SHOP PRODUCTS
Houzz Logo Print
rayrob211098

Can someone help me identify?

Ryan Robert
6 years ago

Hello, I just joined this forum, hoping to learn more about cacti and succulents.

So i purchased a succulent the other day, and I'm having a hard time finding its name. As you can see, its not in the best shape haha, I'm still new to this hobby. My question is

1. What type of succulent this is?

and

2. How to care for it?

I'm planning to add it to my succulent terrarium, and I wanna make sure it is healthy before i do anything with it. So far this is how I've been taking care of it.

- It's pretty hot where I live and the soil dries up pretty fast, so i water it 2 to 3 times a week. ( am I over watering? ).

- I made sure it gets at least 5 hours of morning sunlight and would move it to a shade during the afternoon.

Thanks in advanced!




Comments (16)

  • greenclaws UK, Zone 8a
    6 years ago

    Sorry I can’t ID your plant but need to tell you......planting any kind of c/s in a terrarium isn’t advised. The enclosed conditions create humidity, something that c/s positively hate, it may work very short term, but your plants will decline and die, that I can almost promise you. Terrariums rarely have any drainage holes, a must for any plant! Far better to pot individually in fast draining mixes, half seived perlite half good quality c/s mix is easiest....add a good handful, of grit if you can, aquarium gravel is fine....no sand whatsoever though. No layers, mix everything together. You can even group pots in a larger container of you want that community look, cover rims with stones, rocks pebbles etc.

  • Karen S. (7b, NYC)
    6 years ago

    Sorry to tell you Greenclaws is absolutely correct about this. Terrariums are great, but need right kind of plants to succeed. Plants for terrariums need to be humidity loving (like tropicals) which succulents are not.

    We don't wish to disrupt your project, but pls do a search here about terrariums & you'll see multiple posts like this explaining why Succulents are the most unsuitable plants for terrariums. Better candidates would Fittonias, plants of Gesneriad family.

  • socks
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    You asked how to care for it. If it were my plant, I would repot it using a fast draining mix, most often recommended here is commercial cactus and succulent mix combined 50-50 with Perlite. These are available at your nursery. I suspect it doesn’t have much in the way of roots so that size pot will be fine . After repotting don’t water for a day or so. When you water let the water run out the bottom holes and don’t water again until it’s dry. After reporting, I would recommend bright light rather than direct sun until it recovers.. It doesn’t look very good right now, but with proper care it might be OK. Give it time. You can tell when I need water by lifting the pot. When it feels light, it’s dry.

    Succulents store water in their roots, stems and leaves, so when they are over watered or in a humid environment like a terrarium, they rot. If you want to know more about succulent care, please read other threads here even if they don’t relate to your plant because it’s a great way to learn.

  • laticauda
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I want to say a very badly etiolated Faucaria? Rina would probably be able to tell what it is, I think she has one of the plants in question.

  • Ryan Robert
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Thank you guys so much for your input. Yeah I'll probably rethink on using this succulent for my terrarium and will definitely do more research on it. As for the white leaves, it was like that when i bought it so i assumed it was naturally white. I'm really hoping to revive this plant as i don't see much of it here where i live. Thanks again for all your tips and suggestions!

  • laticauda
    6 years ago

    Rina got your identification so that should make it much easier to find out exactly what it needs

  • Ryan Robert
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Yes thanks Rina for identifying my succulent, its really a big help and won't have to start searching from scratch

  • greenclaws UK, Zone 8a
    6 years ago

    ...and the other succulents in your terrarium, how do they look?

    Gill

  • Ryan Robert
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    So far the other succulents in my terrarium are doing well. I bought all my succulents at the same time, it was just that one particular succulent that wasn't very healthy. Which led me to think that maybe it has some different requirements than my other plants. For my terrarium I water them using a syringe so that i know exactly how much water goes in and to prevent overwatering. I also added a layer of charcoal at the bottom and some big chunks on top to remove any odours and humidity. They are currently sitting next to my window where they can get plenty of morning sunlight. But I am considering getting a grow light and a soil moisture sensor.

  • ewwmayo
    6 years ago

    I agree with Rina - it really looks like Oscularia deltoides. Never seen a variegated one though, so I also suspect light damage?

  • rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Ryan

    Could you post photo of your terrarium please? There could be potential problem with them 'cooking' inside of glass enclosure if you put them where they get light they should be receiving. If they don't get proper light, they will start to etiolate. Even if terrarium is open on top, that isn't enough for good air circulation. And high humidity isn't something succulents like, and may start getting molds-fungus-rot sooner or later.

    I am sure your plants will grow for a while, but terrariums are not suitable to grow succulents well for long time.

  • hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
    6 years ago

    Yes Oscularia deltoides, not a happy one.

  • Ryan Robert
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    It's night time now so the lighting isn't that good in the picture.

    Yeah I am aware that glass terrariums can get relatively warm. Which is why i went with a plastic container instead, since its thermal conductivity is quite low (around 0.17-0.4) compared to glass ( around 1.1). I put this in my room where it is never hot because I myself can't stand the heat hahah, so the walls of the terrarium don't heat up. And like i said earlier, it gets a lot of morning light. But the thing is the afternoon light doesn't really shine into my room, which is why i'm considering a grow light. It gets really hot in the afternoon here and a number of my plants got sunburn when they were outside, i would usually have to move them into a shade around that time.


  • rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Ryan

    I am not sure what your general location is?

    I hope you don't mind me asking what is your main reason for planting succulents in a terrarium?

    Light is important for them, and most recommendations are for min of 6hrs, preferably more. I also use supplemental lights as many others do in colder regions, during winter. I have them on timer for 12hrs/day - plants under lights are in basement without any natural light. All of them spend summers outside, in full sun.

  • Ryan Robert
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Okay i probably should've stated earlier that i live in the tropics, where our temperatures go as high as 40.1 DegC (104.18 DegF), and our humidity is roughly around 94%. Based on past experiences, my succulents get sunburn when temperatures are around 35 DegC and up if under full sun, which is why i would bring them under shade during the afternoon. I've found this to work for me as the shade only block the sun partially, the plants still get sunlight, just not as intense. But having to move a bunch of pots everyday is kind of tedious. Eventhough succulents and cactus are known as hardy plants, here where i live (Singapore), many people would say that succulents are not easy to keep, due to our climate. I bought my succulents from the highlands during my trip to malaysia, which is where a lot of succulent suppliers are, because the temperature and humidity there is somewhat lower.

    Its more common to see succulents kept indoors here, in a terrarium/arrangement, away from direct afternoon sun. (But there are some who plant them outdoors, but i haven't encountered many). Plus the air conditioning dehumidifies the air, making indoors less humid. which is why i decided to put my succulents in a terrarium. Because it was easier to manage it in my room as opposed to planting them in a pot with drainage holes (which i know is better for succulents). I have read good and bad stories about succulent terrariums, and decided to try it first hand. And yes i have taken into account the difference in humidity and light intensity in my room, and am making modifications as i go along. So far, I've found grow lights to be an option for now, given the limited places I have to place my succulents(outdoors being too hot, indoors not having enough light).

    I might repot my plants into a succulent arrangement with drainage holes, if the terrarium thing fails. But for now, a terrarium is what I got going, and I'm trying my best to make sure that they grow well :)