then rot. Lack of light and spring temperatures that are too low for growing add to the problem. Grit can be very tricky. It is as easy, or probably easier, to under-water grit as it is over-water potting soil. Often grower's are just trading one issue for another. Another issue with grit is rinsing all the grower's soil from the roots. Just a little bit left behind can lead to rot, but washing clean the roots of abused box store plants can also lead to trouble. The plants are often already in poor health, and washing damages fine roots, removes pretty much all root hairs, and can break roots- which opens an avenue for infection in already-sickly plants. My feeling about rescued plants is that it is often better to let them recover in the original pot until they're strong enough for transplanting. That depends largely on the condition of the plant, the roots, and the potting medium though. Each has to be assessed separately. Allowing an over-watered plant to dry out after rot has already begun won't stop the rot. The infection has already entered the plant. In my experience, little can be done at that point except to salvage unaffected parts for rooting. Those have to be severed from the plant before the infection reaches those tissues or they are also doomed. Dry as a bone is never good for a plant. It kills root systems, but doesn't kill bacteria or fungi that have already entered the succulent leaf and stem tissues. Without viable roots, the plant has to pull its stores of energy from leaves and stems in order to grow more roots when/if water becomes available. Meanwhile, it can't absorb water, so when it does get watered, it just sits in it and rots. That's the box store problem with alternately over- and under-watering. There are so many variables. We haven't even touched on types of succulents, dormancy, temperature, lighting, or acclimation. Hopefully we'll no more when you have photos.

Thanks!for the first one could have been kids ball falling on it.. Weather wise: We have almost same weather year round.. here in northern Cali.. No heat wave whatsoever.. I have many more plants having the same issue... The leaves soften up towards where it's connected to stem and fall off easily..

Hi Emma There is nothing wrong with sand in succulent substrate providing its the right type of sand. I'm also in U.K. and use a product called Grit sand or Sharp sand in my substrate. This type of sand has very coarse grains and improves drainage. Don't use builders sand which is fine grain and doesn't improve drainage - makes it worse. If I were you I would avoid so-called specialist pre-mixed composts like you have shown and make your own - the manufacturers just use cheap ingredients (naturally) - the culprit in that compost is peat! I use a John Innes mix (which is peat free) mixed 50:50 with grit sand to give a nice free draining substrate. I'm not a fan of perlite but that's just personal preference and it seems to work fine for people who use it. Good luck Andrew